Boss copper-plated bismuth shot shells

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

Good points, Stan.

The Fox article ironically states the problem occurred only with the author's 3 in
HE Super, which he stated is # 32577, and has a bore of .739 and a choke of .048.

He inspected his paper test targets on his test board and found deformed pellets,
copper "shrapnel" pieces, and pieces of broken pellets . The author is convinced
the pellets broke apart within his barrel, which means the damage probably occurred at or between the forcing cone and the long tapered and polished choke-or both.

Fox made three changes to the traditional barrel: they lengthened and polished the forcing cone;increased the bore of the barrel, and third, they developed a long gradual choke with a highly finished or polished surface. The purpose of these steps in the 30 or 32 in barrels was to create tight patterns AND prevent "flyers"-those little flattened lead pellets that head anywhere but at a mallard drake. Bert Becker is given credit for
much of this new barrel boring, and he definitely did a few including Nash Buckingham's famous HE: "Bo Whoop".

If the Boss version of these shells with pellet protected cup is used, the results might be totally different in the author's Super Fox. Of course, these internal shot cups were not used in the 1920s and 30's so its apples and oranges as the protected shot column heads down the bore. I think Silvers and I have often wondered about that in our Long Range Smiths and Super Fox 3 in guns.

As an aside, the author's Super Fox produced 82.5% pellet count using regular bismuth non-plated Kent 1 1/16th oz #5 shot shells -against a 30 in pattern circle at 40 yards.
(The highest percentage of any of the 5 test shotguns-out of the right barrel-.048
choke constriction, also the greatest amount of constriction.)

As to my 30 inch Super Fox, two Long Range LC Smiths, and a Parker 3-in VHE--
I am going to be even more selective about which non-toxic shells go into their chambers for geese and even more so about shells fed to them -while chasing the elusive Eastern wild turkey.