Short ten reddot and bismuth

[Matt Stolley]

Just wondering if anyone has sent a similar load in for testing?

Hull: Cheditte 10 gauge cut to 2 7/8”
Primer: Cheditte 209
Powder: Alliant Reddot
Charge: 19.0 grains
Wad: Remington SP-10
Filler: 1/8”- 1/4” 16 gauge in shot cup
Shot: 1 1/8 oz bismuth 4’s or 5’s

I have searched the forum but have not found anything.
Just didn’t wish to reinvent the wheel if its already been done.

Matt

[Bill Murphy]

The only thing about this load that you would have to investigate is the velocity which may be a bit low for serious hunting. Otherwise, it will not blow up a bad gun, much less a good gun. I would feel comfortable adding a grain or two to the powder and then testing it for velocity on a chronograph. I would estimate the load you mentioned at about 1150 fps at the low end. Pressure is not to be important in a ten gauge. Probably less than 7500. If your load sounds good, I would just shoot it. I am guessing that the shot load is about 1 1/8 ounces.

[Matt Stolley]

Thanks Bill,
I also guessed velocity to be around 1150 fps.
This velocity has worked for me in the past in a 12 gauge.
We mostly shoot wood ducks and teal at ranges out to 40 yards max. Our little pothole is surrounded by trees so long pass shots are not possible at this spot.

Matt

[Cold Spring]

What shot weight are you loading? Not shown in your post.

Readers, I'm not losing it. I see that the OP added the shot weight after I posted but he didn't indicate what he added in the edit footnote.

Also, some day you may want to check penetration at your 40 yards with the bismuth. IME if you can't get something like 1/4" minimum penetration in soft pine, the load is too light for that range.

Even with your "mostly" hunting I think a stouter load is in order for at least the left barrel. We want to be humane. How about birds wounded with the right barrel that are booking it away from the shooter? Also who can resist a longer shot after a slow day in the blind?

frank

[Cold Spring]

Now reading the load data to include the shot weight, this seems like a low velocity 12-gauge trap load except for the bismuth shot which is even less effective than lead.

Rolling back the calendar several decades to the lead shot days, would you be taking a light trap load but with shot that's only about 80% as dense as lead, to a duck blind? I wouldn't.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Frank Srebro

Now reading the load data to include the shot weight, this seems like a low velocity 12-gauge trap load except for the bismuth shot which is even less effective than lead.

Rolling back the calendar several decades to the lead shot days, would you be taking a light trap load but with shot that's only about 80% as dense as lead, to a duck blind? I wouldn't.

I agree. But I don't underestimate the effectiveness of light loads for controlled conditions duck hunting. I used to take my Holland 28 bore to Sasketechewan on my annual two weeks trips there. I sometimes used it for ducks in sloughs and kept my shots to 35 yards or less. In Sasketechewan you can pick and choose your shots on the breeding grounds. Few cripples and good performance with the little 3/4 oz. 28 bore load. It's a kick taking ducks with the litle Holland. And it was a great snipe gun. Tons of snipe around those sloughs. The 28 bore is not a serious duck gun, but its fun to play with under controlled conditions practising restraint.

[Matt Stolley]

To those who doubt the effectivness of a shot charge moving at 1100-1200 fps let me give you a bit of my background.
I have been haunting duck marshes for nearly 50 years. Apparently we were poor during my youth (us kids didn’t know it). I grew up hunting with an old sxs 13 gauge muzzleloading shotgun shooting blackpowder, card wads and lead 6’s. A charge of 2 3/4 drams of Dupont 2f, and 1 1/8 oz of shot was all I ever used. Dad used the same load in an old 12 gauge breechloader.
Being that my muzzleloader had no choke, long shots were not an option.
I do not believe ducks have gotten harder to kill over the last half century seeing how I still use loads with the same ballistics to kill ducks today. Yes, I do on occation use bp loads as I did in the past.
While I am fairly new to the 10 gauge, duck hunting is old hat.
Yes, I did edit my post this morning after it was pointed out that I had forgotten to include the shot charge.

Matt

[J.B. Books]

I have not seen any real performance problem shooting Bismuth at ducks out of my 10 bores, usually 1 1/4 ounce of the old Bismuth Cartridge Company 4's which are really size #3. Fed hull, 32gr of 7625, velocity 1155. When velocity is lower increase the mass of the pellet. Almost all the Sherman Bell Bismuth loads in the short ten are 1100 to 1200 fps + or -, they work.