Bismuth #3 shot

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
Has anyone ever tried it? I know bismuth 5 is pretty light stuff although I've gotten a bunch of birds with it. I've been shooting #4 as well, but as I shoot a 12 I feel like a load of #3 might be the ticket 🎟. Now that I shoot a stack barrel, I could get fancy and put a beefier shell in the top tube.
 
Im sure 3s work great at 50-70yards. They kill giant honkers stone dead at 45yds, and those are about 5 times bigger than a pheasant.

I prefer bismuth 5s for out to 35/40 max, so over pointers or no dogs. Bismuth 4s for out to 40-45 max. Any farther than that on public land and I grab the tungsten. This is in 20ga, 7/8 and 1oz loads. I have not shot at a rooster and had it come down alive with bismuth, but this is only my 3rd season with it.

You will have pattern density issues with the 3s on pheasant unless you do 1 1/2oz. Full choke, maybe XF to hold that pattern killable out 50 yards. But IMO its way overkill.

If you are having trouble with 4s or 5s, id suspect you do not have a tight enough choke. I run full over IM.
 
From my own ballistics calculator, Bismuth 3s penetration are good out to 55 yards on pheasant. So that would be a real good long shot option paired with a full choke.
 
I've been getting birds this season but a lot of ones with some life left in them. I will keep working on sound shooting fundamentals, that to me is always number one. But I'll buy a few tighter chokes and give them a try.
 
I like the thought of using #3s, about the same as lead #4s. I will say I have not had much luck shooting bismuth though. I need to pattern them to see what's going on. I honestly dont think I've been able to kill a bird with bismuth yet, I'm pretty good with lead but for what ever reason I totally suck when it comes to bismuth out of several different guns.
 
Been shooting the hevi - IV. Or hevi 12. Shooting 20 gauge 3 inch 6's and been really impressed. Found it at bomgaars for 20 bucks per box of 25
 
I purchased two 25 round boxes of #3 bismuth for my two brothers. The stuff was on closeout at Scheels a few weeks back.

They used them in Iowa last weekend. Both shot several birds without complaints.
 
Shouldn't need bismuth 3's unless you're really shooting a lot of long shots. 4's get me out to 50 yds easy, as long as it's not a straight away shot. I limit those to about 35. Duplex loads, like 3's/5's make zero sense to me. Why would I want part of my load to have 60 yds of effective range, when the rest petered out at 45? Silly marketing gimmick as far as I'm concerned.
 
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A5 Sweet 16 said:
Shouldn't need bismuth 3's unless you're really shooting a lot of long shots. 4's get me out to 50 yds easy, as long as it's not a straight away shot. I limit those to about 35. Duplex loads, like 3's/5's make zero sense to me? Why would I want part of my load to have 60 yds of effective range, when the rest petered out at 45? Silly marketing gimmick as far as I'm concerned.
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They were made for waterfowl, has enough 3s in there to take out a goose if needed.. so you dont have to switch shells when duck hunting. I dont like them, they havent patterned well for us and i always have to pick out 5 shot from the geese breasts.

I use straight 4s for ducks and geese, ive taken several giant honkers (12lbs or so) with the 4s out to 40 yards. Mallards to 50-55 on third shot situations, 3 of them and all 3 fell stone dead.

Like i said, if anyone is having trouble killing birds with 4s or 5s, tighten that choke. Ive had guns that needed F and XF for acceptable 40yd patterns, and guns that were fine with Mod. Im guessing if you are just getting a couple hits because the pattern is no good, they probably do cripple birds in that case. My current shells patterned well with IM and Full in my stoeger, so I shoot F over IM. In my 1100 i shoot Full. Its not like lead, so dont get a bad thought that you wont be able to hit anything with the Full choke.

Next time out, shoot a big piece of cardboard 40yds from your truck with your IC/LM/Mod choke, then your full. The actual killing part of the pattern (about 30" circle) will be the same size, but the density of the holes will be greater thus more hits on the bird with the tighter choke. Youll find 15 holes through a pheasant kills a lot quicker than 5, and doesnt hurt the meat much at all. Bismuth loves choke!
 
