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Just this past weekend I used RST 1.25 oz Nice Shot #2's in my Remington 1894 10 ga. I used 3 shells to kill 2 geese. So far I like these shells a lot. However, they are $4 a shell. So, I bought 2 kilos of Nice Shot to load into the RST hulls. I figure to use the Sherman Bell load data to do so.

I'm very interested in trying out the ITX in 4 shot for smaller birds. Details to come as the season progresses.

Mergus

When investigating the reports of brittle bismuth shot some years ago, I ferreted out some commentary and laboratory analyses posted on the web that indicate that there were two problems with the production on both sides of the Atlantic in the early years. One was a failure to understand the purity of the less expensive grade of source metal that was initially used and the potential problems therefrom, and the other was poor quality control of the alloying. These together could result in batches with little more than 1% tin (vs. 2% in the patents and 3% in the later commercial specifications) and significant amounts of embrittling contaminants, and it apparently took a surprising while before these problems were sorted out. I've neither experience with nor seen any analyses of the more recent Eley production, but anecdotal reports have it with consistent pure source metals and 3% alloying. In discussions of the making of bismuth shot in Littleton and other shotmakers, a number of individuals report using a 5% tin alloy, but no one that I've read has been specific about any potential increase in malleability and decrease in density of the higher alloy. FWIW, my hunting partners and I had reasonable results with moderate loads of the early production shot in our muzzle loaders, both choked and cylinder bore.

Regards,
Joel

Thanks for your post, Joel.

Does anyone know if there is an online table comparing the hardness and density or ITX, NiceShot, Bismuth shot, Lead shot, etc?

When I look up density online for lead and bismuth am I correct in assuming that its only accurate for pure lead and bismuth, not shot with additives like tin or antimony?

Here is an online table I found yesterday. Hope it helps.

http://shotshell.drundel.com/pelletcount.htm

I put this together with information from various sources, the majority on-line, including some materials potentially suitable for fabricating non-toic shot and/or round balls:

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Shot material densities.
. . . . . . . g/cc . . % of Pb-Sn (average shot alloys)
- Sn . . . . 7.30 . . . 65% approximate - varies by source & allotrope mix
- Pewter 7.24-7.36 . 64-66% lead-free, Sn alloyed w/ Sb &/or Cu
- Pewter 7.38-8.65 . 66-77% lead-free, Sn alloyed w/ Sb &/or Cu &/or Bi &/or Ag
- Fe . . . . 7.86 . . . 70% "steel" - BHN 136
- Bi-Sn . . .9.69 . . . 86% "bismuth" currently 3% Sn - BHN 18
- ITX . . . . 10.0 . . . 89% ITX "Original 10" vs the 13g/cc turkey shot
. . . hardness claims obscure; malleability reportedly similar to hard lead alloys but abrasive per initial descriptions
- W-Fe . . .10.3 . . . 92% Federal "Tungsten-Iron" - BHN 270
- W-polymer 10.6 . . 94% Kent "Tungsten-Matrix"
- Pb-Sb-Sn (high alloy, bullet material ranging down into hard shot)
. . . . . 10.0-10.75 . . 89-96%
- W-Sn-Fe . .11.0 . . 99% "Nice Shot" (current density w/ Sn coating = 10.2/91%) - BHN 18
- Pb-Sn (average shot)
. . . . . 11.1-11.25 . nominal 100%
- Pb(pure) . 11.43 . 102% - BHN 5
- W-Ni-Fe . 12.0 . . 107% Remington "HeviShot" - BHN 266
- W-Cu-Sn . 12.0 . . 107% Olin "Tungsten-Bronze"

NOTE: Calculations of charge volumes need to take into account packing effects of different shot sizes and size of charge, e.g. Fe#1 = 63-67% Pb#6 per findings below, rather than the 70% of the bulk material densities.

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Steel shot contained in lead shot shotshell-reloader bushings calibrated for Pb#6:
bushing - Fe#1 +/- 1/16oz
1.1/2 - 15/16
1.5/8 - 1.1/16
1.3/4 - 1.1/8
1.7/8 - 1.3/16
2.1/4 - 1.1/2

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Bismuth shot contained in lead shot bushings (calibrated for Pb#6?):
bushing - Bi#4
1.3/8 - 1.3/16 (=86%Pb)

In one of my hunting partner's shot dipper 1.1/2Pb -> 1.1/4 Bi#4 as he measures (struck?) =83%Pb.

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This was as comprehensive and accurate as I could assemble at the time, but since I neglected to record my sources, it is worth exctly what you paid for it.

Regards,
Joel