I’m changing up my shells, and if necessary, chokes for next year. I have seen enough good with my own eyes on the BOSS bismuth shells so that is the direction I am going next year.

With that said, we hunt public, often surrounding by lots of goons, and we aint scared to take a 45 yard shot at open water mallards or gadwalls at all. With that said, which shot size would you guys recommend for 3” 12 gauge BOSS shells and which choke(s) have proven to mesh with them? TIA!

I’m shooting 12 gauge 3 inch 3x5 shot in a pattern master choke. Nice even pattern at 45 yards. Stones the ducks. Couldn’t get those shells this past year and was gonna get some 3 inch 4 shot but never had that either. You’ll want a full or improved modified choke more than likely.

I reload and it’s actually cheaper to buy BOSS shells than buy just the bismuth shot.

I did buy some 0 size shot and loaded it for geese and it’s a hammer.

Choke em tight, like lead. Full choke.

Shot size differs, for ducks, I'd go 5's. Maybe 4's. They have a 3/5 matrix. 3's seem too stout.

Don't buy too many, you'll be switching to 20 GA soon.

Thanks men!!!! I have been thinking straight 5’s, all things considered. Definitely helps on the choke selection. Surely the 5’s would be just as devastating as lead 6’s? All of the old timers I know who have killed tons of ducks with lead claim 6’s were the perfect size. Killed em stone dead. I dunno. The main thing I know is that steel is horrible and I will never own another steel shell in my life.

As for the 20 thing, I dont see that happening but my favorite shotgun is a 20 so we shall see.

A lot of guys have switched fiber to 20 gauge. I’ve been considering it since shooting bismuth.

I have so much invested in 12 gauge it’d cost me a lot. New reloaded etc…

I will say the reason I began reloading was just cause steel shot shells sucked but also TSS as in its infancy and the only to shoot TSS was to load it yourself.

A fast steel load is very devastating on waterfowl. But I’m taking 1700 fps loads. I do have one that run 1800 fos but it’s hard to hold the pattern together.

I have several thousand new primed hulls so that’s another reason I probably won’t change over.

My son used Boss shells 2 3/4" #5 in his Montefeltro and his 1955 A5 with a mod choke. He said that the A5 shoots better than the Benelli. I can find out what choke he uses in the benelli.

We used to load 3" hulls with #5 lead so tight we would have to put some parifin on the tops of many hulls to keep the shot in, LOL.

Randy Waksman has done a lot of writing on boss shells relative to lead. I think he said it takes bismuth 3’s to beat old lead 5’s. 4’s are not quite the equal of 5’s but close. For the long shots you are referring to, it doesn’t seem like 5’s would be the way to go. I’m no expert just directing you to some stuff I’ve read that seemed to make sense.

Agree. Bismuth is good but it gets oversold. It is still not lead. It’s midway between lead and steel.

3/5’s from BOSS are the best all around shell.

The more yall talk, the more I lean toward straight 4’s.

Straight 4’s are really good. The Hevi Bismuth brand only has even numbers and those are good too.

I cut open a Hevi-Bismuth #2 shot 3” load in 12 gauge and a BOSS #3/5 shot 3” 12 gauge and the Hevi brand used flax seeds as packing material in their shells. I didn’t like that. Seems like it’ll break down over time.
BOSS #3/5 3” had around 260 pellets in that shell. And I’m too cheap to cut open any more

Anyone know the pellet count for the straight 4’s 3” load versus the 3/5 3” load? What is the percentage split of 5’s versus 3’s?

Not sure on #4 pellet count, but 3/5 split was roughly 50/50 by my view. The pellets are surprisingly very hard to distinguish. They're all nearly the same size without a micrometer handy.

Boss bismuth is supposed to be copper plated and more round than rotometals bismuth etc…..

To me #4 would be a great compromise and is what I’ll buy it ever is in stock. I even placed my email to be notified early last summer.

Gave up on the Boss notify me list and just received 10# of rotometal #4. Gonna give it a try this spring/summer if I can find powder and primers

You can now preorder BOSS shells. If you are so inclined. They are still the cheapest bismuth shells I’ve found.

I wish I had the ducks to worry about this nonsense over

No joke. I bought a case from Boss 2 years and still have 3 boxes. A case is 200 shells so there’s that.

I’ll try to order another case but i at least thought they’d email me
I’m sure they’re having the same issues acquiring products.

I’ve been shooting straight 5’s in boss out of my 20 gauge for 3 years now and have had no issues at all. Shot small geese and greaters in Kansas with them and crushed them. Stoned some sandhill cranes with them the last few years in bama and Tennessee.

They have the 3x5 in stock on the boss website now