Bismuth Shot Impact Energies?

[Jim McKee]

Milton C Starr,
Can that be translated to ft. lbs at 40 yds & 50 yds?
Thanks!
Jim

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Jim McKee

Milton C Starr,
Can that be translated to ft. lbs at 40 yds & 50 yds?
Thanks!
Jim

So I found a ballistic calculator I could use and this is what it came up with for 40 and 50 yards .

First a #5 bismuth pellet .
yards fps ft lbs
40 625 2
yards fps ft lbs
50 532 1

Lead #5 for comparison
yards fps ft lbs
40 703 3

yards fps ft lbs
50 622 2



From everything ive read from guys who shoot bismuth on various shotgun forums the majority of them say when shooting bismuth you dropped down 1 size from lead shot .

To see how true that is heres is a #4 bismuth pellet
yards fps ft lbs
50 573 2

So its goings a little slower but retains the same ft lbs at 50 yards as a #5 lead . #4 Bismuth pellet is 2.7grs and a #5 lead is 2.5grs . I believe the bismuth shot is slowing down faster because its light in relation to its diameter because a #4 lead is still moving at 652 fps at 50 yards with 3ft lbs of energy .

[William Parks]

I've been shooting and researching Boss shells for a 3 years now, but just acquired my first Parker - a 12ga DH 30" Damascus. Boss sells their "stinger" shells that were referenced above, and I've requested some technical specifications from Brandon Cerecke who is the owner. I'll post here once he sends it over.

Basically their stinger shells are a low compression, 1oz load that has a better shot pattern than some of their larger magnum shells. They do run around 1375 fps, but everything I have read up on them compares more or less directly with the RST bismuth shells, which claim to be safe for Damascus barrels.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by William Parks

I've been shooting and researching Boss shells for a 3 years now, but just acquired my first Parker - a 12ga DH 30" Damascus. Boss sells their "stinger" shells that were referenced above, and I've requested some technical specifications from Brandon Cerecke who is the owner. I'll post here once he sends it over.

Basically their stinger shells are a low compression, 1oz load that has a better shot pattern than some of their larger magnum shells. They do run around 1375 fps, but everything I have read up on them compares more or less directly with the RST bismuth shells, which claim to be safe for Damascus barrels.

I got two different 10 ga loads at the moment both 1 1/4 oz one is 1100 fps other is 1250 fps the slow one shoots extremely dirty . The 1250 fps is a bismuth load it burns much cleaner I suppose because its a higher pressure load . Both RST loads I think the medium ground is trying to find a load that is easy on the old guns but also doesnt look like youve been shooting black powder . Those 1100 fps ones leave clumps of unburnt powder in the bores of my 10 gauges . If one was so inclined you can load tungsten matrix for damascus barrels also but from ive read its only slightly better than bismuth but I have no first hand experience with TM .