Casting Bismuth waterfowl shot

[catnthehat]

I have recently started looking into casting Bismuth in my shotmaker for waterfowl.
Anybody here done it, and if so where do you get your raw Bismuth from?
Cat

[Hunter Trav]

Keep us posted on how you make out with this Cat. I have never made any but had given it some thought when I was loading bismuth for my old Ithaca's and I have some info that I printed off years ago on making it. If you're interested I could scan it and send it to you...

[fps plus]

Many years ago my dad’s farm buddy decided to try rape seed ( now called canola) for shot , of course it didn’t work . Hahaha

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Hunter Trav

Keep us posted on how you make out with this Cat. I have never made any but had given it some thought when I was loading bismuth for my old Ithaca's and I have some info that I printed off years ago on making it. If you're interested I could scan it and send it to you...

That woukd be great, thanks!
Cat

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by fps plus

Many years ago my dad’s farm buddy decided to try rape seed ( now called canola) for shot , of course it didn’t work . Hahaha

Years ago my father picked up a bunch of muzzle loaders, one was loaded with oats!
Cat

[catnthehat]

Double Tap!

[fps plus]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Years ago my father picked up a bunch of muzzle loaders, one was loaded with oats!
Cat

Gotta seed your oats

[Pioneer2]

https://www.agescantungsten.com/contact/

[Dewey Cox]

What do they use bismuth for besides shot?

[fatboyz]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I have recently started looking into casting Bismuth in my shotmaker for waterfowl.
Anybody here done it, and if so where do you get your raw Bismuth from?
Cat

Het Cat, do you know where a fella could get a few pounds of lead #6 shot? I want it for turkey loads in my smoothbore flintlock.

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That woukd be great, thanks!
Cat

PM me an email and I'll send it to you.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by fatboyz

Het Cat, do you know where a fella could get a few pounds of lead #6 shot? I want it for turkey loads in my smoothbore flintlock.

Call Romar powersports in stettler, they might have #6.

[elkhunter11]

Seeing as how even the commercial manufacturers had trouble getting it right, so the shot wasn't brittle, it might be a challenge.

[Pioneer2]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

What do they use bismuth for besides shot?

Pepto-Bismol

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Seeing as how even the commercial manufacturers had trouble getting it right, so the shot wasn't brittle, it might be a challenge.

The guy I used to get mine from who made his own said the challenge wasn't so much making it not brittle, but getting nice round shot of any real size. He said anything from about #6 and smaller wasn't too bad, but getting consistently round shot that was any bigger was tricky. I would buy #4 from him and he would get maybe 50% of his run that would be be passable, the rest he would have to melt down and run again. This was also the largest size he would try and make. If I remember right he was using about 5% tin in his alloy and I found it worked very well on the birds.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Call Romar powersports in stettler, they might have #6.

I have some already, I want to make it.
Apparently the outfit that Pioneer2 posted has got it already made and it is cheaper and supposed to be superior to the old stuff- which killed big geese very well with my black powder loads!
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Call Romar powersports in stettler, they might have #6.

They no longer sell anything to do with firearms or ammunition or reloading supplies. One of the guys moved to Castor, and took what supplies were left with him.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

They no longer sell anything to do with firearms or ammunition or reloading supplies. One of the guys moved to Castor, and took what supplies were left with him.

That sux, it was a great store! I wonder if he is going to open up a store in Castor?
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That sux, it was a great store! I wonder if he is going to open up a store in Castor?
Cat

A hunting/fishing store did open in Castor over a year ago, I have no idea if it is the same person.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

They no longer sell anything to do with firearms or ammunition or reloading supplies. One of the guys moved to Castor, and took what supplies were left with him.

I was in there a few weeks ago, and they do have a few things left in stettler. Bags of shot is one of them (Lead that is, I was responding to Fatboyz' query)
Not much of the shotgun reloading stuff made it to castor.

[Dewey Cox]

One of the behind the scenes owners of the Stettler store and a clerk both live in castor. They split the business up and he opened a new shop in Castor.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

One of the behind the scenes owners of the Stettler store and a clerk both live in castor. They split the business up and he opened a new shop in Castor.

That is what another business owner South of Stettler told me, when I picked up shotshell primers from him last fall.He said the guy moved the firearms/ammunition/reloading gear to Castor, and Romar was back to being a powersports dealer. I never bothered stopping in at Romar, so I was unaware, that some reloading components were left behind at Romar.

[Pioneer2]

Stettler had lots of stock in October.

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

One of the behind the scenes owners of the Stettler store and a clerk both live in castor. They split the business up and he opened a new shop in Castor.

I stopped by that store after the gun show last year, and it is a VERY nice store!! They were still getting things setup and organized but it was quite impressive for being in such a small town. I can't speak to what all they have there for reloading though...