Following up on this thread, I highly recommended 23.5 grains of Green Dot for a 1.25 ounce bismuth load. I use a #38 bushing and 138 charge bar for #4 bismuth shot. (See original post for all components.)
I loaded up 250 rounds for this past duck season and shot almost 200 of the 250. I was VERY pleased with the result. Plenty of killing power to drop dead both puddlers and late-season divers, with no noticeable loss of performance as temperatures dropped into the teens. And I emphasize “drop dead.” This was my first steel-free duck season. However, I hunted with steel shooters, which allowed me to truly appreciate the effectiveness of this load. While the steel shooters were waterswatting their downed and diving birds, my dog (Drake) was out retrieving belly-up birds felled by the Green Dot-propelled bismuth. Give it a try. I think you, too, will be impressed.
-Victor
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