Pothunter Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 My lad shoots a single shot folding .410. Although 13, he is very small and slight for his age. With 19g cartridges he complained about the recoil. With 12.5g he is fine. I don't want to put him off by pushing him. Currently he just shoots clays (quite well), but wants (very much) to move on to pigeons. Once he's comfortable shooting 19g through his .410, is that an ethical/effective load for pigeons, or does he need to wait till he can go a bit bigger? I shoot 25g through a 20b on pigeon and am conscious this is towards the bottom end of the usual range, so would be grateful for advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 It will be fine for birds that decoy in to the pattern, he will need to be good at estimating range and perhaps shooting them as they alight. Wish him good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 It will be fine for birds that decoy in to the pattern, he will need to be good at estimating range and perhaps shooting them as they alight. Wish him good luck. So he can come out with me once he's comfortable putting 19g through his .410, but only shoot the closest ones? Sounds like good advice to me. Thanks. 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 My eldest son started shooting Pigeons with a .410" years ago and worked up through to various 12 guage guns. It was a useful part of his training, initially carrying an empty gun and then being allowed a couple of shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Funnily enough, my daughters started older and went straight to lightly loaded 12 bores, but don't shoot much. The boy is keen though and I want to encourage him. Somebody advised me to skip 28 and go straight to 20 when he's properly grown out of .410 (in terms of what he's comfortable shooting; not that .410s are just for kids, obviously). Don't know what you think of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 He used a bolt action Webley and Scott .410" with full choke and was quite a good shot after a while. I moved him straight on to a lightly loaded 12 Bore Semi-Auto that he could handle and then bought him a 12 Bore Fixed Choke O/U when he was 14. He then bought himself a 12 Bore multi-choke O/U. He now uses SxS, Semi-auto or O/U to good effect, but like everything, he will have to start paying for the ammunition one day soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 like everything, he will have to start paying for the ammunition one day soon! lol. I sometimes feel like there's more chance of my dogs eventually paying their own way than my kids. 😫 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty* Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 A .410 load of 19g 7/6 will be fine for pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 My preferred load through the .410 for rabbits and pigeons is the saga 14g 7's. This is continental shot size so an English 6 1/2. Through a tight choke good for birds that decoy well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 The 410 will be perfectly capable even with a 14 gran load , its just a case of picking the correct birds for him to shoot at . A Ideal place to start would be sat under a sitty tree they like to go up into , he would then be likely to get a few shots as they come to go into the tree so will be fairly close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 My preferred load through the .410 for rabbits and pigeons is the saga 14g 7's. This is continental shot size so an English 6 1/2. Through a tight choke good for birds that decoy well. +1. Although I'd nit-pick and say English 7s for pigeon to keep the pellet count up. If, however, 14g is still too much then 71/2 in the 12.5g is still good for 30 yards if the choke is tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have killed pigeons with 9gm of 6s in the .410. My ideal load would be 18/19 grams of 7.5, but in the case of your boy, I would buy 14 gram of 7.5. This would mean a good enough shot count for at least 25 yards. Pothunter, have you considered getting your boy an o/u .410? This would help no end with his current recoil issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolkngood Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) I shoot driven game with 19 grm 410 at sensible range. You only need 2 or 3 pellets to kill most birds. Just remember that the pattern density will diminish the greater the range. I'm tempted to take my 410 out with me as well on Saturday to bag a couple of pigeons over deeks. Just look at Stevo's videos on YouTube with the 410 mossy. If you can arrange a collision between pellets and bird then it's coming down. Edited April 9, 2015 by Suffolkngood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Great advice from everyone. Very many thanks. He'll be fine shooting 14g now, so guess it's time to bite the bullet, so to speak. Motty - yes I wanted to get him an o/u .410 in the first place, but he'd used one of those single shot folders before, and liked it and wanted one, and they're very cheap (as guns go) so I just went along with it. Those folders are funny guns to handle though and I'd like to get him onto (and used to handling) a more normal gun as soon as possible though. Whether another .410 or move him up to a 28 I don't know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomispw Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 When I started many years ago it was with a single shot 410. With a tight coke and 19 grams it is perfectly possible to kill pigeons humanely but they must be fairly close to ensure a clean kill. I had very little money in those days and cartridges were expensive ( 410 still are ) and I wanted to make every shot count and soon learnt success rates for me went down as the range went over 20 yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 prohunter where abouts are you ? stevo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 prohunter where abouts are you ? stevo I'm in the Midlands mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 just in case your still wondering about the .410 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrejkcNtgC0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 just in case your still wondering about the .410 Wow. Brilliant stuff. I want one myself now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 Eley do a trap 14g 7.5 shot,which is a nice gentle shell.Within 25 yards,which will teach good decoying skills etc will kill pigeon fine...have been using on squirrels recently and again within 25 yards effective.... a 13 year old should be able to handle 20/28g and it is the classic light gun/right load combo.......bought a single barrel 410 weighing under 3 lb and with 19g really does kick and useless for a youngster...a double barrel 410 has more weight and takes recoil much better...... As for you 25g in a 20 gauge is perfect load and what they were originally built for...ideal combo for decoying.My 2 boys from similar age to your lad shot 20g..although they were both big lumps by 13/14...those folding 410 are usually vv light,which ironically is not ideal...try 14g and keep range down. atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Eley do a trap 14g 7.5 shot,which is a nice gentle shell.Within 25 yards,which will teach good decoying skills etc will kill pigeon fine...have been using on squirrels recently and again within 25 yards effective.... a 13 year old should be able to handle 20/28g and it is the classic light gun/right load combo.......bought a single barrel 410 weighing under 3 lb and with 19g really does kick and useless for a youngster...a double barrel 410 has more weight and takes recoil much better...... As for you 25g in a 20 gauge is perfect load and what they were originally built for...ideal combo for decoying.My 2 boys from similar age to your lad shot 20g..although they were both big lumps by 13/14...those folding 410 are usually vv light,which ironically is not ideal...try 14g and keep range down. atb Only just seen this. Thanks very much, and I'll basically take both pieces of your (and others') advice: let him loose on pigeons with 14g in the folding .410 now, but move him up to either a 28 or 20 as soon as I can. Cheers again for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 If he is shooting over decoys, cut a piece of leafy elder and stick it in the ground at a measured/paced out 25 yards, amongst the decoys. It will NOT put off incoming birds but it WILL give him a guide to range, to work from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pothunter Posted April 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Will do. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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