410 shotgun?

bowhhunterjeff

New member
Hey there, I love the new small game forum, I do a bit of small game hunting myself as far as rabbits and squirrles and was wondering about the lil 410 shotgun, I own a 12 that certainly gets the job done but was wondering why others prefer a .410 ive been playing with the idea of buying one but wondering if theres any benefits over a 12. Ive neveer really shot one before so im also wondering the largest game it could take? is it adequate enough for grouse partridge and pheasants?
Any info at all would be very helpful and well appreciated

thanks for looking and hunt safe

jeff
 
As far as other game besides rabbits I dont know. I love it for a bunny and squirrel gun. Little recoil and a lot less pellets in the meat. The only downside I see is the price of shells is more. Do you really need anescuse to get another gun?
 
i started hunting rabbits with a 410 now use 28 or 20 as bad as i shoot i dont need that much recoil on a bad shoulder anyway i like to give them two wraning shots sometimes just to make it fair for the rabbits. i still carry 410 in truck sometimes have killed snakes close range ground hogs. here in the ky most ground hogs are taken with in 20 ft. no ground hogs in fields anymore most take up residence in tobaco barns.
 
I started with a win 37A in 410 and got it back out last year round the house , Less report when fired and the most inportant for me is , it takes some skill and is just FUN I had forgotten how nice a 410 was . I think it just brings back some of my childhood hunting with my dad , I missed a few got a few then and now . typing this just makes me want to call dad and hit the woods this Sat eve
 
Do you handload shotshells? Price some .410's and then some 20 gauge shells. If you're going to shoot any quantity then price is a factor unless you load your own. I think a 20 gauge would be a logical step down from the 12 gauge. I'm not a .410 fan really. I shoot a lot of 20's along with my 12 gauges. My next shotgun will be another 28 gauge. I really like the 28, I think it patterns better than a .410 and guns with choke tubes are more readily available. The 28 is built on the same small gauge frame as the .410, so the size and weight is basically the same in most guns. However, the price of shells is about as high or higher than the .410.
 
I shoot ALOT of .410, its my all time favorite for some reason or another, Guess im just drawn to it.

Ill be using it for dove this weekend, as well as the 12ga if my aim is off LOL.

I mainly shoot the contender in .410 10" barrel, love it.

I got a reloader for about 140 bucks total, so as soon as I start the cost of shooting them is going to be far less.

Now, remember that the patterns on the .410 are at 25-30yds not 40, so think of that when/if your patterning.

mainly the benifits over the 12 are this, lighter, less meat damage. no recoil thats it.

disadvatages, less payload, with thinner patterns. shells cost a bit more.

Id go with the a H&R or a mossberg.

Dave
 
I started hunting tree rats with a 410 pack gun. It was a fun little gun. I would like a 410 barrel for my Encore handgun but we can't have a smooth bore
frown.gif
 
my uncle gave me a s/s 410 that i love! found a guy going out of bus. at gun store and bought all of his 410 shells at 5$ a box and got 19 boxs. i still have 13 or 14 boxs left. love it for dove and have killed cottentail , white tail jacks and a sage grouse on one walk about in wyoming. everybody wants to steal that gun from me so i have to watch my hunting buddys!! lol hey pimc!!
 
i like to hunt with a 410 for rabbits, but i have a had a little trouble with it shooting squirrels out of the tall black oaks around here, so for them i bumped up to 28 and 20 ga. and 410 and 28ga rounds command a premium so i reload them, but i am having a hard time getting 28 once fired hulls, so might be using 20 ga more.
 
i have a couple 28 ga once fired hulls. 54. if you would like them and any 410 or 28 that i shoot or pickup, pm or e-mail your address. we pick up hulls and trash from where ever we hunt and find plenty of hulls that we throw away.. i would love to give them to somone that could use them. let me know if you would want them. grampa fudge
 
I love the .410 and have always had one or more around. Of all them the remington pump was the nicest. Always wanted one in semi auto. The cost of shells is high and often selection or availability is limited.
I would only buy one in 3 in with full or modified.
Also got the 28 in rem pump. nice small gun and pattern well. Ammo is spendy & limited here. This gun sits home more.
If you do any amount of shooting the 20 will pay you back with ammo savings and unlimited selection of loads. A 20 is a larger gun though than the 410 or 28.
 
They are nice and light to carry
I think someone loads a factory shell with a 3/4 oz load
I guess a bit pricy if you shoot it a lot, but if you only shoot a 100 or so a year
not worth reloading
I found this for $59 at a local gun store. Took the varnish off the stock and cleaned it up some. Makes a good walk around or camp gun!
Savage944_410.jpg


Savage 944
 
the main benefit is its light weight.

That being said there are some super light 20 and 28 guage guns. The 28 guage is probably way better and about the ideal rabbit gun. The 20 is great too offering options with just a little more punch when ya want it.

I use a franchi 48-al 20 guage IMHO its the ultimate small game shotgun under 1,000 dollars and I wouldn't trade mine for most guns costing more then 1,000! it weighs 5lbs 10 oz.

The 28 guage 48-Al 5lbs 6 oz!

The 410 shoots a pretty small pattern and is best left to experts or those who don't care if they make every kill. you also have to be willing to pass on shots out of range. I would love a TC encore 410 pistol for shooting rabbits and squirrel ya might check those out.

The 410 and 28 guage both cost more for ammo the 12 or 20.

Again , skip the .410 except maybe a pistol. Get a 20 or 28.
 
My rabbit gun is a Remington 1100 .410 semi auto, I love this gun for rabbit hunting. Mine has a full choke and I kill rabbits at the same ranges that I shoot them with my 20 gauge. The pattern is very tight. I don't feel under gunned at all.
 
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.410 is where its at, that is if you are a good shot. Best thing I can say is borrow one a few times and head to the range and shoot skeet/trap with it a couple different times. If you can hit over 50% you are doing good for just switching to a .410 from what I have seen others do when stepping down from a 12.

im pretty good with one, although I found out the hard way how important it is to pattern and check point of aim on a new gun. turns out naturally this one shoots high, when my neighbors .410 shoots right at POA. After missing a couple squirrels i went out and checked it. Now i know, aim for their butt if they are climbing up the tree, or just under the branch they are on if they are sitting.
 
it depends on how much you shoot it. If you are only using it for hunting and maybe one pre season warm up trip its not that bad, that be what 100 shells a year, so $40-$60 Bucks a year for ammo.

I plan on reloading once I get 200 empties so in a year or 2. If you are a reloader its cheaper than shooting a 12 gauge, less shot, and less powder going into every shell.
 
My first gun was a bolt action Mossberg 410 that my Dad got me for my 13th birthday, presently I own a Remington 870 Express.
 
I shoot a Franchi 620 that is a joy. 24" barrel and sub 6 lbs, I can pack all day with no problem and my hunting partners are consistently amazed when I hand it to them when crossing fences.

AND, I can buy 100 round value packs of Winchester hi-brass 5 shot for $34.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods stores. Most of the regular boxes (not sure if they are 20 or 25) for the .410 seem to range between $10 - $15.
 
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