.410 opinions?

[Ultrastu]

So ive been increasingly considering trying .410 again for decoying pige .

Ive had a .410 years ago .but i wasnt really into decoying then .so dont think i fully understood the cal .

So who uses .410 for pige .and how do they get on wih it .

And where do you think its limitations lie ? And the best carts for the above .?

Thanks for any advice

 

Stu

[vampire]

I just use the .410 for lamping rabbits,tried it on the pigeon with not a lot of success and prefer 12g.

[deny essex]

12 gauge, or if you want a lighter gun a 20 gauge, the 410 a little short on effective range for decoying pigeon in my opinion.

[Walker570]

I shoot 410 almost exclusively these days for all game other than geese. I have both a Mossy pumper(moderated barrel) and a Yilditz O/U with 30 inch barrels. I personally think your only limitation is range. I have cleanly killed driven partridge at 40yrds and a cock pheasant at 55 of my paces(6ft 1inch tall). I don't do a lot of pigeon decoying these days but when I have, I have limited my shots to 40yrds or less ... that's what decoying is, isn't it? Getting them as close as you can. Put the bird in the pattern and it will die if you use the right cartridge. My choice still is the Fiocchi and for game birds I shoot Italian 8s (approx. UK 7 1/4s). I have not shot pigeons with these yet, but the patterns my shotgun throws are very good with them, 30 inches at 35yrds, with adequate penetration. I have used the Fiocchi 7s at pigeons, both decoyed and flighting and they worked very well. I have also shot RCs which also killed well.

The only poor performance I have experienced with any cartridge was the Lylevale fibre. I was hitting birds but not folding them. Witnessed by my wife and a picker up on the shoot. They are now used for close range squirrels ... in the traps.

My advice is to buy a box of each and shoot some patterns at 35yrds with the gun you have and if you have separate chokes then try different chokes, I shoot full and full, but that doesn't mean your gun will give the same results, also get some newspapers and fold it up into a pad about and inch thick and 12 inches square and soak it overnight in water. Fire a shot at this again at 35yrds and check penetration. It needs to go through to be good.

Shooting a 410 is a challenge without doubt, but the little gun is more than capable if you do your bit and great fun to shoot.

 

Hope this rather long winded reply is helpful.

[Ultrastu]

Thanks vwey much all .

Walker thats very helpfull .

More opinions very welcome pls

[aga man]

I actually really enjoy decoying a few pigeons with the 410. I would do more of it but the shells are not cheap here and i am a tight Yorkshire man.

 

Try patterning a few different shells would be my advice. I prefer no7 or 8 19gm through full choke but have often used Eley 3" no 6. Suprisingly effective out to 35 yds maybe a bit more.

[mossy835]

i use a 12 gauge for rabbits, but with 410 gauge mates in it works well. saves buying a 410 gun.

[seeker]

 

I shoot 410 almost exclusively these days for all game other than geese. "

 

Having seen a good shot using a 410 on game I can only admire their expertise and appreciate a demonstration of 'less can be so much more'.

 

I have had a 28 bore for 15 years and now use it for all my shooting, I enjoy it.

I tried a 410, and failed the test, so for me it was challenging but a step to far.

The smaller gauges seem to demand far more attention to shot selection and awareness of their limitations? But there is the bonus of less noise, recoil and weight. And a high satisfaction factor from mastery in the face of a doubting audience.

 

If it works for you then why not?

Edited June 30, 2017 by seeker

[Stonepark]

Shot last 4 game seasons with 410 and other than limiting shots to under 40 yards, it is great fun.

 

As others have said stick to small shot such as uk 7 or 7.5 or euro size8.

 

Check pattern of gun as i found anything tighter than 0.395 tended to spray shot rather than give an even pattern.

 

If you back search my posts or for 410 you will see the patterns i have posted.

 

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Dasher]

Stonepark knows what he's talking about.

 

The .410 seems to be the calibre that has more choke implications than any other gauge, to me choke choice for the .410 is more about forming consistent even patterns rather than choosing pellet concentrations for differing distances. If I were to buy another I would almost certainly buy a multi choked gun simply to find the correct choke for that particular gun. Don't go by manufactures references on a fixed choked gun as many seem to be very overly choked, best to get them measured and if possible pattern tested.

 

Cartridge wise I use Eley Trap #7.5 and Fiocchi #7.5 (UK #7) out to max 35yrds

[button]

Shot last 4 game seasons with 410 and other than limiting shots to under 40 yards, it is great fun.

As others have said stick to small shot such as uk 7 or 7.5 or euro size8.

Check pattern of gun as i found anything tighter than 0.395 tended to spray shot rather than give an even pattern.

If you back search my posts or for 410 you will see the patterns i have posted.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

What gun/cartridge combo do you use if you dont mind me asking?

[Stonepark]

For game shooting, i have a multichoke Khan K226 (often rebranded as Revo).

 

Cartridges are eley no7 3 inch 18g if bought but have also been reloading my own in 21g 7.5.

[Walker570]

Today I met and collected the goods to reload some fibre wad shells for my 410 for the approaching season on one shoot on which I am a member. It will be interesting trying them out on some pigeons in the near future on some rape stubble ..... that's if the pigeons agree to attend ... I'm hoping that the 18/19gr loads advised by 'The Man' at Folkestone will work better than the Lylevale factory , we will see.

 

With regard to range, honestly now, do we all have the ability to gauge how far a bird is in open air. I look at the tops of the poplar trees in my wood , which I know average 75ft because the felled ones we have measured... that's 25yrds, now add another 5yrds to that, so birds would be skimming the tops , I believe you would say they where good birds. That's 30yrds ... now add another 10yrds higher. I do believe many of us and include myself over estimate just how CLOSE birds actually are. Looking at 40yrds on level ground makes you think, but imagine that up above in open sky .....Hmmmmmmm ??

 

Without doing some pattern and penetration tests you will never know what the cartridge/gun/choke combination you are using is actually doing and a 410, 28, 20, 16, 12 all throw 30 inch circles at 35yrds. The difference being the pellet concentration/numbers.

 

 

Stonepark ... do you think your getting sufficient velocity with those 21gr and how many more pellets does that put in the 30 inch circle?

Edited June 30, 2017 by Walker570

[Stonepark]

They are definately supersonic (crack is clearly audible through hushpower), and they put around 169 pellets in a 30 inch circle at 35 yards.

 

Edited July 1, 2017 by Stonepark

[Whitebridges]

OP check this out https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/358797-pigeons-on-laid-barley/

for the 4:10 on pigeons.

Do try a 28 bore.