Early bismuth shot had the reputation of being brittle. Improvements in the addition of tin helped resolved this issue. The pliers test on newer made bismuth will usually result in a simple flattened pellet. Larger diameter pellets may show some cracks around the edges when crushed, but the pellets will not crumble to dust as some had claimed in the past. Bismuth is the only no-tox I shoot anymore, and I have tried about all of them. I load the exact same way as I would lead (per weight, not by volume compared to lead) Which includes loading the shot "naked" with card wads in damascus barrels. I don't care for ITX or Nice Shot anymore. ITX is hard (in comparison) and requires thick wads. Nice Shot is extremely expensive, but many shooters love it. Bismuth is commercially available again through Precision Reloading. If you are shooting modern barrels or can use thick wads, the benefit of the tungsten based shot is that it is heavier than bismuth. Experiment a bit, and find what works best for you.

http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/me...de=BISMUTH_SHOT

Good luck