Modern 410 shotguns for hunting, discussion

[Dangerous Brian]

I started out as a kid with a bolt action Norica and my Dad told me from the outset that I shouldn't expect 12 gauge performance from it. This I accepted and spent many happy sunday mornings on clays with it until I was big enough to put a bit more lead down the barrels. Even after that the Norica would still come out for a bit of a fun round. On the right stands it was very capable, you just had to watch the range as 12.5g of No. 6 leaves a lot of gaps at 30 yards.

 

Nowadays I load my own shells so can have 7's , 7 1/2's, 9's etc with a fibre wad from 14 to 19.5g and that makes a big difference to the patterns. I had a nice little Yildiz sbs that was great if you could get the pigeons to play ball over decoys with the 7's or 7 1/2's. I did find it a bit light which tended to upset the swing a bit. I regret part exing it in a moment of madness but am seriously thinking about a modded Mossberg 500.

 

To get the best out of them you need to find the right shell for the gun, even if that means making them yourself. I think the main problem with such a small bore is it is not very forgiving in what you can get away with. In the right conditions you can have a great day with one, but everything has to be spot on. It only takes a small change like the pigeons being a bit spooky and holding off the decoys to spoil it. The temptation then is to chance a few rangier shots which would be fine for 20 or 20 gauge and then wonder why the dog is running around all day after winged birds.

[njc110381]

For over a year my old .410 held my record best bag on pigeons. It's a very capable little gun as long as the ranges are kept sensible. I had a Baikal side by side which was choked full and full. That one has now gone and I have a .410 Hushpower - works a treat too if I'm on form. It's no 12g but I can use it where I wouldn't dream of letting a shotgun off generally. Next to houses, stables etc. Anywhere noise is an issue. It also has enough grunt to put down a close fox where a rimfire isn't safe.

 

Used within their limits they are fantastic. Expect too much from them and they will let you down.... Or rather you will let yourself down by expecting too much!

[theshootist]

I have two .410s at the moment. A mossberg hushpower pump on SGC and a winchester 9410 lever action on FAC. Both are excellent squirrel killers. I like having a few back up shots with the .410. I've tried various 3" shells in the mossberg including sub sonics, but keep coming back to the 2.5" lyvale express 14g in 6s. I've tried 5s as an alternative for rabbits and 9s for close birds.

 

If you're going to get a general vermin gun then consider an FAC .410. You can now get a marlin lever action based on the marlin 1895 action. Its got a 22" barrel and (I think) holds 5 shells.

[matt fieldcrafter-uk]

That would be cool but there really expensive I like the idea of fac 410 for the extra shots !

Iv not got my fac and thought about it recently . Are you on open ticket with fac shotguns from scratch ?

[bigman]

I have two .410s at the moment. A mossberg hushpower pump on SGC and a winchester 9410 lever action on FAC. Both are excellent squirrel killers. I like having a few back up shots with the .410. I've tried various 3" shells in the mossberg including sub sonics, but keep coming back to the 2.5" lyvale express 14g in 6s. I've tried 5s as an alternative for rabbits and 9s for close birds.

 

If you're going to get a general vermin gun then consider an FAC .410. You can now get a marlin lever action based on the marlin 1895 action. Its got a 22" barrel and (I think) holds 5 shells.

Why do you keep come back to the 2.5 carts do they pattern better? I'd try them in my husher but Iv been told to only use fibre wads and I can only get them in 3in

[robbiep]

.......

If you're going to get a general vermin gun then consider an FAC .410. You can now get a marlin lever action based on the marlin 1895 action. Its got a 22" barrel and (I think) holds 5 shells.

If it has 22" barrels then it will be S5. If I was you, I'd check that as a matter of some urgency.

[saddler]

If it has 22" barrels then it will be S5. If I was you, I'd check that as a matter of some urgency.

NOPE

 

The 24" MINIMUM bbl length ONLY refers to Pump Action and/or Semi Auto shotguns, irrespective of their being held on SGC or FAC

 

A sub-24" bbl shotgun IS legal, as long as it is neither a pump/semi, but it MUST be held on an FAC

[robbiep]

Quite correct, my apologies. Just had a quick read of the 2002 guidance

[poguemahone]

had a webley & scott bolt action for years, but it was a 20yd gun really. eley fourlong no.6 gave very even patterns @ 20yds, but failed @ 25yds.

eley fourlong no.7 were good to 22/23 yds, and lyalvale 2 1/2" no.6 were about the same.

i traded it in 18 months ago for a baikal single .410 with 3/4 choke. its similar to the webley with eley fourlong, but doesn't like lyalvale at all.

with the eley 3" extralong no.6 its ok to 25 yds, and a bit less with gamebore 3" no.7, although they pattern very evenly.

i.ve been playing with the 19gm eley .410 trap cartridges, and results look encouraging. i was hoping to try no.7 or 7 1/2, but i could only get a couple of boxes of 8's, and although i haven't patterned em yet past 20 yds, there's certainly plenty in the pattern to suggest it would be effective much further. think the 7's and 7 1/2's could be useful on live quarry beyond 25 yds, but i wont know til i've patterned em.

i think the .410 is a cracking gun, as long as you work within its limits, and patterning the cartridges is the way to go. until i get a cartridge that patterns dense enough for reliable kills further than 25yds, then i'm happy enough with that

Edited May 8, 2013 by poguemahone

[Scully]

I sometimes take my sons Mossberg 500 .410 for a wander.It is wonderfully light(which means you need to consciously keep it swinging) and patterns very well.It will kill crossing/quartering bolting bunnies where you have the chance to hit them up front,but 'going away' are a no-no really.Good for 'branchers' also.Have never tried it on game but may do one day.

