Anybody have any experience reloading Bismuth shot? I've acquired a ton of info regarding this but would like to hear from someone who has actually done it. At $12/lb. I don't want to go through a lengthy experimentation process!

Some sources reccomend buffering the shot. Others don't. Some specify special heavy-duty wads. Others don't. Who to believe?

Sources for discount priced Bismuth shot? (Don't laugh too hard- a guy's gotta ask!)

I'm looking mainly at 1 1/4oz., 1200fps, low pressure #2's for occasional use in a couple of L.C.Smith's for close-in decoyed Geese. Maybe some hotter 1 3/8oz. loads in the Browning o/u.

Been using Bismuth factory loads in modern o/u's and auto's ever since they approved it. Prefer it over other non-toxics, but I don't want to subject an L.C.Smith to the pounding of the store-bought stuff, even a little bit. Think cracked buttstocks.

I don't find it much different than loading lead. The shot charge takes some extra space, of course. I've found that the next larger shot bushing (1-1/8 instead of 1 oz. for example) will be close to the charge I'm looking for. I simply tweak the shot bushing until I get what I want. I use black electrical tape inside the bushing cavity until I get to the charge weight I want.

I've loaded 16, 20 and 28 guages this way on a Hornady 366 Auto.
TerryS