410 With slugs?

[dannyfro]

I was curious about 410 slugs and if any of you out there with experience with em could give me your thoughts as far as accuracy? I know it won't be great just curious cause I just bought 3 boxes to have a lil fun with. I figured it was worth a try and double as a coyote killer well out and about for grouse. Thanks for all your help.

Dan

[MSP Ret]

Some here have used them for deer....<><....

[scout4]

Hey dannyfro! I've shot many slugs through the .410. Takes a little time getting the nack of where to hold the bead but overall within the 410's limited range I've found it accurate enough. A couple years back I even had my H&R 410 built into a slug shooter with 4x32 scope cut down barrel and the like, shot very good! scout4

[a4beltfed2000]

I have a .410 that I had drilled and tapped, barrel cut to 22 inches and it shoots slugs very very well. 2.5 are ok in it but 3 inches are the best! 40 yards have 1.5 inch groups using remington 410 3 inch slugs. havent taken anything larger than ground hog with it but it was more than terminal on him to say the least. What more is that .410s aren't legal for deer here in wisconsin but are in the surrounding states so not a big seller ,I ended up getting 10 boxes of .410 slugs for 1.50 per box on the clearance rack after deer season! would have bought more if they had em. love the ole 410 slug gun, just a blast to shoot!
 
I use a red dot scope on it, had I to do it over I would leave the choke in it and that way it still work for squirrel hunting even with the red dot on it.

[barm]

dannyfro,
I am glad you asked this question because I had been thinking about it as well.

a4beltfed2000,
What kind of accuracy did you have with your .410 before you removed the choke?

[bikerbeans]

danny,
I have tried the 410 smoothbore slug gun.  I cutdown a barrel to 22", recrowned, d/t for scope base and a red dot scope.  It would shoot a 2 to 3 inch group @ 62 yards with the brenneke attached wad 3" slugs.  Sold it on the classifieds because I couldn't get my wife or daughter interested in it.
I have also put together several fully rifled 410 slug guns, but these do not shoot factory slugs.  There are a couple of threads on these guns if you search for them in this forum.
BB
 

[dannyfro]

Thanks for all the insight. Got me all excited. I went out shooting yesterday but didn't have enough time or daylight left to shoot the 410.

Dan

[Doublebass73]

I have two different full choked .410 barrels, one on a Versa Pack and the other on an SB1 frame. They both like the 3" Brenneke slugs the best. They both shoot point of aim at 30 yards with decent accuracy.

[Rayzor]

I have a full choke 410 with a bead sight. My son has killed 2 bucks with it and my daughter a doe and one forked horn. It throws the 3 inch Brenneke slugs fairly well. My son uses it as his brush gun. Carries slugs and number 6's where ever we go. It brings home the grouse rabbits and deer. Cant really ask for more.

[dannyfro]

No you most certainly cannot argue with those results. Sadly I am not allowed to shoot at deer size game in my state though I can't see any reason it wouldn't do the job handily.

Dan

[fistmil]

I also cut my 410 barrel back passed the choke to make a slug gun. I added both  front and back rifle sights. The gun looks more like a carbine than a shot gun. I reload brass 410 shells with black powder and a patched 380. round ball. I need to slug this barrel also to determine what size slug will fit.  I also reload with #5 shot and it makes a dandy squirrel load.

[dannyfro]

Thats a good looking rig. What kind of accuracy do you get with it? Thanks for the replies.

Dan

[BUGEYE]

I've killed four deer in my life. each one could have been taken with a .22lr OR a .410 slug.
for thick cover, a .410 would make a great all-round woods gun.

[Doublebass73]

I've killed four deer in my life. each one could have been taken with a .22lr OR a .410 slug.
for thick cover, a .410 would make a great all-round woods gun.

X2

Within its range limits the .410 is great for lots of different game. I live in a rifle zone in NH, I hunted last season with a 45-70. I saw no deer the whole season but tons of great small game - snowshoe hares, grey squirrels and partridges. I may have to change my strategy to hunting with either my 16 gauge Topper or .410 Pardner so I won't have to pass up on all the small game opportunities and I'll still be able to take deer at close range.

[dannyfro]

Sounds like it would do the trick. Nothing more classic than the old single shot shotgun.

Dan

[jpshaw]

After a while of deer hunting only, expecially if you have put one in the freezer, you get tired of passing up on the other stuff.  Next season I will rifle hunt for the first half of the season then switch to my 12 Ga Partner (or 20 if I can find a barrel) for the rest of the season.  When I was in the Army we hunted "game of opportunity" carrying "sixes and slugs".

[dannyfro]

Sometimes you gotta be versatile which a shotgun most certainly is.

Dan

[fistmil]

Dan, at 50 yards with Winchester 1/5 oz. rifled slugs I am averaging 3.5 inch groups. I think the gun is capable of better groups with a little more practice.

[dannyfro]

I would imagine so are you just running a bead sight?

Dan

[jpshaw]

at 50 yards with Winchester 1/5 oz. rifled slugs I am averaging 3.5 inch groups

Does anyone make a heavier slug?  1/5 oz is only about 65 grains or so and a .410 pushes 1/2 oz of shot even in a 2 1/2 inch shell.

[cwlongshot]

I don't know that I have shot them thru my H&R, but I have shot them allot thru a Savage 24/22. And find the Breneke shoot best. I also have a old high standard 410 pump that absolutely drills these same Breneke slugs out to about 50 yards. I haven't shot anything I can remember with them, but always keep a couple handy when I use the 410.

