.410 WHY???

[DLH]

  Ok,  tell me why and what I need a .410 for??

 I was at a local gun shop and saw what the dealer said was a Mossberg over under in a .410. I is beaufull!! but what would I use it for??   Did I say it was beautfull!!

  Help me!!!


Thanks

DLH

[dukkillr]

The 410 is great for all those times you're sitting around thinking to yourself, "You know I love that 28 ga but I wish it had less shot, a shorter range, and shells that were harder to find. 

If you're one of those guys who like to tinker and fiddle with guns buy one, if you need a production based reason to buy one you're in trouble.

[DLH]

I was just wondering what to hunt with it.  I shoot trap with a 12 ga. 

  I figure it would be too light for pheasants??

[GRIMJIM]

I got my son a .410 to start him out hunting rabbits and such. If you have kids that you would like to start hunting they are a great choice. Other than that I don't know.

[lil_hunter12]

a .410 is great for squirrels. i have never had 1 get away if i shot it with my .410 also i never have a hard time finding shells. just go to wally world.

[totallycustom]

I love my 410s i have a matched pair of over-unders a combo gun a bolt action and a few others they are great fun for rabbits squirrels and other upland hunting i use them for everything that i would my 20g i even have slugs and buck for coyotes with my bolt action. They are no less capable than another gun just different you have to know what you are doing with them.  I do think that the 28g is the better small bore shotgun though, i just happen to have quite a few 410s that my dad got me.

-TC-

[Graybeard]

Great for skeet. I shoot it more than even my 28 gauge on skeet and the two of them account for at least 90% of my skeet shooting. I've never hunted with it but wouldn't be afraid to use it on dove or quail inside 25-30 yards as I know from my skeet use it is highly effective at that range. I use only 1/2 oz loads of #9 on skeet.

[Beers]

I've taken a number of rabbits, doves and many, many squirrels with mine. I also take it with me when I go fishing, it's a great "snake charmer".

NEF Pardner youth model, it was a gift.. It's actually one of my favorite guns.

[The Gamemaster]

All one of my grandfathers ever owned was a .410 shotgun and he always came home with 4 rabbits and 2 grouse.

In all my years of hunting I have only came home with 4 rabbits twice and 2 grouse once and I use a 12 Gage.

I guess back in the day, they made 2 1/2 inch shells that probably didn't cost much and the game was so plentiful that you could hunt all you desired.

Now with a limited amount of free time and a unlimited amount of resources, people want to get everything that they see.

A man predicted that in a few years they will make a 12 gage shotgun with a 4 inch chamber.

[Beers]

I don't doubt they will. I don't hold with the idea bigger, faster = better. Sometimes is is, but nowhere near always. I've taken a few of my buddies out after squirrels (teamwork is fun) they can't hit a damn thing w/ my .410... They learned with 20 and 12 ga. After one of them injured two that escaped I made him give it back, handed him the .22 ...

I was told once that It's not sporting to hunt squirrels with a shotgun,  that it makes it too easy... I told 'em to take my .410, see if they think that gettin' close enough to use it is easier than taking them w/ a .22.... the offer was declined... 

I think learning to hunt small game with a .410 made me a better hunter than I might be if I'd learned on something bigger.

[HammerMan/LongbowMan]

I use a 410 for dove hunting and skeet shooting.  It works great and is a lot more fun to shoot.  It hardly kicks and it makes you a good shot because you have to be more on target.  It's really cheap to reload too, I figured it out to something like $1.50 a box once you've bought a few boxes of shells.  I'm still looking for a 410 SxS with external hammers made on a 410 frame.

[Beers]

I've wanted a SxS .410 for a long time, I just can't find one I like that I can afford!

[cherokee75]

I have a Stoeger coach gun in .410.  It is fun to shoot but I have not hunted with it.  The only problem I see is the ammo is expensive these days and a 12 ga. is so much more versatile and the ammo is cheaper. 

[dpastordan]

My first firearm was a J.C. Higgins single shot bolt action .410 shotgun.  It was a great squirrel and rabbit gun.  Also killed some woodcock.  It was the "pass down" gun as I grew older, my younger brother swapped a .22 for it.  Then my youngest brother came into possession.  My uncle's favorite firearm was a Savage .22 over .410.  Said it was the best squirrel gun ever.  I had a group of friends jokingly talk about a .410 quail hunt.  They all showed up at a local farm with their dogs and .410's.  They all shot pretty much their limit.  One used a single shot, one used a side by side, one had a pump, and one had an over/under.  They had fun.

[totallycustom]

Cheaper Ammo?

I think that it seems like .410 is more expensive than other shells because there are not really the promotional loads for it like there are for 12g and 20g.  If you look at the quality of the loads and then compare prices to that of any other gauge in a similar (or the same)  load they are usually about the same or cheaper.