12ga Bismuth Boss loads

[Joe Hunter]

12 GA Boss Bismuth loads
I cut open five shells, from the same box/lot as the shells to be patterned, and the components (powder and shot) were weighed, counted, and measured for consistency. Here are my findings from those dissections.

12 GA 2 3/4" Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth load
1 1/4 oz #4 Bi (192 pellets) @ 1350 fps
PELLET COUNT / WEIGHT (grains) (1 ¼ ounce = 546.9 gr)
195 / 552.9 gr
194 / 553.3 gr
193 / 553.9 gr
190 / 544.2 gr
187 / 541.1 gr
Aver. 191.8 pellets / 549.08 gr

PELLET SIZE (25 pellets, 5 pellets/shell, #4 pellet dia. = .130”)
.138”, .137”, .137”, .136”, .135”, .135”, .134”, .134”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .132”, .131”, .131”, .130”, .128”, .127”, .127”, .127”, .126”, .126”, .126”, .123”
Aver. .13140” dia.

POWDER / SHELL (grains)
27.7 gr
27.7 gr
27.6 gr
27.5 gr
27.4 gr
Aver. 27.58 gr

PATTERN RESULTS
The patterns were shot at 40 yards with a Remington 870 Special Purpose 12-gauge using a 28-inch Rem-choke barrel and factory flush Modified Rem-choke, .018-inch constriction from a bore gauge. The 40-yard (muzzle to target) pattern data is the result of pellet hits registered in a 30-inch post-shot inscribed circle from five separate pattern shots.

Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth load
12ga 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #4 Bi (192 pellets)
40 Yards / Modified Rem-choke
Patterns: 145, 130, 128, 113, 113
Aver. 125.8 (65.58%)

12 GA 3" Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth load
1 3/8 oz #5 Bi (267 pellets) @ 1350 fps
PELLET COUNT / WEIGHT (grains) (1 3/8 ounce = 601.56 gr)
268 / 610.2 gr
267 / 606.4 gr
267 / 605. 9 gr
266 / 606.3 gr
265 / 605.8 gr
Aver. 266.6 / 606.92 gr

PELLET SIZE (25 pellets, 5 pellets/shell, #5 pellet dia. = .120”)
.129”, .126”, .125”, .125”, .125”, .125”, .124”, .124”, .123”, .123”, .122”, .121”, .121”, .121”, .120”, .120”, .120”, .119”, .119”, .116”, .116”, .112”, .110”, .109”, .108”
Aver. .12012” dia.

POWDER / SHELL (grains)
30.3 gr
30.3 gr
30.1 gr
30.1 gr
30.1 gr
Aver. 30.18 gr

PATTERNING RESULTS
The patterns were shot at 40 yards with a Remington 870 Special Purpose 12-gauge using a 28-inch Rem-choke barrel and factory flush Modified Rem-choke, .018-inch constriction from a bore gauge. The 40-yard (muzzle to target) pattern data is the result of pellet hits registered in a 30-inch post-shot inscribed circle from five separate pattern shots.

Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth load
12ga 3” 1 3/8 oz #5 Bi (267 pellets)
40 Yards / Modified Rem-choke
Patterns: 151, 148, 143, 139, 135
Aver. 143.2 (53.71%)

12 GA 3" Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth duplex load
1 1/2 oz #3 Bi (123 pellets) + #5 Bi (103 pellets) = 226 total pellets @ 1350 fps
PELLET COUNT / WEIGHT (grains) (1 1/2 ounce = 656.3 gr)
232 / 649.6 gr
231 / 655.3 gr
230 / 660.0 gr
220 / 648.8 gr
219 / 645.3 gr
Aver. 226.4 / 651.8 gr
(#3 Bi/123.2 + #5 Bi/103.2 = 226.4 pellets) (#5 Bi/45.58% of payload)

PELLET SIZE (25 pellets, 5 pellets/shell, #3 pellet dia. = .140”)
.144”, .143”, .143”, .142”, .141”, .141”, .140”, .140”, .139”, .138”, .138”, .138”, .137”, .136”, .135”, .135”, .134”, .134”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .133”, .131”, .129”
Aver. .13692” dia.

PELLET SIZE (25 pellets, 5 pellets/shell, #5 pellet dia. = .120”)
.128”, .126”, .125”, .124”, .124”, .123”, .123”, .123”, .122”, .122”, .121”, .121”, .121”, .121”, .120”, .120”, .119”, .118”, .118”, .117”, .116”, .116”, .116”, .113”, .112”
Aver. .12036” dia.

POWDER / SHELL (grains)
30.0 gr
29.9 gr
29.9 gr
29.8 gr
29.8 gr
Aver. 29.88 gr

PATTERNING RESULTS
The patterns were shot at 40 yards with a Remington 870 Special Purpose 12-gauge using a 28-inch Rem-choke barrel and factory flush Modified Rem-choke, .018-inch constriction from a bore gauge. The 40-yard (muzzle to target) pattern data is the result of pellet hits registered in a 30-inch post-shot inscribed circle from five separate pattern shots.

Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth Duplex load
12ga 3” 1 1/2 oz (#3/123 + #5/103 = 226 total pellets)
40 Yards / Modified Rem-choke
Patterns: 132, 127, 124, 115, 108
Aver. 121.2 (53.53%)

So, how did the Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth loads perform? Well, here are a few more of my pattern numbers from some other bismuth, and steel loads using the same gun/choke as above for comparison.