They are not legal for big game here either. But I have read they comparing to a 357 mag, that's adaquite for cloe range deer no doubt!!

CW

[dannyfro]

jpshaw Winchester makes 3" 1/4 ounce slugs that scoot along at an advertised 1800fps don't see any way that wouldn't do some damage.

Dan

[bikerbeans]

at 50 yards with Winchester 1/5 oz. rifled slugs I am averaging 3.5 inch groups

Does anyone make a heavier slug?  1/5 oz is only about 65 grains or so and a .410 pushes 1/2 oz of shot even in a 2 1/2 inch shell.

I think a standard 410 slug is about 85 to 90 grains.  IIRC, the brenneke 3" attached wad slug is about 109 grains.  There was a seller on gunbroker awhile back that was selling 168 grains 410 slugs, for smoothbore barrels.  The 168 grainers were going for about $50 for 25 so I never had the urge to try them.
 
If you load your own you could use a heavier slug.   There are factory shot loads for the 410 up to about 3/4 of an oz (approx 325 grains).  The problem would be to find a weight forward, expanding base,  heavier slug that would stabilize out of a smoothbore.
 
BB

[mcwoodduck]

at 50 yards with Winchester 1/5 oz. rifled slugs I am averaging 3.5 inch groups

Does anyone make a heavier slug?  1/5 oz is only about 65 grains or so and a .410 pushes 1/2 oz of shot even in a 2 1/2 inch shell.

I think a standard 410 slug is about 85 to 90 grains.  IIRC, the brenneke 3" attached wad slug is about 109 grains.  There was a seller on gunbroker awhile back that was selling 168 grains 410 slugs, for smoothbore barrels.  The 168 grainers were going for about $50 for 25 so I never had the urge to try them.
 
If you load your own you could use a heavier slug.   There are factory shot loads for the 410 up to about 3/4 of an oz (approx 325 grains).  The problem would be to find a weight forward, expanding base,  heavier slug that would stabilize out of a smoothbore.
 
BB

I often wondered if you could load a 357 148 grain lead wad cutter bullet into the standard 410 shot shell wad.
A half Oz is 217.5 grains.  soe even a 200 grain 357 bullet could be made to go about 1100 FPS with your standard loadings.

[bikerbeans]

I've shot 38 cal lead bullets in a 410 shot cup, but without rifling they don't fly very straight. 
 
BB

[jpshaw]

jpshaw Winchester makes 3" 1/4 ounce slugs that scoot along at an advertised 1800fps don't see any way that wouldn't do some damage.

Now that's more like it.  That's around 110 grains moving at 1800 and by my $5 calculator that's about 791 ft pds of energy.  I would stick a couple of those in my back pocket while squirrel hunting with my old Stevens .410 any time.

[dannyfro]

I just picked up a few boxes of the 3" and they run about $6 a box a five locally and I have shot them before in an 4x4 block at about 25yds and lets just say I think it would ruin anyones day let alone coyotes. Well worth the money. If you have a hard time finding them locally jp then you can order them on midwayusa.

Dan

[dannyfro]

Well I tried out the slugs in my 410 and needless to say I will not be using the remaining ones mine shot them about two feet high and to the right it was more of a guessing game than actually shooting so I have decided bird shot is its use and a great grouse gun it has been for me so thats what i shall use it as.

Dan

[cwlongshot]

Well I tried out the slugs in my 410 and needless to say I will not be using the remaining ones mine shot them about two feet high and to the right it was more of a guessing game than actually shooting so I have decided bird shot is its use and a great grouse gun it has been for me so thats what i shall use it as.

Dan

Gust a nte Danny,
 Every shot gun I have fired that shot slucg way off POI also patterend its pellets way off center too... Try yours!! The barrel may well be bent and require straightening!
 
I had a Ithica SKB300 at one time I could not hit clays very well with... I did hit better right to left then left to right. Pop said its cause I was right handed or right eye dominant... I never felt confident with it.. then one day I shot some slugs... it fired a couple feet to the right!! I had it straightened and WOW I was in business!! Just sayin'...
 
CW

[ironglow]

  The .410 may work well at close range, but the power drops off severely by 50 yards, by the time it arrives at 100 yds, it's about equal to a .380 pistol or 38 snubbie.:
 http://www.winchester.com/products/shotshell-ammunition/super-x/slugs/Pages/X413RS5.aspx
 
   Here is an article concerning deer hunting with a .410 which has some good info as well as some bad.  The bad info is (IMO) whare the author discusses ballistics.  He tries to compare the .410 with the .357 & .41 mags...but he uses ballistics from a .410 shotgun with full length barrel and ballistics for .357 & .41 mag from a short barrelled handgun.."apples to oranges"..
    http://mcb-homis.com/deer9410/index.htm
  To be fair it would seem, one should compare long gun to long gun, in which case there is a marked difference:
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      Relative killing power at 100 yards, taken from the "Guns and Shooting Online Rifle Cartridge Killing Power Formula and List" (see the Tables, Charts and Lists page):
   .357 mag 158 grJHP..  1830 fps
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  I can understand if one wants to "tinker' with a .410, and Brenneke slugs may well help; but if one were to move up a notch, to a 20 guage..then we are talking about some real deer knockdown power.  ..And it's not expensive to do if it's H&R..and you can find a barrel here on GBO classified.