i want 1 y or y not

[Ron 1]

The 410 Judge.

6 shots of bb shot, 30 yards roughly 4 foot pattern. Would that be useful for self defense, predator hunting?

Call in the Judge? Yes or no?

     rw

[Blackhawk44]

Get a couple of large pieces of corrugated cardboard from the local appliance store dumpster, set up two thickness' at 30 yards, fire another round and judge for yourself.  I believe the result will speak for itself.    

[Graybeard]

I wouldn't have one for free if a requirement was I keep and use it as opposed to trading or selling it off right away.

Still they are selling like hotcakes so some folks must like them. I have a friend with one and he seems more or less satisfied with it but I don't think his expectations for it were too high so I don't think he has been disappointed yet.

Personally I see no possible use for such in my life.

[Ron 1]

i sometimes get close to the yotes 30 yrds and under would it work?

[Graybeard]

Someone with one would need to respond to that but my money would be on the coyote not the Judge at that range. Now if you were talking ten yards maybe.

The .410 is a fine skeet gun for an experienced shooter. It's OK on snakes at up close range. Some folks seem to think it's a squirrel gun or rabbit gun but personally I don't. A coyote gun it just plain isn't. I'd not expect the .45 Colt to shoot that well from it either but as I said I don't have one and never will so that's NOT personal experience just personal opinion.

[bobg]

  I agree with Bill on that. I have owned a couple 410's and they are not very good squirrel killers. Sold the last one i owned and bought a 28 ga. I sold that to a member on here and he seems to like it. I will just stick to my old Western Auto 20 ga. pump. Does everything i want it to.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup i dont see a use. There pretty big for concealed carry and unless your on top of something not near as effective as a good revolver bullet. they ones ive shot spray 45 colt bullets everywhere. Think of it this way. If your using bb shot and the velocity is only 1200 fps (which is doubtfull out of that short of a barrel) You are basicaly hitting an animal with a bb gun. Even a coyote deserves a better death then that. I see them advertised as guns for defense with people that have a bit of a hard time hitting things but at the range that even buckshot is leathal hitting a man sized target isnt really a consern and the recoil of a 410 is a bit more then most women and even men with little experience can handle. Then even with buckshot you are not going to get good penetration. The average person is much better armed with a 38 special or 9mm loaded with good hp ammo.

[Ron 1]

thanks for the input  you all have swayed my mind
            rw

[pneuby]

Was in a shop on Sunday and heard a fellow asking for skeet loads to introduce his daughter to busting clays. Only had 'defense' loads for .410 in-stock. The guy complained that's the response he's been getting most everywhere! 

[highwayman]

a couple of guy i rabbit hunt with have them for close in shots in the really thick stuff. would not use it for anything else.

[Blackhawk44]

I applaud your decision.  The Judge is an abomination.  The meager amount of bird and buck shot is useless for defense beyond a couple of feet.  Using them on an attacker will likely upset them enough that they will put that much more effort into beating you to a pulp.  Beyond 10 feet they lack pattern or penetration for game.  The faint "rifling" in the barrel cannot hope to properly stabilize a .45 bullet well enough to consistantly hit a threat at ranges past a few feet, let alone "yards" away.

Since you are obviously not a handloader, your best bet for a centerfire field gun would be either a good .357 revolver or a good quality 1911 pattern .40 or .45.  Also, be sure to save up for a good .22LR handgun for plenty of inexpensive practice and small game.  Later, you'll find that you will actually carry it far more than the full sized piece.  Enjoy.

[Ron 1]

ok i have a 357 and a 22 cal.  just wont more i geuss..

[Mikey]

Ron - with the Judge your shot patterns disperse to wide for anything effective at 30 yds.  If you are using the 45 instead of the 410 you are in better shape at that range. 

A 4' pattern at 30 yds is not good for self defense and a shot at 30 yds would probably land you in jail - for personal defense the 410 at 5 yds is much more effective but at 30 yds it can hardly be called self defense.

For snake and the like, the 22 will suffice quite nicely or even the 357 with shot at closer ranges.  jmtcw.

[mcwoodduck]

I thought one would be neat for a carry gun while big game hunting.
The 45 Colt could put down a crippled deer or elk.  With out having to launch a 338 Win mag round through the elk at 3-20 feet.
The 410 shot could increase the chances of a grouse for the skillet on the way back to camp.
Never really thought of one as a self protection gun as they are huge.   If you want to limit your self to 5 shots a j frame with a large grip would be more conceelable, easier to shoot even with the 357 mag loads.
The idea of having 3 to 5 chambers with buck as a hand cannon are neat with the other two rounds as 45 colt sound great but I think the idea of having to limit shots to X yardage and worry about buck or BBs flying past your attacker and headed where ever are too much for a self protection gun. 
Now having it in the night stand is a different story.  Short ranges, multiple projectiles and construction materials that would catch the buck or grape shot. 

