Kent Bismuth Waterfowl and Upland Shotgun Shells – B123W40-4 CS

Works a lot better than the steel loads I have tried. If I didnt know better I would have thought I was shooting lead.

I only have a few birds with this new bismuth load. Results are promising. It “feels” like lead performance. The only downside is that because the shot is a little rough, it tends to grab feathers on its way through. On the upside, the recoil is much milder than high velocity steel and the noise is MUCH less. The ultra high velocity steel is obnoxiously loud, even through earplugs, so these loads are a pleasant change and worth the money just for that reason alone.

Tried this the last two weekend and I'm never buying steel shot again. I went from shooting 3.5" #2 steel on most hunts to 3" #4 Kent bismuth just to give it a try. The 3" bismuth pasterns much better and hits harder and with the perk of not having 3.5" recoil. I'll probably move to #3 shot when it's not back ordered but certainly not going to steel again. Worth the price difference for me. But only giving 4 stars because I remember the days when nice non toxic shot was out of reach and I know many people that simply can't afford this kind of price.

This is an update. I now have bagged about 15 pheasants with the 2 3/4" #4 in 12 gauge this season. It drops birds like lead within 40 yards. No more cripples. A square hit equals a bagged bird. I did experience shattered shot on one bird, but haven't seen it again. It's a known issue with bismuth. I'm not detracting stars because that's just the price of non-toxic shot and I'll take a little lost meat over the litany of lost birds due to steel's terrible performance and the ridiculous pounding and noise of a steel shell that supposedly "works." I do disagree with Kent's marketing of shot sizes. #6 bismuth is only good for small birds like quail. Don't even consider it for pheasant, grouse, or similar sized game. #5 is kind of OK (I'd save it for chukar), but #4 is really what's reliable. Kent oddly markets that for waterfowl only. I really wish that Cabelas would sell #3 bismuth. It would be the perfect load for late season pheasants, where the shots are 35-50 yards. Sooner or later, we're all going to be shooting non-toxic shot for all wing shooting. If you want or need to make the switch, Bismuth is a great price/performance option.

Some places you hunt lead is a no no so this is a great replacement for that. I do a lot of ruffed grouse hunting and am happy with the way these shells perform in the trees/brush. Steel works but I feel it doesn't hit as hard for say. If I only shoot a few times and have been walking all day I want to make sure I have the best opportunity of bagging that bird. With that being said the dogs often wonder if these shells are blanks.

Bismuth shot is heads and shoulders better than any steel shot. It is not quite as dense as lead so you need to use at least one shot size larger in bismuth than you would in lead. A real plus is that it can be used in ANY shotgun designed for modern shells without damage to the barrel(s). I just wish they would make some heavier loads for the 20-gauge with it, like 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 ounce shot charge. Also, this stuff makes for a great turkey load BUT since it is marketed as a waterfowl and upland bird load it is out of season in the spring and hard to find....GO FIGURE!!!! Put a picture of a turkey on the box, increase the payload a little and they'll have a great turkey option for us who need to use non-toxic shot where we hunt.

Please forward to Kent that those of us using 16ga guns would like larger shot sizes. I would love to shoot #4's for pheasant, especially when I get the opportunity jump a mallard off a pothole. Might consider the same for 20ga. Otherwise, I like the Kent product.