Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Steel vs Bismuth for snows

Been waterfowling for 30 years… started with steel 3”, then shot steel 3.5” for 20 years and now am back to 3” steel. Since getting transferred to CA I have been shooting piles of snows and specks instead of the ducks and honkers that I have always hunted. This season the 3” Kent and Fiocchi #2s or #1s have performed well but regularly edge me on effective range on snows. Don’t necessarily want to jump to BB as I like the pattern density of 2s and 1s.

Was thinking of giving bismuth a try. Anyone have anything to say about the Hevi-Bismuth, Kent Bismuth or similar? Have heard it works well but obviously a bit more costly. Looking to pick up a case or two post season if it’s worth the jump.

Boss shotshells. Choke it full and don't look back.

Personally see very little advantage to bismuth over steel unless your shooting a shotgun not suitable for steel.

If your shotgun can handle steel I'd jump straight to one of the tungsten bases shots if you need more than steel.

Have been shooting bismuth since the mid-1990s, when it was first approved--both handloaded, and in factory ammo--along with just about every other variety of "non-toxic" shot,

Obviously with "only" 30 years experience, you never killed any waterfowl with lead shot. But good lead ammo killed 'em more consistently than the best steel ammo, no matter what anybody claims these days. In my experience good bismuth ammo kills just as well as lead with the same shot sizes and load-weights, in any gauge.

TimberRunner, I have heard some mixed reviews but more good things than negative about BOSS shotshells. Might pick up a case to try.

Erich, Tungsten based shot may be a touch out of my pay grade with the volume or shells that I shoot in a waterfowl season. I typically go thru 400+ shells and average about two shots per recovered bird.

John, I appreciate your insight with this. I indeed have only shot steel in my waterfowling "career" with good success IMO. Not knowing any different other than my mentors grumblings about how terrible it was when I was younger and getting started.

With lead (historically) or bismuth, what shot size would be appropriate for light geese and specks? I assume that the #2s would do the job admirably but would that be too large?

Sounds like you are already very successful using steel shot. I tried the other types of shells. You will spend a lot of money to kill a few more birds. Good luck with your decision.

Bismuth is much better than steel, and tungsten matrix denser yet, and made to closely match lead, and 2.5x greater than steel.

I have 12 boxes of 3” Kent tungsten matrix (10 in each). The right side row are #1 size, 1.5 0z at 1325 fps and the left are #5 size, 1/4 0z. Velocity is 1525





I don’t know the Ca reg’s for receiving ammo, but let me know if interested and legal.

Edit to correct an error.

haverluk,

While bismuth 2s will work on light geese and specks, I'd go with 4s for more pattern density.

Might also comment that while steel shot load ammo has improved a LOT since it first appeared, in my experience and that of some other experienced waterfowlers it's still doesn't work like heavier shot. One of those other waterfowlers is our friend Nick Frederick, who we first met when he was just out of high school in 1993, guiding us on a hunt with his father's Ameri-Cana outfitting business in Alberta, a day's drive north of us.

It's great hunting, partly because it's near where so many ducks and geese are born in the northern Canadian wilderness, so haven't been shot at much, if at all. Limits are also generous, and their season starts a month earlier than in Montana. We've been up several times since, both to collect birds for my wife Eileen's game cookbooks, and to try out new kinds of non-toxic shot.

During one of the recent hunts, geese of all sizes were coming into the field decoys. Less than an hour later, with a bunch of "recipe" geese down, Nick smiled at us and said, "You're not shootin' steel, are you?"

Geese hate bismuth 2’s. You’ll notice a difference from steel. Birds folded dead in the air rather than sailing down. Gotta admit that my partners do pretty well with steel, though. I loved Kent Tungsten too, but it’s now crazy expensive. Have fun.

Snows are relatively easy to kill when hit square. They do not warrant the expense of bismuth or tungsten in my book. Yes they give you more range, but not worth the $$ in my book. We kill boat loads with steel 1s. If you are wanting something different, for high wind days these seem to be a terror: https://browningammo.com/Products/Ammunition/Shotshell/Wicked-Blend/B193431240

I have a very different opinion for big canadas though....

I agree. I started duck hunting in 1965. From 1965 to sometime in the 80s I killed a lot of ducks with a 2 3/4” 870 30” full choke barrel. Then we all switched over to steel shot, that was quite the learning curve, I hated it, but slowly got used to it. By that time I switched to an over-under 12 ga with screw in chokes and 3” chambers.

About 25 years ago I got into vintage side by sides which required me to switch over to Bismuth. It was and is about triple the cost of steel, holy damn, it was about three times more effective! It seems like we drop a cripple in the decoys with steel then takes 2-3 more shots to maybe kill it, infuriating. I love Bismuth, next best thing to lead.