doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bismuth velocity

That guy seems to be the latest internet expert. If you read Tom Roster's last column in the SS magazine, I think he was telling this guy with his gel penetration tests to stfu.

Ellenbr. Since I shoot muzzle loaders, what are you loading that gives you 1200 fps? I'm looking to try out my WC Scott 10 gauge this fall.

I remember when Roster was shooting #6 steel out to 50 yards,
He made films of it.
Opinions evolve.


The UK game shooting ballistics focus is different than here.
Their sport evolved differently, to a different set of performance expectations.
Their sport is under assault, so desires for lethality, and immediate CNS disruption are center stage.

The issues are different than here.

Yaaaa, I probably should have held my tongue. The fellow from Arizona has indeed done a lot of bismuth testing. I see his posts all over the net.

I patterned the Kent Bismuth 5's yesterday and I was surprised how tight they seemed to pattern. I've got some bismuth from Rotometals coming in and soon I'll be making my own loads.

You folks might be interested in Hodgdon's loading for Cheddite hulls, Bi shot, and Longshot powder.

It is very effective in my limited experience. Most of my loads have been with 32 gr of Blue Dot and Bi, but the Longshot loads look much better on paper.

yup.

Thanks, and I appreciate all of the responses. Just getting into the "bismuth shot out of doubles" game, and I've picked up a lot of useful info on the search engine right here on this site.

My BSS is 7 lbs. 6 oz, and the SKB is 6 lbs 15 oz, so I'm going to work the lower end velocities to keep the recoil down.

This will be a little hard to read, these are from the Hodgdon reloading website
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/shotgun
These are all for 1.25 oz. of shot, but Bimuth being a little bit lighter, you can always drop an 1/8 oz and still have about the same pellet count and less shot mass for less pressure and recoil. Makes that Bi shot go a little further too, which is nice given the cost.

No one says you have to use the full powder charge listed either.

Bismuth 1 1/4 oz.
Manufacturer Powder
Primer
Wad Grs.
Pressure
Vel. (ft/s)
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 Rem. RP12 31.4 7,700 PSI 1,350
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 Rem. RP12 32.8 8,800 PSI 1,400
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 Rem. RP12 34.3 9,900 PSI 1,450
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 Rem. RP12 35.7 11,000 PSI 1,500
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 WAA12R 31.4 7,200 PSI 1,350
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 WAA12R 32.8 8,400 PSI 1,400
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 WAA12R 34.2 9,700 PSI 1,450
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 WAA12R 35.6 10,900 PSI 1,500
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 Rem. RP12 30.4 8,300 PSI 1,350
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 Rem. RP12 31.9 9,400 PSI 1,400
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 Rem. RP12 33.5 10,400 PSI 1,450
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 WAA12R 30.6 7,300 PSI 1,350
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 WAA12R 32.5 8,600 PSI 1,400
Hodgdon Longshot Fio. 616 WAA12R 34.3 9,900 PSI 1,450

I would be wary of using a mild primer like the Fio 616 with ball powder, especially in cold weather. I would never even consider it with a reduced charge of a slow burning ball powder like Longshot.

The WAA12R (red) wad is in my experience a notoriously poor gas sealing wad. I avoid it now entirely.

Just because a load is published does not make it advisable or practical. In fact, a great many published loads are utterly useless in the real world.

For a BSS or SKB, both stout modern guns, I'd load this if recoil is an issue. It's from Alliant:


2 3/4-in. Rem Premier STS
1 1/8 shot wt.
Bismuth
Fed 209A
Rem RP 12
26 Grains HERCO

1,292 FPS
10,400 PSI

A once fired STS hull, a real Remingtion pliable wad, a hot primer, and a traditional flake powder loaded to a reasonably high pressure = Success.

Interesting you say that about that wad. It has worked wonderfully for me. I don't use the Fiocci's. The load in red is what I've been doing. Results have been outstanding, including in January and single digit temperatures.

I prefer to stay well below your pressures for any of my guns and it is easy to do so.

To each his own.