HEVI-Bismuth No. 5 load update

[C M Wings]

I don't think so since... 1) I couldn't read the numbers on either box, 2) they had the first box picked up by UPS and then they shipped another box of the "same" load to me the next week, 3) all this took several weeks to complete from the original purchase, 4) since the load's components were different and closer to specs I must assume that they loaded those for me since (I think) they knew I would probably open, measure the components, and pattern them!

Sorry for being blunt but since they haven't been able to find the time to at least have someone contact me and answered some of my questions, I'm left to draw my own conclusions on these questions.

Anyway, now you can be the judge!

My 2 cents is…. They don’t care. They sent you a replacement box and great for you it’s better. They have moved on.

 

[Ravenanme]

My 2 cents is…. They don’t care. They sent you a replacement box and great for you it’s better. They have moved on.

That's the way most mail-order companies work because we allow them to screw us and or shine us on !
When the trust is lost , that's when they come back with more marketing BS !

 

[JP]

It appears (IMO) that even after Vista acquired EMI, that tiger still has its stripes

 

[JP]

On the vein of fixed chokes versus tube chokes, the following are side-by-side photos of patterns shot with Boss Bismuth (#4’s) and Remington Nitro Steel, also #4’s.

Shotguns employed were a recently acquired A-5 Sweet Sixteen with the extended FULL tube and a 1956 vintage Belgian Sweet Sixteen with a fixed FULL choking.

Also, as tje first shots from the new shotgun were so atrocious, I immediately shot the same targets again with the same loads. The first shot(s) are represented by the lateral lines drawn through those pellet strikes.

Interesting findings to say the least.

 

[JP]

 

[JP]

 

[Northhunter]

Great data

Supports the “load your own to know for certain” side of cost to reload vs value discussions.

Same lot numbers on the boxes? This is old hevi compared to federal buying hevi?

Federal never bought hevi. Vista owns both.

 

[DanL]

All that said, maybe your gun and choke don’t love their shells. Still, their off-the-shelf consistency leaves a bit to be desired. Anybody willing to be CDO (that’s like OCD, but it HAS to be in alphabetical order) can load more consistently than a factory machine turning out a brazillion shells an hour.

 

[Northhunter]

Their shells not patterning well is a common theme. It's not all the time, but it seems to come up a lot.
Dunno what the culprit is.

"Off the shelf consistency" is never great with factory from anyone. IIRC, for steel "acceptable" standard deviation is 200fps.
Reloading can knock that down to 50.

 

[Joe Hunter]

My question is if shooting a pattern at 40 yards and bismuth is like shooting lead, why are you shooting a modified chock and not a full choke. From my youth when I got my Model 1200 with winchokes - the manual said IC 15-25, mod 25-35 and full 35+. Back then that is all they offered.

So if getting 50% with modified, shoot Full or XFull constriction. Until you try that which I haven't seen that you have done, how can you criticize the 50% in the circle. On patterning board, supposed to try and maximize results with other chokes if the first one doesn't get you what you want.

CA -- Just for you, I've gone back and done some more patterning with the same replacement shells that Hevi sent me.
The IC patterning was just for the heck of it and the Full choke patterning is for your info since you wondered why I wasn't using a Full choke in my test.

I hope this helps, good luck!

“Replacement shell patterning”
The patterning results are from a 12-gauge 3-inch Remington 870 Special Purpose with a 28-inch barrel and a factory flush Rem-chokes, constrictions from a bore gauge. The pattern counts and averages were derived from five separate pattern shots at 48-inch x 48-inch paper pattern sheets, and a 30-inch post-shot inscribed circle was used to define the pattern. The in-shell pellet count averages were obtained from dissecting five shells from the same box/lot as the shells to be patterned and counting the pellets. The 40-yard patterning distance was established with a measuring tape from the muzzle to the pattern board.

PATTERNS / 40 YARDS
HEVI-Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #5 Bi (232 pellets) / IC (.009”) / pattern 70 (30%)
HEVI-Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #5 Bi (232 pellets) / Mod. (.018”) / pattern 114 (49%)
HEVI-Bismuth 2 ¾” 1 ¼ oz #5 Bi (232 pellets) / Full (.037”) / pattern 134 (58%)