[Dogshooter]

I bought a Judge with a 7" barrel thinking it would hold a pattern with bird shot well enough to hunt rabbits in the thick stuff where shots would be limited to 10 to 15 yards. Wrong. I shot into snow drifts to check pattern and at 7 to 8 yards the pattern opened up to about a 4 foot pattern. I did take a few rabbits but not with enough certainty to warrant taking it back out again.

[walks with gun]

  A boat anchor will kill a coyote if you can get close enough,  In my opion the judge seems to get bought by people who don't really want to learn the handgun.

[coyotejoe]

Even a full size .410 long gun isn't very effective with shot larger than number six, there just aren't enough pellets in larger sizes. I have chronographed Winchester 3" .410 shells at 950 fps from a 10" barreled singleshot pistol. From a 3" revolver with a cylinder gap I would doubt it hits even 800 fps.

[Tommyt]

 The above Post coyotejoe said 950 from 10 inch barrel Confirmed my Thoughts
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The 410 Judge.

6 shots of bb shot, 30 yards roughly 4 foot pattern. Would that be useful for self defense, predator hunting?

Call in the Judge? Yes or no?

     rw

ok i have a 357 and a 22 cal.  just want more i guess..

What you "need" is a TC Contender keep the 357 for  Personal carry The 22 because its the Best caliber ever made and Cheap too shoot
Now with the TC
You can....................
Have a 45/410 that will do a Heck of a Lot More than the Judge ask around
also when you say

just want more i guess..

after the TC Frame and Furniture(maybe $300 if you look/wait)is Bought any time you "WANT MORE" look at the classified right here on GBO
and if you look good you can have Many a Barrel for 150 sometimes less
Then before you know it you have 5 /6 maybe ten different Calibers of your choice to shoot for the day
Its the Best Platform IMHO for anyone that wants a Lot with a Limit on how much he can spend at the Moment

The Judge is only good for the Hype they Put on it (advertisement)
The reality of the Gun  its Poor and a Waste of a Mans Money
It falls into the Pinto/Gremlin of the Gun Market

[buck460XVR]

6 shots of bb shot, 30 yards roughly 4 foot pattern. Would that be useful for self defense, predator hunting?

Predator hunting with a Judge? Now there's a challenge. Maybe for putting one down when caught in a foothold trap, but even then, I think cavin' in their chest would still work better. IMHO, the Judge is good for one thing.....as a glove box/truck gun to be used against carjackers. A .410 load of buckshot delivered to the face from 8-10 inches would make the perp take his hands off the door handle just long enough for you to drive away.

[yorketransport]

Wow, you guys are pretty hard on the Judge! As a hunting tool, it may not be great, but it is still a fun gun.

My brother has one of the 3" chamber, 3" barreld versions. With 45 Colts, it's center mass accurate to 30 yards. Beyond that it's just hard hit because of the very basic sights. And with 3" 410 shot loads we could hit hand thrown clay pidgeons pretty consistantly. If we made a solid hit it would break them pretty well.

Like others have said, I think that the Judge is at it's best as a short range defensive gun. But I wouldn't say that this is all it's good for.

Andrew

[SHOOTALL]

I can't see it for defense . Its ment for up close and up close what can a few light buck shot do that a 45 cal. slug can't do better ?

[v-man]

I've been biting my tongue over the Judge since it first came out and now I have to vent. Bill and Walk the Walk hit the nail on the head. Everyone I know who bought one knows and cares nothing about ballistics, penetration, patterns etc. Most don't shoot much but think their new "sawed of shotgun" is the shortcut to magnum power and marksmanship excellence. If anyone spends any time reading the penetration tests on the BOX-O-TRUTH site they would never count on a .410 for self defense. If they want to count on a 45 cal bullet there are much better gun choices. Besides the Judge is just plain ugly! It is one of the greatest marketing scams I've ever seen in the hunting/shooting industry. For that I must commend Taurus.  

