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I have just returned to waterfowl hunting after about a 10 year absence (hunting upland/big game) and one the last couple of trips to the goose blind I have been very impressed with the #2 and #BB Bismuth loads from my O/U 10 ga. Now, I know that Bismuth is no longer available but what about some of the newer non-toxics? Or has steel improved to the point where the heavier stuff is not needed. I only have 8 rounds of Bismuth left (it was the stuff loaded by Winchester) and was $23 for a box of 10. Probably bought around 2000 or so. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
when the hell did bismuth go away?
High speed #1s for our small geese. Specks and Snows mostly. Get em in close enough and its HELL on geese. Plenty of pellets too.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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BTW what i hear, the dense tungsten is really cats azz... supposedly a number of folks have figured out the dense stuff will kill big canadas 100 yards out if you get all the rest of it right... thats a LONG way, but tungsten is DENSE.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: May 2002
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I've been shooting Very light loads (7/8 oz.) of ITX #4 and #6's out of my old 12ga hammer gun, 65mm chambers. It has been devastating on ducks and geese. I'm having one of my best years. Lots of birds around doesn't hurt. Most of my birds have been one shot kills and the dog has been having pretty easy retrieves. Yesterdays morning tide. My loads
Last edited by erich; 12/16/13.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 61
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Nice shotgun and nice bag. Congratulations.
Retired Wisconsin Conservation Warden Life Member VFW and NRA.
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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rost - is someone still making bismuth?
Is that the tungsten matrix?
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Rio is loading Bismuth Rio Bismuth
NRA Endowed Patron Life Benefactor GOA Life Member TSRA Life Member NSCA Life Member
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If you are hunting cautious ducks on public land, steel sucks. It works great for decoying birds, but if you have to pass shoot, not so much. I have considered making the switch to hevi-shot or some of the other quality loads, but I still have a couple of cases of steel.
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Campfire Tracker
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If your shooting a newer shotgun designed for steel and just want the better performance of the heavier shot I would look more at Hevi Shot or ITX Hevi-13 both heavier than lead.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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How is the Rio ammo? I have not heard of it before.
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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Interesting on the ITX shot. I had not heard of it before. For the non-handloader, does anyone load ITX?
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Joined: May 2002
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Not that I know of.
Here's a list of heavier than steel soft non-toxic loads.
RST loads NICE SHOT(they also have low pressure 2.5" loads)
Kent Loads Tungsten Matrix
Gamebore, Tungsten Matrix
Hevi Shot, Classic Doubles
RIO, Bismuth
Fiocchi, Tundra Tungsten Matrix.
Last edited by erich; 12/17/13.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Posts: 4,453
Campfire Tracker
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OP
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That is a great summary, thank you!
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,098 |
Hevi -shot(tungtsen based) is awesome, but expensive. Honestly I shoot federal blue box or Estate steel with a patternmaster tube and absolutely crush birds
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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federal blue box is all I use.
God bless Texas----------------------- Old 300 I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull Its not how you pick the booger.. but where you put it !! Roger V Hunter
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The 10ga takes deep pockets to feed with anything other than steel. If you are going to do it. ITX10 in BB is the most cost effective pellet and it is soft. Reloading for the 10ga is the most cost effective option. With just a few box's of shells you will pay for the equipment with savings. Look up the MEC 10ga Steel Master and then run the costs on ingredient on the Ballistic products website. You get about 75 1 1/2oz loads per 7lb ITX10 at $153.90 = $2.05 per shell for the shot then add shipping and powder, wads, primers for another $.045 per shell gets you in the $2.50 per shell area.
The anti American Constitutional party (Democrat). Wants to dismantle your rights, limiting every aspect of your constitutional rights. Death by 1000 cuts is the tactic. Each cut bleeds constitutional rights to control you. Control is the goal.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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federal blue box is all I use. There are some days out there, that federal blue box just won't cut it. Though its about all I use. Was 99 a case last year, think it was 119 a case shipped this year. hard to beat around 100 bucks for a case of 3 inch steel.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Steel BB will penetrate through a big Canadian goose at 50 yards. Steel #2 will penetrate through a big Mallard duck at 50 yards.
Further than that, you need the dense stuff, specifically Tungsten or "High Density."
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I make a lot of 50 yard shots on ducks with steel 2s. lead 4s or even lead 6s would work MUCH better.
but if you have to push further out there, and sometimes you do if you want to take ducks home, then steel starts to suck pretty bad.
Wished I could shoot steel 4s all year and have ever duck cupped up at 35 yards or less... but I"m a realist.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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