Review: Kent Bismuth Shotshells for Waterfowl
Ben Cole 03.06.18
Being a serious waterfowl hunter, I constantly try new products to increase my odds while afield. With so many ammunition companies in todays market its difficult to choose which shell is right for you. One thing to keep in mind is that solely looking at the price tag isn’t always the best option.
Generally speaking, I have always used whatever brand worked the best in whatever gun I was shooting at the time. However I quickly learned that out of all the ammunition I tried, Kent Fast Steel proved to pattern the best out of my Benelli Nova.
For almost two decades now and have had a tremendous amount of success with this ammunition. In fact I harvested a common Eider with one of these rounds while hunting the Massachusetts coast line.
When Kent released the Bismuth round I had several concerns regarding the box size and price. However, I realized that they were on the cutting edge, not that they weren’t already, in the ammunition market.
Using cheaper shells, although cost effective, often requires taking several shots to successfully harvest the desired species of bird. These shells will hold a decent pattern but don’t have the knock down power of other ammunition that might be a little bit costly. Think about it, if you were able to use one round to effectively harvest birds instead of three, there isn’t a lot of price difference after all.
Don’t get me wrong, you do not have to buy the most expensive ammunition on the market to be a successful hunter, but taking the time to pattern different shot is the key for increased accuracy in the field.
Range time
Taking the time to pattern your guns with different types of ammunition really helps determine the right combination to promote successful shooting. Before duck season starts every year, I spend some time at the range shooting different rounds through different chokes to see what brand of ammunition holds the best pattern.
This season I started with Winchester 3” #2 steel shot, which made a decent pattern out of a modified choke at 25 yards. The only issue I had with the Winchester is that it had quite a few stray pellets drifting outside of the desired target area. I then moved to Hevi Metal, same length and shot size as before, which proved to be a decent pattern as well but seemed to be a little more open than I desired. As I rummaged around my blind bag I found a couple of bismuth shells left over from the previous season. Although the patterns were very similar, Kent bismuth was the clear winner in the pattern test.
The hunt
Hunting waterfowl is very challenging without having to worry about sot patterns or bird recovery. Density of the shot is the shot is one of my main concerns. Traditional steel shot is less dense and generally passes through the bird without excessive damage, unless they are close or are head shot, which can create more crippled birds that you have to recover. Bismuth on the other hand has 24% greater density over steel. Having greater density means despite environmental conditions such as, wind, your shot will not deviate as much as steel. It also means more knockdown power with each shot.
I have been hunting waterfowl for over two decades now and have concluded that anything that will give me the upper hand is worth trying. I tried Bismuth for the first time while hunting divers with my dear friend Matt Masters, who is the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever hunted with, and is two birds shy from completing the waterfowl grand slam. I often times refer to him when it come to shot size, and make for specific hunts or species.
Because chasing the slam is a daunting task that requires equipment that can handle the conditions. Nothing bothers me more than losing a crippled bird or any bird for that matter. So I can honestly say that Bismuth from Kent is one of the best rounds on the market in my opinion. Remember, if it takes multiple shots to successfully harvest you’re better off spending the extra money up front for ammunition that will knock them down on the first shot.
