duck shells

[charlie cleveland]

what duck loads are you using...I use to use steel shot but aint able to go now was just interested in the shells...I used a lc smith 3 inch long range gun that had a set of modified choke both barrels the steel never done any damage to the barrels.....don't go duck hunting if you don't want to get hooked....charlie

[Big D]

In my opinion, you MIGHT be OK if the shot size is no bigger than 6. Bigger than that with modified chokes could be a problem. My duck gun is choked IC

[Aaron Beck]

I have used plenty of steel, hevi shot, and wingmaster in a similar lc smith, had the chokes opened and noticed no issues. No bulging, no scouring, no streaking.

I have switched to boss bismuth because i believe it is the best available option but be wary if your gun is thought to be fussy about "low pressure".

[mobirdhunter]

I only shoot bismuth through my vintage guns. Low pressures, light loads, only shots within range. I'm a "sometimes" duck hunter, and a duck or two is enough for me. My stash of bismuth will probably outlast me.

[Matt Buckley]

Bismuth is #4 shot has been very effective for me on ducks.

[Mills]

I found some Rio Bismuth at my favorite hunting store, the Outpost in Ridgeland. I bought two boxes for me and Harry. We used the two boxes with such good results, I went back and cleaned them out of what they had left.

[Stan Hillis]

Boss has a lower pressure 2 3/4" Cu plated bismuth load that I'll be using in some of my lighter vintage doubles. I'll be ordering another case of the full pressure loads as soon as they catch up with inventory a little. I also load regular bismuth myself. If weather, or conditions, are really bad I use my 30" BSS with steel. Chokes have been opened to .018" and .018". No issues with steel in the last 11 years with it.

[Victor Wasylyna]

I keep hearing about Boss shotshells being copper-plated bismuth, but I can’t find any evidence to support. I searched their website for “bismuth,” and received no results. If they really are using copper plated bismuth, as opposed to copper plated steel, why don’t they just say so? They heavily advertise the plating composition (copper), but say nothing about the composition of the underlying substrate.

-Victor

[Phil C]

Victor you are right. Very little advertising on their shells when it comes to Bismuth. I checked a box of shells a friend gave me and no where does it say Bismuth. Only non toxic.
I did find under FAQ on their website the mention of using Bismuth.
I have not tried these shells yet. Hopefully after Christmas. The friend that gave me this box to try has shot ducks on several hunts. He thinks they are the best non tox shells he has used.

Another friend of mine guides for quail and had 2 hunters that shot Boss non tox shells even though that is not required for upland game in AZ.
He felt the shells performed well on the quail they shot.
These hunters told him they have been using the Boss shells exclusively this year for all of their upland as well as Waterfowl. They had nothing but high praise.

[Aaron Beck]

victor
Thats very interesting. I know they rolled out a new website this summer and I see they scrubbed any reference to bismuth. ODD. The pellets I have are copper plated and VERY soft. I hit one on the anvil and it all but dissapeared, paper flat with no fracturing. The Bismuth sold at balistic products exhibits some fracture around the edges but still works just fine. I have had occasion to use the boss shells less than I thought but found the #5 worked nicely at reasonable range.