Yeah, I've been shooting my browning 725 feather which I got this summer and did shoot clays with. I've read varied reports on the browning DS chokes being really open, often more so than the printed constriction on the tube. I did measure them with a digital calipers and found them to be accurate as far as I can tell. I'm going to order some trulocks, maybe LM and IM and see how that goes. I'll try to pattern the gun as soon as I can, although it's kinda tough to do that living in the MN suburbs. I know a couple landowners in the country and I did make a portable patterning board a few years ago to check my turkey setup. The only reason I asked about 3's, is that when I read a report by JoeHunter on his patterning and analytics of Kent bismuth, he found that the #4s and #5s didn't really show a difference in size of pellet. I have a good bit of #5 boss, but whenever it comes time for ordering more ammo, I'm definitely going #4 all the way. And if I find some #3 at a good price like Mr. Singer did, I'll buy without hesitation.
 
I've shot a fair bit of bismuth the past few seasons, and IMO #3's would be overkill, and I'd be concerned about pattern density, as KE Outdoors mentioned.
Was on a 2-week trip in ND and SD for phez during the 2nd half of Oct and used bismuth about 1/3 of the time. (WPA's in ND and GPA's in SD)
I used two different handloads, both in 16 ga and both very effective. One is 1 & 1/8 of bismuth 5's @ 1300 fps, and the other is 1 oz of bismuth 4's @ 1260 fps. Light-Mod choke. I hunt with a flushing spaniel, so not a lot of close shots, most are 35-40 yards, and a couple out to 45.
Overall my experience with bismuth has been that it's very very close to lead, if you move up one shot size.
 
Bob Peters said:
Yeah, I've been shooting my browning 725 feather which I got this summer and did shoot clays with. I've read varied reports on the browning DS chokes being really open, often more so than the printed constriction on the tube. I did measure them with a digital calipers and found them to be accurate as far as I can tell. I'm going to order some trulocks, maybe LM and IM and see how that goes.
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I haven't measured the Browning invector DS chokes that came with my new-style Sweet 16 that I bought in 2017, but I have patterned them and they are way more open than how they're marked. I would say my DS mod choke is approximately skeet, which I suppose would make the IC basically a Cylinder choke. Not sure if that's the case with DS chokes for other gauges.
I ordered Trulocks shortly after I got the gun, and the DS chokes have been in the box since then.
 
roadscholar said:
I haven't measured the Browning invector DS chokes that came with my new-style Sweet 16 that I bought in 2017, but I have patterned them and they are way more open than how they're marked. I would say my DS mod choke is approximately skeet, which I suppose would make the IC basically a Cylinder choke. Not sure if that's the case with DS chokes for other gauges.
I ordered Trulocks shortly after I got the gun, and the DS chokes have been in the box since then.
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This could explain it because I'm shooting factory ds IC and mod. Maybe I'll stick a full in the top barrel. I'll order trulocks but they won't arrive until after the weekend. I'm shooting a 12 gauge with 1 1/4 Oz. Shells. Lots of guys shoot #2 #3 steel for ducks or pheasants in this size shell and have success.
 
Bob Peters said:
This could explain it because I'm shooting factory ds IC and mod. Maybe I'll stick a full in the top barrel. I'll order trulocks but they won't arrive until after the weekend. I'm shooting a 12 gauge with 1 1/4 Oz. Shells. Lots of guys shoot #2 #3 steel for ducks or pheasants in this size shell and have success.
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I would try full choke and your bismuth 5s the first shot next time you go out, assuming your shots will be under 40yds. Bet you knock it stone dead.
 
Bob Peters said:
This could explain it because I'm shooting factory ds IC and mod. Maybe I'll stick a full in the top barrel. I'll order trulocks but they won't arrive until after the weekend. I'm shooting a 12 gauge with 1 1/4 Oz. Shells. Lots of guys shoot #2 #3 steel for ducks or pheasants in this size shell and have success.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's exactly what I'd do too, just use the tighter DS chokes until the Trulocks arrive.
 

Boss vs. Kent vs. HEVI bismuth loads

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