Nice little gun.

When I shot clays a lot at Shap Wells Hotel Clay Ground many moons ago, an old boy and his two sons were amongst the regulars,and all had Remi' 1100's.The sons both used 12 bores but their Dads was a .410,and boy could he use it! He certainly wasn't outgunned by the 12's.Good to watch.

[hawkfanz]

i dont own one now traded in my sbs 410 hammer gun for a 28g after owning it for 20 years,but a friend uses a hushpower pump 410 on decoying pigeons and very capable he is to at knockin them down.a good little gun in the right hands,

[Underdog]

I do think people read"25 yards" and think it is useless.

They are missing out really.

If you can get that close to your quarry it is all the more enjoyable. Exciting. Plus just that 1/2oz or so is plenty.

I always fancied a Win 94 for410 slug.

 

U.

[alendil]

Why do you keep come back to the 2.5 carts do they pattern better? I'd try them in my husher but Iv been told to only use fibre wads and I can only get them in 3in

they do patern better in my mossberg hushpower. and i do use in it every thing fibre or plastic it dosent metter. just clean it every 100 shots or so.

 

recently i purchase box of eley 3 inch size 7 clay carts and will see how they perform.

[jackinbox99]

Another .410 fan here, ive a hushpower mossberg pump & a spanish hammer sbs.

 

Ive been considering a Yeldiz sbs for a long time now as I really like the look of them. As soon as one comes up at the right price i`ll be snapping it up.

[Floating Chamber]

I am considering buying the cheaper Revo o/u. Has anyone tried one?

[alendil]

Mossberg hushpower is full choke

i am considering opening it up a bit.

what choke will you go for or just stick with full.

[hedd-wyn]

I'l be out with my trusty Webley 410 on Saturday.

Not getting huge bags of crows with the 12g this time of year on my permission, so some crafty 410 shooting is the way forward.

Picking the odd bird here and there with the 410 is far more satisfying than double numbers with the 12g in my opinion.

 

Well placed and well judged shots does the trick and does a cracking job on vermin.

Cartridge of choice is the 2 1/2 inch Fourlong 12g No6

 

Hedd

[bicykillgaz]

I am considering buying the cheaper Revo o/u. Has anyone tried one?

 

Be interested to handle one of these too, I really want to ge a little .410 o/u ideally a yildiz multichoke. I'll probably end up getting a revo or khan or similar with fixed chokes then when I've got a bit more cash have them bored out to 1/4-1/4 or 1/4-1/2.

[theshootist]

That would be cool but there really expensive I like the idea of fac 410 for the extra shots !

Iv not got my fac and thought about it recently . Are you on open ticket with fac shotguns from scratch ?

Yes. As its an FAC shotgun for vermin there is no restriction (on the FAC) as to where I shoot it, just as there is no restriction on my SGC as to where I shoot my shotguns. If I were shooting slugs through my .410 then I've no doubt land clearances etc would be considered, but I have no reason to shoot them.

 

Why do you keep come back to the 2.5 carts do they pattern better? I'd try them in my husher but Iv been told to only use fibre wads and I can only get them in 3in

I can't say they pattern better than the eley 3" subsonics (which I think are 18g). I patterned both (unscientifically) on a cardboard box and couldn't tell much difference. I have found the express 2.5" shells to be quieter than the eley subsonics and since they patterned no worse and killed just as well decided to stick to them. I also sometimes have the 3" shells hang up in the mossberg, possibly due to my short stroking (ooh er) the pump. Given that the 9410 only takes 2.5" shells its easier to have a single shell to feed both guns.

 

I have tried loading .410 subsonics and heavy loads and even full brass magtech shells - its fun but I didn't achieve anything I couldn't with a 2.5" 14g no.5 or 6 shell.

 

An FAC .410 is an excellent tool for drey poking. Having 9 shells in a repeating gun means I seldom run dry.

[ChrisAsh]

What on earth do you need nine shots for, Nobody can be that bad even with a 410

[jgguinness]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I have recently acquired two .410's. A Davison SBS choked full and full which have given to my father as a gift, and I have an AYA SBS BLNE .410.

The AYA is a beautiful gun, one of my most treasured, made in 1976 and has retained all of its colour hardening and still nice and tight so hasn't been used much at all. So far I've only tried it out on clays, 30-40 yards-ish with Hull Cartridge 2.5" 11gr shot size 6. It's great fun and had no problem smashing them up. I'm looking forward to trying it out on some game.

ATB
Jonathan

Edited June 4, 2014 by jgguinness

[Underdog]

And so you should...a well fitting 410 is a joy.

[jgguinness]

Here is a pic of my AYA Yeoman alongside my AYA 410. Yeoman on top, 410 underneath.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2014 by jgguinness

[Underdog]

Very nice :-)

[theshootist]

That's a great looking gun. A SBS .410 is rare beast indeed.