Description
Bismuth shots have been the buzzing topic in the hunting circles. They are fast emerging as the non-toxic & high-performance alternative to toxic lead shots and expensive tungsten shots. No other non-toxic shot performs as similar to lead as bismuth shot. Bismuth is nearly 25% denser than steel and almost as dense & lethal as lead. It delivers bone-crushing knock-down power, without being toxic. It comes with a smaller profile and that means you can pack more shots in the single shell.
Bismuth shots offer superior wind resistance and clean burning, and it is the softest of the non-toxic metals available, and that means it won’t harm your old barrels and chokes. It is ideal for use as a non-toxic shot in fine double-barrel shotguns, smallbore shotguns and any other shotguns with fixed chokes.
If you haven’t given Bismuth shots a chance, now is the time.
Size
In the past five years, bismuth has come back. We compare the shot’s downrange lethality by its density. The denser the pellet, the better it retains killing power. Steel shot is about 7.8 grams per cubic centimeter (gr/cc); bismuth ups the density to 9.6 gr/cc; lead runs 10-11 gr/cc depending on its alloy content of antimony and maybe a touch of arsenic. Bismuth is just about as dense (and lethal) as lead, plus it’s nontoxic.
| Bismuth
Size |
metric
(mm) |
avg grns/
pellet |
1/2 oz. | 11/16 oz | 3/4 oz | 7/8 oz | 15/16 oz | 1 oz | 1-1/8 oz | 1-1/4 oz |
| #B | 4.8 | 6.4 | 34 | 46 | 51 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 77 | 85 |
| #2 | 3.75 | 3.9 | 56 | 76 | 84 | 98 | 105 | 112 | 126 | 140 |
| #4 | 3.3 | 3 | 73 | 99 | 109 | 128 | 137 | 146 | 164 | 182 |
| #5 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 104 | 142 | 156 | 182 | 195 | 199 | 234 | 260 |
| #6 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 129 | 175 | 193 | 225 | 241 | 257 | 290 | 322 |
| #7 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 182 | 248 | 273 | 319 | 342 | 365 | 410 | 456 |
| #8 | 2.5 | 1 | 219 | 298 | 328 | 383 | 410 | 438 | 492 | 547 |