.410 for deer & turkeys

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I know a few people who have killed deer with .410, just like shooting them with a .41 mag pistol.. said they kept shots to 50-60 yds, thru lungs equals dead deer in short order..for turkey would definitely pattern the heck out of gun and limit head shots to 15 yds or so, maybe use #7.5 or #6 shot.. at close range #7.5 shot is very effective due to number of shot hitting target..
I would rather use a 20 ga with low brass shells then 3 in .410.
 
I know a few people who have killed deer with .410, just like shooting them with a .41 mag pistol.. said they kept shots to 50-60 yds, thru lungs equals dead deer in short order..for turkey would definitely pattern the heck out of gun and limit head shots to 15 yds or so, maybe use #7.5 or #6 shot.. at close range #7.5 shot is very effective due to number of shot hitting target..
I would rather use a 20 ga with low brass shells then 3 in .410.
A 20 is an extremely versitile gun !!! My favorite .
 
People have been killing turkeys with .410’s shooting that TSS ammo for a few years now. It’s really expensive but it makes the .410 usable.
I would think a .410 slug would kill deer just fine at reasonable ranges.
 
People have been killing turkeys with .410’s shooting that TSS ammo for a few years now. It’s really expensive but it makes the .410 usable.
I would think a .410 slug would kill deer just fine at reasonable ranges.
Winchester 410 slugs are only 88gr and only rated for varmints . Iirc somebody (specialty company) offers some MUCH better suited but $$$ .
 
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Honestly i think id rethink this 410 idea . They are expensive to run . They in all honesty are an Experts shotgun . I know guys get them for kids and girls but a 20 is so much easier , cheaper ,and more effective gauge , especially for a relative beginer. A high quality recoil pad will make it very mild for even the tenderest of shoulders . Killing power is far better too . Hard to stay interested in hunting when killing game is difficult for them . Just sayin.......
 
I agree, 20 gauge automatics are pretty soft shooting. That’s what I started each of my daughters with.
I have several from single barrels to gas autos . For deer ive found them really , really good for quick multiple shots while stalking . 3 holes vs 1 hole i will take the 20ga everytime . My 12ga 11-87 collects dust !!!
 
Honestly i think id rethink this 410 idea . They are expensive to run . They in all honesty are an Experts shotgun . I know guys get them for kids and girls but a 20 is so much easier , cheaper ,and more effective gauge , especially for a relative beginer. A high quality recoil pad will make it very mild for even the tenderest of shoulders . Killing power is far better too . Hard to stay interested in hunting when killing game is difficult for them . Just sayin.......

I fully agree Sideshow :lewis: A .410 is a neat little Shotgun, I have had several over the years, even a REALLY Nice Over/Under. What a lot of Folks don’t Realize is a .410 Can/Will Run the Same Velocity as a 12 Gauge, The Payload is where the Difference is at, and that makes a DARN BIG Difference!! I use to Shoot Competitive Trap, I broke LOTS of Birds with a Little .410 For Fun. I was an Advanced Shotgun Shooter and understood leads/Holds. You say “They in all honesty are an Experts Shotgun” That is SPOT ON! A .410 for a Young Kid is really not a Great idea. Years ago, I let my Step son Try for Grouse with a little .410, He missed the First 2 SLICK CLEAN, He was SICK over it!! It was funny to me :p But it sure wasn’t him! We seen a 3rd Grouse on the Way off the Hill and he FINALLY Connected :lewis: I bought him a 20 Gauge a few years Later, I don’t think he Ever missed a Grouse with that thing?
 
I got my first 410 at 7yrs old. In our small town i could waltz right into the local sporting good store and buy a box of shells. I learned to shoot barn swallows on the fly with that little 410. Killed a mess of rabbits and squirrels too. It was almost worthless for anything larger.
 
I got my first 410 at 7yrs old. In our small town i could waltz right into the local sporting good store and buy a box of shells. I learned to shoot barn swallows on the fly with that little 410. Killed a mess of rabbits and squirrels too. It was almost worthless for anything larger.

I shot my first flying creature, with my FIRST Ever gun that i bought with my own earned money. A little Single Shot .410, We we’re putting up winter Hay Bales for My Grandpa’s Cattle from a Neighbors Field, Late evening the Bats would Start “Dip, Diving” and i GOT ONE with that little .410, I was proud enough of hitting that Bat, i would of had it Mounted :D Dad And Grandpa wouldn’t let me mess with it :p
 
Load 5 00 buck in the 410, dead deer out to 30, load a 12 gauge muzzleloader with a tolerable load of buck and BP, dead deer to 40
 
I have killed deer with a .410. I think you want to keep your shooting range relatively short and make sure your shot placement is perfect. Broadside and double lung if possible. As far as turkey the same would apply. Pattern the gun on cardboard at distances you expect to shoot. See how dense your pattern is. You'll know your limits after that.

Side-note. Don't be afraid to use a .410. I had friends who hunted pheasants for years and used 12 gauge Remington 1100. Boat anchors I called them. Heavy to carry all day. I used a 20 gauge Smith and Wesson 1000 and had good luck with the smaller lighter gun. I teased them I could kill pheasants with a .410. They challenged me. I killed 10 in a row with a single shot each. (The gun was a break open single shot) I picked my shots but proved my point. Later they bought 20 gauges.
 
20g all the way, like said above, .410 is a fun gun, it will work, but not really up to the task in the hands of a new shooter
 
My experiences with a .410 are that it will do every bit of the range that a 12 ga will do, you just have to be more precise in aiming.
I find that smaller shot seems to almost always give me a better pattern with a .410...or at least my old Sears side by side anyway...when my very small framed daughter turned 12 I patterned several different brands & shot sizes because I wanted her to be able to turkey hunt with it. Can't remember what the brand ended up being but 7-1/2's were far and away the best pattern in comparison to 6's or 4's, double the hits in the head and neck of the turkey target I was using. They were 2-1/2" rather than 3" too. One barrel is full choke and the other is modified, both showed lots of hits at 40 yards.
She ended up taking a Tom with it when she was 13, it spooked a bit when she raised the gun after I called it in and ended up shooting it at 37 yards. It went down on the spot (flapped like crazy for 20 seconds or so).
Another friend has an old single shot that prefers #9 shot, I was with him one time when he took one with it at 40 yards.
To save money you can bum a couple shells from buddies that have .410's to do your pattern testing, instead of spending a small fortune on a bunch of different brands and shot sizes, and then buy whatever kind shot the best pattern.
Many people don't bother to do pattern testing but it is more than worth it. There will be a clear winner on what your gun prefers.
I have no experience in using one for deer.
If you go a 20 ga. instead for your wife avoid the really light single shots...some of them kick like a mule! My cousin had one growing up that kicked much worse than my pump 12 ga. A semi-auto will have the least recoil.
 

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