.410 For Preserve Pheasants???

[4570FAN]

Would the .410 be adequate for hunting pheasants on a preserve? I know that I would have to limit shots to 20 to 25 yards. There will be other hunters with me, so a wounded bird WON'T get away. What do you guys think? Any load recommendations (commercial)?

[Graybeard]

I think that if your experience level is such that you need to ask the answer is NO. Can it work sure but it's an experts gambit and the fact you asked tells me that's not you. If you do it go with the 3" shells with max load of #6 shot. Many like larger for pheasants and that's not a bad idea IF you use a 12 or 20 3" mag but in the .410 you're stuck with 11/16 oz generally with some few loading up to 3/4 oz in them. That's not a lot of shot and I'm of the opinion that shot larger than #6 just doesn't have enough pellets. At the distances you're tiny gun is adequate so are #6 shot.

Know going in however that unless you are a really good shotgunner you are making a mistake going with the .410. I use it regularly on skeet and average about 90% with it there. I might choose it for quail or grouse but not for pheasant.

[4570FAN]

Thanks for the advice Graybeard. What is your recommendation then? I will need to purchase a new gun for this outing as the only shotgun I have left is 10ga. I do all of my small game hunting with a .22 and hunt big game with a .45-70.

[Graybeard]

For preserve pheasants a 20 gauge is ideal. You can use 3" shells with up to an ounce and a quarter of shot or use light field loads with 7/8 oz as you chose. I'd suggest about an ounce of shot either #5 or #6. Generally speaking preserve birds will not flush as far out as wild birds so #6 shot would be my choice on them. Use IC or MOD choke depending on how they are flushing.

I'd be using a 20 or 28 gauge O/U personally or SxS if a person prefers one. Have an open either skeet or IC choke in one barrel and a light modified in the other. Use an ounce of 6s in the open barrel and an ounce and an eighth or ounce and a quarter in the tighter barrel in perhaps #5 shot. That same combination would work well on wild birds as well really but you might would want one notch tigher chokes there. The beauty of screw in choke tubes is you can change them out as necessary if conditions are different then expected.

[stimpylu32]

Thanks for the advice Graybeard. What is your recommendation then? I will need to purchase a new gun for this outing as the only shotgun I have left is 10ga. I do all of my small game hunting with a .22 and hunt big game with a .45-70.

Check your local pawn shops and gun shops , a used single shot in either 20 or 12 ga can be had for around $75 , both have taken many many birds over the years .

I agree with GB as to the 410 being a experts round , just way too small for your average shooter to use on flying game .

If all fails use the 10 ga with field loads of #5 or #6 shot , a little overkill but it will work .

stimpy

[billy_56081]

Every fall we have a .410 pheasant hunt on my friends farm for wild pheasant.  All but one is a single shot. We limit out usually within 3 hours, but we are very careful with our shots and have a much higher sucess rate of finding birds that with out repeater larger guage birds as we can concentrate one where each bird goes down rather than multiple birds at one time. We lost only 2 birds on the las hunt, we consider that to be exceptional. But Graybeard is right, it is a gun for only experts to use on pheasant.

[Doublebass73]

I agree with Graybeard, I have a .410, a 28 gauge and a 20 gauge.
I'd pick either the 28 or 20 for pheasant. My 28 gauge patterns WAY better than my .410.

[PHATINJUN]

You can buy a new NEF from Walmart if you have one that sells guns nearby 12 or 20ga $117. I like my 16ga Wards Hurcules SXS for wild birds. Kurt

[4570FAN]

UPDATE. I ended up buying a Marlin Model 200 12 gauge. A local gun dealer had it in the rack. He picked up a bunch of guns from a supplier that purchased remaining inventory from K-mart. I paid $110 total. It's a 3" chamber with modified choke. After I got it home I "borrowed" the stock and forend off my BC. I like the way it shouldered better. The day of the pheasant hunt I had many friends/relatives "laughing" at my single shot and calling me crazy for using a steel butt plate.  All told, I got 4 of the 5 pheasants I shot at, and by the guides count, nailed 38 out of 45 clay birds thrown. This was all accomplished with a grocery bag of 2-3/4" shells that I reloaded in high school 16 years ago with #7 1/2s. Only had 1 dud, and threw out 3 because of bad crimps. It was an awesome day!    Had a nice bruise the next morning too!