I just was wondering if anyone here on AR has reloaded any 'HeviShot' recently?

I am on my 2nd, 5 lb. bag of it in #5 size and I can get 36 shells from it for my 28 gauge, in 7/8 oz. It is NOT cheap even to reload..!!

Half of what I can see have "tails" on the end of the pellet, with many imperfections. But, they DO a great job on roosters...! (I save them for the 2nd shot, if needed, out of my top barrel.)

I just wanted any opinions of anyone else who has used it and their thoughts. Thank you!

Good shooting!

Wes

I don't mean to be a troll on your post, but I laughed at the headline. The joke that follows:

"How to tell everyone you're filthy rich without saying you're filthy rich".

All kidding aside, the prices are painfully, painfully expensive. Last time I was faced with this conundrum, I found it cheaper to buy a whole pallet of loaded Eley ammunition from the UK through their US partner, RIO. I could not load the shells for the price of loaded, 2.5", bismuth, paper hulls from the UK for vintage guns.

You can also look into NiceShot, Bismuth, and a few other trade names of shot. Ballistic Specialities used to be the least expensive source for non-toxic loads soft enough for vintage / damascus guns.

I have done so, still have a bunch, but mostly went to bismuth due to dental concerns. When I do use it, it’s like you are, for subgauge shells.

The stuff looks like crap, but it patterns well and kills well.

I loaded up some in 20 ga, and I thought it was every bit as good as the old lead loads of dim memory on ducks. (My first year of duck hunting was the year you could shoot lead in anything except 12 ga…)

I always used BP steel/multi metal wads with the Mylar wraps for the stuff as I gouged my dads 10 ga with it without the Mylar.

It did get the high geese well.

Nowdays the truly rich use TSS… just saying…

Thanks for your comments, guys - much appreciated!

I'm not "filthy rich", Rookhawk, so I got a good laugh from your sentence..! I just enjoy trying something new once in a while to reload. Your deal on your RIO purchase was a good one.

Many State areas here in IL requires non-toxic ammo to be legal, as I'm sure you know? Thus, the desire to load my own Bismuth & HeviShot.

And crbutler, I've been buying my Bismuth from RotoMetals & it does look good & pattern well for me. I've been using wads from BPI there in MN, as well.

I have NOT loaded any TSS - a bit afraid to yet! I did buy a box of Federal for last spring and it REALLY does a job on a Tom turkey..WOW..!!

Thanks for your comments, guys! It's all fun.!!

Brittman

I just started loading Bismuth for my old O/U.

No special wads.

And I got to use my old loader that I bought used 40 years ago.

I loaded some until I found Winchester Super X 1550fps steel loads.

They work great.

The hevishot works great also.

But no need for the expense.

When the cheap higher speed steel works so well.

Interesting to hear that parts of many states are now lead free. In the UK we are likely to go fully lead free within the next couple of years. There is, as you would expect, a lot of discussion and we have plenty who saying that this will be the end of shooting and hunting and that it’s all a conspiracy of the bunny huggers etc etc.

We have shooting over wetlands with lead free ammo for many years and I cannot honestly say that it has changed much, and I don’t expect things will change much when introduced across all shooting.

My personal view is that mankind has buggered up the planet well enough and I don’t as conservationists first and hunters second it is somewhat hypocritical if we continue spread a known toxin around the environment. We are able to sell game meat and venison into the market, but the market won’t buy meat that might be contaminated with lead or any other toxin for that matter.

What has been the experience over there. I presume most hunting has continued and that you have adapted to the new regulations and carrying on as before.

Ah...yes...buggering up the planet. What MUST be kept in mind is that the energy used to make lead shot is a fraction...and tiny fraction at that...of the energy used to make steel shot.

Lead melts at a low temperature and forms the spheres of shot itself as it drops. Steel shot is steel that is made form iron ore, then processed again into steel wire then processed again into chopped pieces of that wire, then further processed once more ito round shot.

And given as I hear that most comes from China it isn't at all distance in miles travelled without cost to the environment!

Last lead can use a simple fibre wad. Even felted wool. Steel requires a plastic wad or a wad that requires complex formulae to bio-degrade. Again processes that I'd guess are energy intensive and if plastic (even if they bio-degrade) are made from oils?