Non-toxic pheasant whacking experience

[Jesse Jaymes]

Mac-

Your "scientific" evidence is pretty disappointing. I buy into the box images and hype of Bismuth.....looks pretty disappointing on paper.

I bought my first BOSS Bismuth a few years ago. Traveled to Montana. Had the waterpark all to myself. Set up my spread in the darkness and was "early" and all set up before the sun cracked. Perfect morning.

As the first birds worked into my spread...I think I literally talked shit out loud at the first birds and muttered "Bismuth Bitch !!!!" as my targeted drake failed to crumble to the water.

Nearly in tears with my $300+ mini case of Boss ammo in that cool waxed cotton sack.....didn't turn on God Mode for my VersaMax or myself.

I am not the serious shotgunner and bird hunt as I assume most of you are.

But it taught me that 30 yards....is 30 yards. Went 7 drakes for 9 shells or so a handful of times, and I think one of those was a double hit and needed to anchor a bird. This was with Steel.

If birds are in range and you hit them well....they fold with most anything.

But I WILL feel better having Non Tox for 100% of my hunts. And at least it's a few tenths more dense than Steel. Interesting notes tho. Thanks for sharing.

Now if Tungsten was affordable

 

[sndmn11]

Now if Tungsten was affordable

I've still got some 100% tungsten in my cart but I chose one step down so when I don't feather puff my rooster I can still blame the equipment.

 

[Macintosh]

@Jesse Jaymes YES…but also, bismuth is still 20% more dense than steel. While I think its a bit laughable the way it has been marketed as a miracle killer now that tungsten is apparently more valuable than gold, it’s still going to be better than steel in that regard. And I think that people have been largely happy with its performance and arent as a rule sizing up from lead to compensate for density speaks at least somewhat to the overkill that I think has been the norm.

 

[Slickhill]

THE miracle killer on birds of all sorts is a well fitting shotgun. Shot size, shot material, choke, etc, mean little if you cannot center birds in the pattern.

I have shot a good number of pheasants over the years with lead and steel, 20, 16, and 12 gauge guns, shot sizes from 2s to 7 1/2s. No preserve birds btw.

The load that consistently produces the least runners for me was the old Pigeon load, 11/4oz of lead 7 1/2s at 1330fps. If they’re in the middle of the pattern the odds are overwhelming that you’re going to get pellets in the head and neck. Downside is at close range they’re a meat grinder.

When forced to use nontox back in the day I used steel due to finances. I found 6s to be more reliable killers than larger pellets. You have a much better chance of getting hits in the head and neck with 30 percent more pellets in the payload.

Whatever you end up with will work if you put the bird in the center of the pattern. If you’re hitting them with the fringes then 2s or 4s may buy you a few more birds when you get a couple big pellets in them.

 

[cuerro viejo]

28ga and 410 here with #7 TSS

 

[flathead#2]

Was just ordering 2 boxes of Hevi Bismuth for an old 20ga. double.
Got to checkout and after shipping/taxes was $117.00 !!!!!
I'm bout to order a MEC instead.

 

[spur60]

I'm like KurtR, I shoot a lot of public land roosters with 3" 2's because I shoot enough ducks with the same load to know how it performs. And it's a load with enough knockdown for those straight away flushing roosters. But, I shoot plenty of bismuth as well, for both roosters and ducks. Just depends on my mood and which gun I'm shooting. Hell I'm shooting Hevi-XII tungsten next weekend for MN pheasant opener through a 20 gauge, even though steel 6's would probably work just fine.

 

[sndmn11]

Hell I'm shooting Hevi-XII tungsten next weekend for MN pheasant opener through a 20 gauge,

Take pics of the devastating wounds please.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

Another vote for boss

 

[Dos XX]

Boss #5. Kilt them dead with Boss #5 in 28, 20, and 16 ga.

 

[MJB]

Same load as ducks but in 2 3/4 #3 in steel
Speed kills
I have used #6 steel from Kent at 1400fps it's a little less forgiving but it works when we hunt dove quail and pheasant in ditches.

I would definitely shoot a bird if my dog didn't flush it. He still gets to retrieve it and he doesn't care if he didn't flush it.

 

[sndmn11]

Oops, I guess I typed flush.

She's a pointer...
No desire to shoot any bird she doesn't point, and no desire to shoot any bird she flushes after the point.

 

[Ucsdryder]

So they are like a CO archery/muzzleloader elk then?

I'd have bought steel, but the hardness of it and eating the whole bird didn't seem like a winner for me. I ended up buying 5s, 4s, and 3s, because it seems I can cover "all" the waterfowl somewhere in there as well. My guess is the best killer of anything that comes out of a shotgun is going to be the best patterning combo of how bore diameter marries up to the choke type design and diameter with some sort of balance in velocity of shot (column) density and velocity. Probably in a year when I acquire enough different boxes I might randomly buy, I'll pattern everything and see what my equipment says to shoot.

If they are like muzzle loader/archery elk then you won’t need to buy any ammo. Just wander around with your cool gear!

 

[Billy Goat]

It's about centering the bird in the pattern.


I'm on the small shot train, more shot gives better chances of a CNS hit, shoot at the beak.


Duplex is just ass backwards. Takes away pellets from both sizes to do what they are meant to do, small pellets are for dense patterns to head/neck shoot, big pellets carry through the body for lungs and CNS, but you're taking half the payload away with small pellets that don't penetrate as far.


And I find steel to be adequate unless I'm using old guns, I just like it going fast.

 

[sndmn11]

If they are like muzzle loader/archery elk then you won’t need to buy any ammo. Just wander around with your cool gear!

Sounds like a challenge!

According to your texts, you and your wife each had a September elk tag and needed to shoot 6 bulls to fill 1 tag. I'll round up for you, but I think I can beat that 17% recovery rate while I "wander around" with a mutt.

Updates here:
1 Sage Grouse recovered of 2 shot at.

50%

 

[Ucsdryder]

Sounds like a challenge!

According to your texts, you and your wife each had a September elk tag and needed to shoot 6 bulls to fill 1 tag. I'll round up for you, but I think I can beat that 17% recovery rate while I "wander around" with a mutt.

Updates here:
1 Sage Grouse recovered of 2 shot at.

50%

Shot at 6…. 2 hit, I killed. It was an epic season for both of us though! Here’s a picture of my wife after a full day of sending arrows. 4 shots in one day, she gave one a haircut when she shot for 20 and it was closer to 30.

This one was 17, shot for 30. Came in on a STRING!

And why you gotta bring up bad memories of my missed connections either boals.

 

[sndmn11]

Shot at 6…. 2 hit, I killed. It was an epic season for both of us though! Here’s a picture of my wife after a full day of sending arrows. 4 shots in one day, she gave one a haircut when she shot for 20 and it was closer to 30.

This one was 17, shot for 30. Came in on a STRING!

And why you gotta bring up bad memories of my missed connections either boals.


View attachment 773088View attachment 773097

Go participate in the poll and make some of those other guys feel better. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/big-game-wound-recovery-ratio.376160/

 

[samc]

I've had good luck with 20 gauge 3" #2's in steel. One downside is they hurt like hell if you miss a BB and end up biting it.