The Curmudgeon receives many requests for his own pet loads and many of his personal favorites are published through Load of the Week. Our ballistic lab has gone a step further and is now making it even easier for you to load some of these tried and true loads. You, too, can be a Curmudgeon in the field.
Bismuth is back, and it is better than ever. Our new production lots of bismuth pellets are alloyed with 6% tin to produce stronger, high-density pellets of excellent quality, integrity, and ballistic capability. Our bismuth pellets are field tested to perform well for upland game and duck loads. Suitable for use in all types of shotguns, including smallbores and those with fixed choke barrels, BPI’s bismuth shot is quickly becoming the go-to non-toxic shot for America’s classic shotgunners.
This loading package is a personal favorite of the Curmudgeon and his beloved L.C. Smith shotguns. These high-velocity field loads maintain pellet lethality while operating at relatively low pressure. Hard hitting, yet light on the shoulder, these cartridges are lethal in the field and easy on the budget. All you have to supply is the powder.
Loading Tips:
Designed to be effective loads with minimal components, these recipes are quick and easy to assemble. Because there are no filler wads, they can be loaded using a single-stage or progressive press (we still recommend a single-stage press for all hunting loads). Note: it is important to keep in mind that bismuth shot and lead shot have different volumes by weight. This means that 1 oz. of bismuth shot does not occupy the same volume as 1 oz. of lead shot. Depending on the pellet size being used, bismuth shot will typically require using one bushing or charge bar size larger to drop an equivalent weight to lead shot. Always use a scale to double-check your shot drops.
If you are loading on a MEC press, we highly recommend using an Universal Charge Bar. This tool allows you to custom dial in your bismuth shot charge to achieve more accurate drops. Again be sure to check shot payloads with a scale.
*You supply the WSF or IMR 800X powder.
Save almost 15% off the price of these items sold separately.
Also recommended:
Additional Load Data Brochures:
Part# | Description |
LD10COY | 10ga Buckshot Coyote Package Load Data |
LD12RS21 | 12ga loads using the new Fiocchi RS-21 wads |
LD12GSS | 12ga load data for the Gualbo Steel Slugs |
LD12HITSSW | Steel Waterfowler Load Data |
LD12MSL | 12ga 3.5" Magnum Steel Package Data |
LD12NSW | 12ga load data for the Nobel Sport wads |
LD12PS | 12ga #00 Buckshot Package Load Data |
LD12SCAT | Scattermaster Wad Load Data |
LD12TURK | 12ga #4 NP Lead Turkey Package Data |
LD12WAASH | 12ga loads using Winchester Super Handicap |
LD12Z15 | 12ga loads using the new Z15 wads |
LD16CSD16 | 16ga loads using the new CSD16 wads |
Here is a list of all our current BPI Load Guide Brochures:
Part# | Description |
00BBISMUTH | Bismuth Shot Reloading |
00BBX410 | .410 Bore Rifle Loads |
00BCRIMP | Diagnosing & Curing Crimping Problems |
00BENGLDS | English Style Game Loads |
00BFAIL | Diagnosing Hull Failure |
00BHOTCOL | Hot & Cold Weather |
00BLG | Little Giant 20ga 3 lead loads (revised) |
00BPOPPER | Popper Loads |
00BRECON | Brochure: Hull Reconditioning Kit |
00BROLL | Roll Crimping Info |
00BSHORT | Loading Shortened Hulls |
00BSLIT | Wad Slitting Info |
00BST | Intro to Steel Target Loads |
00BSUB | Subsonic Loads |
00BTEST | Why Test Load Results Vary |
00BTHUG | Thug Slugs |
*NO SALES TO: ANTIGUA/BARBUDA, ARMENIA, ARGENTINA, BAHAMAS, BAHRAIN, BELARUS, BARBARDOS, BELIZE, BRAZIL, COLUMBIA, COSTA RICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, EGYPT, GEORGIA, GRENADA, GUATEMALA, GUYANA, HAITI, HONDURAS, IRAN, IRAQ, JAMAICA, ISRAEL, JORDAN, KAZAKHSTAN, KUWAIT, KYRGYZSTAN, LEBANON, LIBYA, MACAU, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, MEXICO, OMAN, PAKISTAN, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU, QATAR, ST. KITTS/NEVIS, ST. LUCIA, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, SAUDI ARABIA, RUSSIA, SURINAME, TAIWAN, TAJIKSTAN, SUDAN, TURKMENISTAN, U.A.E., TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, UKRAINE, URUGUAY, UZBEKISTAN, VIETNAM, YEMEN, VENEZUELA.