I don't know of a cartridge manufacturer that states the product is approved for damascus barrels. Litigation and all that good legal stuff pretty well says lets dodge any culpability we can. I am satisfied that damascus barrels in good condition can handle lp bismuth and tm as well as lead. I shoot all 3. Bismuth is available in bulk here TM is not. It was made available in the UK for the punters with specific restrictions on the resale. Still I would love to get a good supply of Kent TM for reloading purposes. Early bismuth was more brittle than recent production. I have some of each and can tell you that even with a simple plier squeeze test the earlier bismuth is prone to shatter while the newer product deforms. As to Tungsten Matrix - this is still a proprietary process much different than the Tungsten Iron offered by Federal which product is very very hard with high SG. I never did acquire any Federal Tungsten Polymer and don't even know if they offer it any longer. TM ammunition as loaded by Kent is as good or better than the Super X Double X lead from Winchester that we shot years ago and in my experience for waterfowling the Super X Double X was the best available to us at that time. That is really saying something about product performance. Both Bismuth and TM are getting a cost hence price boost this year. I have heard that it will be 20% plus. Given my druthers of all the non tox available for older guns including damascus I would choose TM shot but factory loaded ammo pressures are substantial unloading ammo to extract shot is an expensive proposition. I do admit to occassionaly shooting 3" Kent TM loads in my damascus barreled Smith which has 1 1/2 oz Nitro Proofing and to great effect on the geese and no yet perceived damage to the gun but as a steady diet it would be too much like eating steak and rich dessert at every meal So that leaves the damascus shooting reloader pretty well committed to bismuth whether purchased or home made.
