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Member Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Minnesota

What wads do you guys use when reloading bismuth or hevi-shot for your old guns. I have a 1908 Parker 16ga, and I am just starting to reload. So anytips would be much appreciated

Thanks

Steve

Steve,

You can use any 16 wad for Bismuth. I've made up some loads with the Rem SP16 wad. Bismuth will take up more volume than the same weight of lead shot, so you may need to use a wad with a larger shot cup.

I don't shoot hevi-shot. Would be concerned about damaging bores of guns that aren't steel shot compatible.

Jeff

Guest

You can join the reloading group through this BB and pick up some Bismuth reloading manuals from Ballistic Products. You will not find a ton of recipes in the manual but there will be something that will work for you. I would highly recommend that you refrain from using Hevi loads unless you have a modern gun. Hevi has one great benefit in improving the lethal range of your gun but the two very big downsides are its extreme hardness and chamber pressure. On the SAMMI scale, Hevi is harrder than steel and can cause signficant barrel damage unless you use the correct wads. Since it is denser than lead, your payload is around 10% higher than lead, so you need more powder to get the payload moving down the barrel, thus, very high chamber pressujre. I wouldn't recommend Hevi for a vintage SXS.

My thoughts for today...

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I have used BPI's Multi metal wad. Shoots really tight patterns with Hevi-shot. Really tight. I almost always use a spreader insert in the load and that puts the pattern at almost "normal"

I wouldn't use hevi-shot through the ol' Parker with any wad though.

Order some nice shot and load that up. Better than Bismuth by a long stretch.

Guest

I have a few hunting buddies that shoot Hevi through their 12 gauge and have found that you don't need to shoot any choke tighter than a light modified because Hevi will pattern close to 90% @ 40 yards. Any tighter chokes will cause problems since Hevi is so hard, (plus they shoot alot of rounds), they have had instances of having their factory chokes getting "opened up". It's not a problem with choke tubes where you can purchase another tube but it can put you in bad situation with your fixed choke gun. I think Hevi has its own application like pass shooting ducks or goose hunting, but I'm not a fan for just regular upland hunting.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I use cylinder/skeet chokes when using hevi-shot. Even then the spreader insert comes in handy. (with the multi metal wad anyway)

#6 or 7.5 hevi-shot is excellent on pheasants, especially later in the season when shots tend to range a little bit farther, and birds are a little tougher. Hevi-shot at 1300+ fps penetrates like nobody's business.

Joined: 28 Sep 2008 Posts: 168

where are you getting the bismuth or is it old stock you still have. Has bismuth been made available for reloaders again?

Guest

The problem with shooting non-tox is the overall cost. You can decrease it a bit by reloading your own but finding non-tox pellets can be a problem. When the Original Bismuth company closed down, Ballistic Products had a "close out" on Bismuth at a sticker shock price. But it was still cheaper loading that stuff rather than paying $28 for 10 rounds of TM (which I still use) and I purchased several jar of Bismuth shot. When someone on this BB puts out a notice for "good deals", I always check the offer out and if there is a possibility that I might even use it in the future, I buy it. There was an ammo warehouse that was closing out their 16 gauge Bismuth inventory for around $12/25 round box. I ended up buying two cases. With lead, you can always find a decent "deal" on a frequent basis but I always load up my non-tox because a good deal doesn't happen very frequently.

Just my own thoughts...