Short 10 Non Toxic
 

Okay if I were able to get Nice Shot I wouldn't be asking these questions .

Can I load Bismuth in the SP-10 wad and is bismuth okay for use in Damascus guns with modified and or full chokes .

Can I load the ITX-10 shot in the SP-10 wad and is it compatible with fixed mod or full chokes in Damascus guns ?

I loaded bismuth in my full and full 10 ga. and it performed well. I used all brass hulls and fiber wads. Can't speak to the SP-10

Well Mike I could be looking at this all wrong . But if Bismuth worked without a shot cup in your application in the plastic Remington hulls it should be okay with the SP-10 . I was worried whether it needed a tougher wad like you would use with steel .

yes on bismuth and sp-10 wad and full choke and Damascus barrel , scott

Both Bismuth and ITX-10 are barrel friendly to older guns, contact with the bore is not a problem with bismuth and not supposed to be a problem with ITX-10. I have not used the latter but the BP website says it's safe. The tougher wads you mentioned in your later post are for steel or any really hard shot where there is danger of the shot scoring the barrel. Use of a tight choke is absolutely no problem with bismuth and should not be for ITX-10 if it says safe for double guns and small bores. Both bismuth and ITX-10 are less dense than lead or Nice Shot so you may want to increase the shot size to get the same penetration. Bismuth #1 has been available from Precision Reloading for a couple of years (when they have it), loaded to 1 1/4 ounce in the short ten it works great on decoying geese and pass shots to about 40 yards. On ducks I have no qualms about stretching that shot to 50 yards. A good all around shot size.

Pete when you say 1 1/4 ounce of Bismuth or ITX-10 is that by volume or weight ? At present my lead loads are supposed to be 1 1/4 ounce so by the same volume of non toxic would be less by weight correct ?

6pt-Sika , you are correct . I load my Bismuth by weight with its own data ( not lead Data) . Means you will have more pellets ( volume ) in an 1 1/4 oz load biz than lead , using the same size shot .

I did find something interesting the other night, my #5 Bismuth is denser than my #5 nice shot , In doing pellet counts , 176 per oz in Bismuth and 193 per oz nice shot .

I always load by weight

powder and shot bushings should be checked for an average weight

with non-tox the bushings are so far off i weigh each - or with bigger shot - count the pellets to a determined average

Weight.

Well this doesn't sound that difficult .

I can still use SR7625 , I can still use SP-10 wads . I can weigh each charge of whatever size Bismuth or ITX-10 I use as I won't need over say 15-20 loaded rounds each time we go afield (I hope) .

And the added pellets to get up to 1 1/4 ounces may very well do away with the spacers cards I now put in the bottom of the shot cups of my lead 1 1/4 ounce loads .

Do you guys put buffer in your Bismuth/Nice/ITX-10 loads ?

I used Grex in my 10 and 12 gauge buckshot loads this year so putting it in these shouldn't be that big a deal either .

No, i don't use buffer, i got good patters when i tested the loads i shot, i used 39 grs of bluedot for my 1 1/4 and 1 3/8ths oz bismuth loads. scott

I use bismuth with card wads and black powder in brass hulls. I do use Precision Reloading's spherical buffer and pattern 81% out of both barrels (both with full choke constriction) at 40 yards.

I would not use ITX or Nice Shot without a plastic shotcup. While their manufacturer's claim they are "soft" they both contain powdered tungsten which will be abrasive to your bores over time. There is a difference between softness of the pellet, i.e. it can be deformed, and it's abrasive qualities. As long as you are going to use shotcups in the first place, using any of the shot discussed previously is not an issue.

What do we know about Nitro Company Ammunition, RD 1, Box 372A, Gilboa, NY 12076?

I have two plain white boxes of 10-gauge 2 7/8 inch Remington shells loaded with 1 1/2 ounce of Bismuth shot. One box #2 and the other #4. According to the sales slip in the bag with them, I bought them at The Gentleman Hunter in Bethesda, MD., on January 17, 2001. Kind of surprised these boxes are still both full, as I was shooting a lot of resident Canadas out in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, Virginia, in that time frame.

Here is a link to their website. Note the prices!

http://nitrocompany.com/ammunition.html

I am thinking if my not so well thought out plan works this coming hunting season I might try Bismuth in my 10 gauge muzzle loader as well :whistle:

Be kinda cool to knock off a poor unsuspecting goosey with a front stuffer .


http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps01570cd1.jpg

Craig

have you told us about that gun before? Who was the maker?

That guns a Macfarlane was made in New York or Boston I forgot which . The barrels I think were made in Belgium for them .

The great thing about this gun is the condition , very lightly used if at all . This things been in my possesion for about 20 years and I finally got around to shooting it this past fall . I don't really care for BP and have been using 777 2Fg . I think I was loading it with 80 grains of the 777 and nine 000 Buck pellets . Thing is rather open and the patterns at 25 yards with buck were not terrible but not the greatest either .

At some point down the road I wouldn't mind adding a decent British made 10 gauge SxS ML and perhaps an 8 gauge SxS ML .


On a side note any of you guys that waterfowl with ML's ever had the bunny warden check the diameter of your barrels ?