[dakotashooter2]

Wow... I can't believe all the Judge bashers on here..................... It's  about time. Every other thread you see celebrates the Judge. "It's the perfect short range gun"......well not quite. If you can't hit a bad guy across the room with a decent revolver cartridge the judge isn't gonna be much help.  With an inexperinces shooter, a miss because during the trigger pull they pulled the gun off target, is still gonna miss with the judge.  And shooting the 410 out of a short barrel does not make it into a "magnum" round even in buckshot. Whimp is whimpy. Can buckshot kill you? Sure.... eventually.... thats the part that concerns me.... Shoot someone with buckshot and there is a higher chance (than with a standard cartridge round) you may be dead before he is.Southern hunters who hunt deer with dogs and buckshot need the dogs not only to scare up the deer but to find them after they have been shot.  You probably need 4-5 times the hits with buckshot to equal the damage and shock provided by a 38/357 HP, maybe more. Its a good thing you have multiple shots cause you're probably gonna need every one of them.  I wonder how many users would put their life in the hands of a 32 ACP. The balistics are probably pretty close. The other downside I see is that it takes away the option of engaing your target at longer range if possible. The 45 is supposed to answer that situation but accuracy is so poor  that if you already can't hit at across the room ranges you're just spray and pray any further out.  I really doubt that there isn't anyone that wouldn't be better of with a 38 sp in their hands than a judge......... no matter how bad a shot.


I laugh at the exploding watermellon videos you see. While it appears impressive a a decent HP will do the same thing.

[Foxfire Rod and Gun]

I have the smaller framed "Public Defender" model which I carry in a custom made pancake holster when I am relic hunting. First round up is a 2 1/2 inch load of 71/2 (poisonous snakes up to 10 feet away), 2nd. & 3rd. #4 shot (possible rabid skunk, fox, opossum, etc. up to 10 feet away), 4th & 5th - Hornady 000 Buckshot (possible rabid/aggressive animal dog/coyote size up to 15 feet away.

There has been several controlled test involving this revolver and different shot sizes & pattern results. The smaller shot, such as 71/2 tend to have a "doughnut" pattern with a hole in the middle. The larger shot sizes, such as #4 patterns quite well up to roughly 15 - 20 feet away. As far as the buckshot loads, they tend to hold a fairly tight pattern up to roughly 15 to 20 feet away.

The only time which I would tend to use the buckshot load for self defense would be in a situation where the perpetrator is not armed with a firearm and is within 15 to 20 feet away and I could not get to either one of my laser sighted Ruger LCR's or P-90.

As far as the .45 Long Colt round goes, I really did not intend to use this round in my Judge. However, I well may do some accuracy test at a later date just to satisfy my curiosity. I feel as if it should be able to place most rounds in center mass of a silhouette target at say 15 to 20 yards. Maybe I'm right in my expectations, then maybe not. A range test will tell the truth from a sand bag rest.

Contrary to the beliefs and opinions of others, I feel that the Taurus Judge has its' place in certain situations, but should not be expected to be the "kill anything at any range revolver".

As we all know, it is not necessarily the size of what is sent down range, but the ability of the shooter to place the round in the proper location needed for a clean and immediate as possible kill. Just consider the number of people who have been killed with a well placed .22 caliber round.

FR&G

[SHOOTALL]

How long will the action last with that steam roller like cyl. ? I had a Bond Derringer in 410 not same gun but in same idea . Wouldn't depend on it for anything .

[Foxfire Rod and Gun]

That is a rather difficult question to answer accurately. However, based on my previous experience with Taurus small frame handguns using top end loads I do not expect a problem. The 2 1/2 .410 shot shell loads really do not build up that much pressure in a 2 inch barrel revolver and therefore should not be that brutal on the action. The recoil is relatively mild in comparison to top end loads used in other small frame handguns. Another aspect to consider is the frequency of actual firing, which in my case will not be very much. This is not a handgun that I will be taking to the range regularly and firing many boxes of ammo through. Though it does serve the purpose very well for what it was originally purchased for.

FR&G

[Curtis]

I always thought the Judge was a solution in search of a problem.  Just my $0.02 though.

Curtis

[SHOOTALL]

 

[Foxfire Rod and Gun]

The items listed in my post of yesterday lists a few problems that a Judge will handle quite handily. It is not a "Super Gun" but one that can and does serve a purpose to some such as myself. For many years I used CCI Snake shot shells in a Model 10 S&W. They tend to make a snake mad with one shot close up and if you stick the barrel inches from its' head it might just kill one. But they would really piss off a rabid and/or aggressive dog, coyote, fox, etc.

Those who own one and depend on it for a self defense life or death situation would do much better using something else. Of course these things are just opinions and thoughts of one Judge owner.

FR&G

[SHOOTALL]

i have killed alot snakes with 38/357 snake shot they were dead not ticked off . I also shot some with a 410 derringer along with some rats the results were not so good . Thr 38's worked better.