# Bismuth reloading



## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Does anybody here reload bismuth for waterfowl or ever tried it? If so, does anybody have any good loads for ducks or suggested manuals?

I have read that both bismuth and tungsten are safe for older barrels, so I would like stick with either one of these.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Bismuth should be safe, and Tungsten Matrix or Tungsten Polymer, but Tungsten Iron I would stay away from on older full choked guns, especially the larger shot. The first 3 are soft, maleable shot, like lead, whereas Tungsten Iron or Heavyshot is hard like steel and needs the special wads.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I do it for pheasant loads so I can hunt on WPA's with my double. I load relatively light loads 18 grs green dot , 1 1/8 oz #5 bismuth.

Very effective on pheasants, I went this way because the commercial loads I found for sale were way too stout, the recoil from them would make my trigger guard put a knot ( lump to you yankees :lol: ) on my trigger finger. 
I think they ended up a about a $1.00 apiece so you won't really save much money but you can tailor your shells to the work.
I buy remington Sport loads fom Walmart by the case for shooting clays so those are the hulls I use.

My gun (12ga) is choked cylinder and lite modified and I can kill pheasants cleanly out to 30 yards with the cyinder barrell, most of my shots are with in 25 though.


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## ajx21 (Oct 29, 2009)

BISMUTH JAMS MY BROWNING 10G THE OLD RED SHELLS NEVER JAM THE NEW GREEN SHELS SEEM LONGER BY 1/8TH INCH DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM

thanks and have agreat day


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

ajx21 said:


> BISMUTH JAMS MY BROWNING 10G THE OLD RED SHELLS NEVER JAM THE NEW GREEN SHELS SEEM LONGER BY 1/8TH INCH DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM
> 
> thanks and have agreat day


Yes ajx21, I had the same problem this last weekend in my Franchi I-12. I won't be buying or shooting it again. I'm glad I brought other loads with. When comparing them the newer green hull ones were longer. I would guess 3/16" longer than the others. My brother's pump didn't like them either.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The problem may be finding bismuth shot. The last time I searched (6-8 months ago) production had been suspended and it was no longer avaiable.


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