16ga.com ~ View topic

Asked a question about this before with mixed results (confused).
I have a 16 ga auto 5 - 2 3/4" chambers with FULL choke --have purchased a bunch of bismuth shout (#4 & 5) and bp hulls & wads.
Question: What kind of results and and what ranges will I be able to shoot with the full choke or should I have it opened to modified?
Cheers, John

Now this is from a simple farm boy, I would load up some different loads with your new batch of goodies and do some pattern work with that A5 Then make my decision on chopping them chokes Laughing

In other words let the gun tell you Wink

Guest

Bismuth will give you alot more flexibility for non-toxic options. Reloading lead is really easy and I found that you had to "work" with your Bismuth components to get your money's worth. I don't know the allowable pressure for your Browning but going with buffered shot will really tighten up your patterns but it will increase your chamber pressure. You'll find that what knocks the game with a certain size in lead, you'll may notice the next size larger works the same. But take your different loads to the patterning board, see how they look and shoot some birds. The proof in the pudding will be how they drop. Off hand, I think Bismuth is about 90% the density of lead, so you'll find a drop of in lethal killing distance when compared to lead.

Good luck

I have found my Bismuth is about 1 choke tighter than lead. Don't know why but the splater board tells me so. This is in my SxS's yours may vary.
Best,
Ron

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

Cap'n Billy has given you some sound advice--refrain from touching that choke until you are familiar with the arm's performance.
Bismuth alloyed with tin compares favorably with lead alloyed with antimony as far as density is concerned (although some lots of bismith shot do seem a bit 'lighter'.
Generally if you have to make an adjustment the previous suggestion to increase by one shot size is sound. Buffering appears to be necessary to get the most out of bismuth and pressures will certainly increase--stick with established 'recipes'. Ron's observation that his SxS patterns tighter with Bismuth is probably due to the buffer--I have found the same thing to be true.
While I have come to prefer Tungsten-Matrix over Bismuth, the unavailiability of TM will make a Bismuth shooter out of many of us until price and availibility of Tungsten return to earth. Confused