PATTERNS / 40 YARDS / Modified Rem-Choke (.018” constriction)
Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #4 Bi (192 pellets) / pattern 126 (66%)
Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth 3” 1 3/8 oz #5 Bi (267 pellets) / pattern 143 (54%)
Boss Unmuzzled Bismuth 3” 1 ½ oz #3/#5 Bi duplex (226 pellets) / pattern 121 (54%)

Kent Upland Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #5 Bi (197 pellets) / pattern 119 (60%)
Kent Waterfowl Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #4 Bi (212 pellets) / pattern 126 (59%)

HEVI-Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #5 Bi (228 pellets) / pattern 85 (37%)
HEVI-Hammer Upland 3” 1 3/8 oz #3 Bi/#3 Steel duplex (181 pellets) / pattern 101 (56%)

Fed. Speed-Shok 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (186 pellets) / pattern 128 (69%)
Rem. Sportsman 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (193 pellets) / pattern 146 (76%)
Win. Xpert 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (195 pellets) / pattern 131 (67%)

Fed. Speed-Shok 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (154 pellets) / pattern 115 (75%)
Rem. Sportsman 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (152 pellets) / pattern 110 (72%)
Win. Xpert 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (146 pellets) / pattern 106 (73%)

I'm just the messenger so you can be the judge!

 

[Ruination]

Seams at the very least your gun likes larger shot.

Edit: nvm, didn't notice they were steel.

What was the fps on the other shells?

 

[Jimbo41]

Boss 3” #3 and 3” #4 from an Xtrema Plus hated the modified choke at 40 yards.
Thirty yards was fine but anything further blew the pattern.
Talked with Boss because I hunt big water and open fields. They recommend the factory full choke. Ok…
Factory IM and Full were ok.
At 40 yards a Muller Passing choke actually gave a denser pattern than the factory full.
The best I have for Boss is a Jebs .690.
But now at 20 yards I may as well be shooting a rifle.
I don’t get the hype.
I’ll stick with Speed Shok 3” #2 and BB from the factory Modified choke.

 

[DuckyPhe]

Interesting info JH. Thanks for posting it.

 

[WHUP ! Hen]

Dam, Boss shells are too expensive to burn’em up shoot’em at paper.

 

[Ruination]

Boss 3” #3 and 3” #4 from an Xtrema Plus hated the modified choke at 40 yards.
Thirty yards was fine but anything further blew the pattern.
Talked with Boss because I hunt big water and open fields. They recommend the factory full choke. Ok…
Factory IM and Full were ok.
At 40 yards a Muller Passing choke actually gave a denser pattern than the factory full.
The best I have for Boss is a Jebs .690.
But now at 20 yards I may as well be shooting a rifle.
I don’t get the hype.
I’ll stick with Speed Shok 3” #2 and BB from the factory Modified choke.

How is that any different than any other load that patterns tight at 40 yards?

 

[Jimbo41]

The entire premise is a lie.
Quote… Bismuth acts like lead’. No it does not. That is an outright lie.
I have hunted with lead numerous times in Mexico. Modified choke and an open pattern to 40.
To get to 40 with Bismuth you have to choke it down so hard that at 20 your entire shot string is on a the center of a paper plate.
Bismuth’s only legitimate use is the ability to use it in older shotguns.
The current fad of using it in modern shotguns? Snake oil and fools separated from their money.

 

[Ruination]

The entire premise is a lie.
Quote… Bismuth acts like lead’. No it does not. That is an outright lie.
I have hunted with lead numerous times in Mexico. Modified choke and an open pattern to 40.
To get to 40 with Bismuth you have to choke it down so hard that at 20 your entire shot string is on a the center of a paper plate.
Bismuth’s only legitimate use is the ability to use it in older shotguns.
The current fad of using it in modern shotguns? Snake oil and fools separated from their money.

No. It's in-between lead and steel. "It's closer to lead.". It's very simple physics.

No. That doesn't make sense, at all. The angle of the shot needs to leave from the shotgun the same to make a 40 yard pattern no matter what. It's a cone. And that is just simple geometry. Yes you have to choke it harder. Bismuth doesn't go out 20 yards and make a hard left turn.

Your steel looks the same.

You do what ever you want, bud that's fudd.

Bismuth has several advantages and you can choose which you want. A comparable load that has less recoil. A load with similar recoil but longer range and lethality. Something in-between. Shoots in older guns.

That doesn't mean steel does not work as well.

 

[Billy Bob]

Seems like someone expected lead results with bismuth and didn't know it's density is midway between lead and steel and he is upset. To get any load, be it lead, bismuth or steel to pattern tight at 40 yards it's going to be too tight at 20 yards. All 3 blow up birds that close. If you don't like bismuth, so be it but it's effective at the range you choke it for, just like any other shot material.

 

[duckrogers]

It's a cone.

This statement is untrue in general. Pattern expansion downrange is more complex than a simple cone geometry.

I have test data that shows if you take patterns I shot at 25 yards and extrapolate them to 40 yards by increasing the distance of each pellet from the POI by a factor of 40/25= 1.6 (as if it were expanding in a cone with vertex on the gun) you will get a pattern percentage for a 30" circle on POI that is too high by more than 10% compared to patterns actually shot at 40 yds with the same gun, choke and shell. The patterns in my test "bloomed" more like a trumpet than a cone from 25 to 40 yds.

It is possible there is some truth to the statement,

To get to 40 with Bismuth you have to choke it down so hard that at 20 your entire shot string is on a the center of a paper plate.

Patterns for bismuth might bloom a bit faster downrange compared to lead since the lower density pellets might be more subject to random perturbations moving them away from the center of the pattern. I would have to see some test data on bismuth vs. lead at 20 yds and 40 yds before I would care to draw any conclusion that there was a significant difference between lead and bismuth in this regard.