What's with all the ad's for Bismuth shells?

[Buster_AZ]

Seems everyone wants a piece of the action. Big name brands want a cut now that they’ve watched Boss make bismuth profitable. Nowadays, there’s a lot guys that will buy a box or two bismuth. I’m talking about the occasional hunter. If you’re shooting high volume and not reloading, steel is a way better option. If you’re just getting out a few times a year, then the benefit may outweigh the cost. In my personal use, bismuth has served well over the last few years. It has allowed me to take fowl with my antique .410 pump and extended my range with the 20 bores.

 

[Bigeejakes]

I bought a case of Boss #3s and won a case of #4s... I have had success with it, but it also makes me wonder if it is worth the cost vs steel.... For me, I go out 5-6 days a year, and a case will last me 3-4 years. At that low level of shooting, the cost difference per year is minimal... To me I classify it this way.

Birds center punched in the decoys (close and medium range shots) are dead with both bismuth and steel.

My observation has been that I have more "heads up" birds when using steel, that need a follow-up after they fall in the decoys.

Birds I shoot at with bismuth that are "far" category shots do something odd... About 3-4 times now I have had birds I knew I hit, were visibly hurt, got about 100 yards away and just dropped out of the sky dead. I was able to walk up and find them floating. I have never had this happen with steel. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

 

[ohio mike]

It's really the best and in my opinion only option if you shoot old fixed choke guns. Especially sub gauge. Easier on the barrel (soft), easier on the stock (less recoil) and easier on me (old and creaky). I load 1 1/4 oz ones for geese in 12 ga. and 1 oz. of fours in 16 gauge. Both at around 1200 FPS and am never undergunned.

 

[Goosekiller]

Because tungsten has priced itself out of the market, so manufacturers are calling bismuth the new premium shell. Just shoot steel save your money for gas.

 

[Josh carpenter]

So my20 gauge 870 is a goose gun

 

[#1WATERFOWLER]

I shot several boxes of BOSS #4 through my 12 gauge. It worked well but I did not find a noticeable advantage over my normal Federal 1 1/8oz of steel 2’s at 1550 fps. Plus I found several pellets broken apart in the birds. I’m sticking with steel.

 

[Foxwood]

So my20 gauge 870 is a goose gun

We kill honkers and specks with 28 and 20 ga boss. I tell everyone who says you don't need it not to preach that until you try some in the field. It's different.

 

[tengoose1]

So beings we have touched base slightly with tss and we are talking premium loads here. This will pertain to handloaders only so I'm going to throw this out here. 5 pounds of tss 9.5 is 260 dollars using 1/4 oz that gives you 320 shells if you spike it on top of steel at roughly .81 cents extra a shot per load. That's approximately 104 additional pellets. What would the cost be to an equivalent bismuth load that would have the same performance as the as the tss. Basically I'm asking is what would it take to get 104 pellets of bismuth with the same ballistics as 1/4 oz of 9.5 tss. Not considering the steel that would be in the load.

 

[duckbuster5901]

So my20 gauge 870 is a goose gun

Most certainly is with the right load of Bismuth if you work your birds right. A 50 yd. pass shooting gun it is not with Bismuth.

 

[Josh carpenter]

Most certainly is with the right load of Bismuth if you work your birds right. A 50 yd. pass shooting gun it is not with Bismuth.

better practice on the park geese to figure out the effective range