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Thread: Making Bismuth Shot

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Making Bismuth Shot

    http://www.hotkey.net.au/~orrs/BismuthArticle/index.htm

    I've been looking for info on making Bismuth shot. Thought I'd share the link here.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    A year ago I'da said who cares !

    Now I care after paying $185 for 6 1/2 pounds of #1 Bismuth shot a couple months back .

    Granted I can most likely get thru a year of goose hunting with that amount of shot , still since buying container a few months ago the price has increased by I think $30 a container at the place I bought from .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines

  3. #3
    Boolit Bub
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    Thought it was worth bookmarking/sharing. Page 4 has detailed instructions and drawings for dropping shot that I think are interesting and informative. I think a guy could drop Bismuth/tin for under $15/lb. I will be keeping my eye out for a used shotmaker.

    Currently loading ITX10 in the LC and my costs for the shot are comparatively quite low. That limited amount of shot was purchased second hand at under $12/lb with shipping included.

  4. #4
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    Just a thought, a few weeks back I built a shot dropper out of flat 3/16 plate. It was a rush job just so I could get to testing it. I thought if it works I would rebuild and take some pains to make a better quality tool. Mine is similar to the drawing in the first post with the exception of the spouts. I cheated a little in this department as my tooling is lacking here. I used .025 tips from my mig welder, drilled out the threaded end slightly to increase volume and to limit the distance the molten lead would have to travel before it exits and takes its trip to the water bath. So far.....only one test due to work and illness, it seems to work fine with COWW metal, flexed very clean of course. I didn't put an apron on mine because of the height I drop my shot (approx 18 inches). I will post some pics once I complete it and maybe a video if I can figure out how to do that.
    What if..... you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy finstr's Avatar
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    That's a great article. The big question is- where the heck can we buy raw bismuth?
    I'm the gun totin, meat eatin', BIBLE readin', redneck conservative your mother always warned you about.

    " Holes kill stuff. "

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    RottoMetals!
    Frank G.

  7. #7
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    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    Bismuth ingots seem expensive, until you price bismuth shot; then the price of the ingots and enough tin to make 5% seem pretty reasonable.

    If I duck hunted, or went to conservation areas that now seem to require non-toxic shot for everything, I would definitely start doing this.

    The only possible problem I see is convincing the game warden that your homemade shot in reloaded hulls is actually bismuth.

    Robert

  9. #9
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    just reload it in old bismuth marked hulls.

    don't forget to bring the old box along too.

  10. #10
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    my question is, how much bismuth can a duck safely eat?

  11. #11
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    Where I hunt on public land has now started requiring non toxic shot even for Doves and upland birds. I don't bird hunt much, but squirrel hunt with a shotgun sometimes. Does Bismuth really give that much of an edge over steel shot?

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    I don't know if it really does give that much of an edge or not, but all of my shotguns save one are either too old or too tightly choked to shoot steel shot through. I'm not going to risk damaging them.

    I do have an unused ten pound drip-o-matic that I think could be easily modified to feed a simple shotmaker like the one illustrated in the linked story.

    No more shotgun shells than I have shot in the last ten years, twenty pounds of shot would last me a lifetime.

    Robert

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Yes, bizmuth shoots and loads like lead. I'd call that an edge in performance. But no edge in cost, where steel wins.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    The only possible problem I see is convincing the game warden that your homemade shot in reloaded hulls is actually bismuth.

    Robert
    I was a touch worried about how to prove it to the bunny warden , but I found out there's an electronic device that they use to tell them if it's steel , bismuth etc etc .It was called aHotshot or something like that .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by richhodg66 View Post
    Does Bismuth really give that much of an edge over steel shot?
    The thing is lead shot surges when it goes thru the choke where as steel shot bridges hence the reason they tell you don't shoot steel regularly in a full choke gun . And since Bismuth has very similar charactaristics of lead it will surge thru a tight choke and will not etch Damascus barrels .
    Bismuth , Nice Shot and ITX10 are all good for using in old tight fixed choke guns and Damascus guns . Hence my need for the stuff .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blammer View Post
    my question is, how much bismuth can a duck safely eat?
    Bismuth is inert. It is the primary ingredient in Pepto Bismol. Ducks that over indulge with bismuth may experience constipation and chaulky stools.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    I don't know if it really does give that much of an edge or not, but all of my shotguns save one are either too old or too tightly choked to shoot steel shot through. I'm not going to risk damaging them.

    I do have an unused ten pound drip-o-matic that I think could be easily modified to feed a simple shotmaker like the one illustrated in the linked story.

    No more shotgun shells than I have shot in the last ten years, twenty pounds of shot would last me a lifetime.

    Robert
    This would be my main concern. The only shotgun I have really, good for the steel loads would be a Winchester 1300 with choke tubes, which I don't like very much, quite frankly. My Ithaca 37s were all built prior to steel shot requirements.

    I do have a .22 LR over 20 gauge Savage Model 24 which I would hunt with. I think it has a cylinder bore choke, so it should be OK, but there aren't a whole lot of options for steel in 20 gauge. I am set up to reload shot shells, but haven't done it much.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    We've run our shot maker with 5%tin - 95% Bismuth and it works very well- sizes 9-4 have not been hard to make!!

    All though "I did not shoot it" the reports back from the Customer we me it for was great, only complaint was the high cost per pound of alloy, shipping and paying to have in converted...He now has 2 of his own Shotmakers and has decided to make his own NON-TOX along with his needs for lead, now he is very happy.

    at that time the alloy was about $18.50- per pound plus shipping - it did jump to $22.50 at one point but due to the cost of tin mostly-
    I have calls out to 2 sources for the alloy to find out what the cost for bulk bars will be again ,
    we will be doing another short run , NOW the real test will be to make #2 if we can.
    Might take a longer ramp and I'm planning on trying out a new ramp with tiny grooves cut into the surface to force the shot into a rounded slot instead of just down the flat ramp......

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Cap'n Morgan's Avatar
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    Might take a longer ramp and I'm planning on trying out a new ramp with tiny grooves cut into the surface to force the shot into a rounded slot instead of just down the flat ramp......
    The groove thing might work - perhaps a curved ramp as well, which would start out steep and then flatten out to keep the shot from gaining speed.
    When I made my own shot I tried the longer ramp approach, but the droplets picked up too much speed and the centrifugal force would turn the shot into saucer-shape instead of a sphere.
    Cap'n Morgan

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    When I made my own shot I tried the longer ramp approach, but the droplets picked up too much speed and the centrifugal force would turn the shot into saucer-shape instead of a sphere.
    Hmmm, those might have possibilities for making spreader loads. I do have an old pre-WWII short chambered 16 ga sxs that shoots extremely tight patterns.

    This home shotmaking is starting to make even more sense to me.

    Robert

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