.410 chokes - do they make a difference?

[Shadowchaser]

I currently shoot rats with a .410 pump fixed at full choke. Sometimes I wonder if a .410 with a more open choke would be better suited to shooting at close quarters as I tend to find myself shooting at them not 20 feet away. Would a cylinder choke make much difference with a .410?  

[The Burpster]

If you have alternate chokes try them against a pattern plate around 10 yards and you will see what the difference is. If you don’t have alternate chokes then if you are doing the job then no real need to change. If you are missing or can kill more than one at a time use a more open choke. 

Sadly most of my expience is with 20 and 28g so cannot give you a definitive answer but based on 28g then yes it will make a difference. 

[Ultrastu]

I have a yildiz .410 .

Which has a fixed 1/2 choke .

I find the pattern size at 20 yds is the same as my 20 b also with a 1/2 choke

And i can drop pige and crows with it flying out to 30 yds max. 

 

 

[Stonepark]

At 10 yards the difference between cyl and full is 20 inch diameter and 9 inch diameter respectively.

Measure your choke using a digital caliper and see what it really is diameter wise, most 410's are over choked and therefore 'blow' their patterns.

I would suggest reducing the choke to a 0.397 bore diameter even if this is a pure ratting gun (and you don't care about beyond 20 yards) but will still be useful for other quarry.

[Bluebarrels]

Pick one choke and stick with it! Throw the rest in a draw and forget about them?

[Scully]

52 minutes ago, Bluebarrels said:

Pick one choke and stick with it! Throw the rest in a draw and forget about them?

Good advice. 

[Shadowchaser]

2 hours ago, The Burpster said:

If you have alternate chokes try them against a pattern plate around 10 yards and you will see what the difference is. If you don’t have alternate chokes then if you are doing the job then no real need to change. If you are missing or can kill more than one at a time use a more open choke. 

Sadly most of my expience is with 20 and 28g so cannot give you a definitive answer but based on 28g then yes it will make a difference. 

That was another of my thoughts, would a 28g be a viable alternative? The shooting is close up and I am hitting far more than I miss (maybe I'm just seeing this as an excuse to get a fresh gun). 

What are 28g's like for noise? I can shoot my .410 without needing hearing protection and without worrying too much about damage to any buildings and what not. Would a 28g be too shall I say disruptive and destructive? 

[Seadog1408]

Current set up works......... Keep it.

 

current set up doesn't work......... Change it.

[The Burpster]

28g is more like 20g than .410. It’s like a scaled down 12g if tha makes sense. .410 shot is as you say quiet and much fewer pellets than 28g so I feel you would get one shot that would kill but scare them all off......

[Ultrastu]

To my mind ..410 is best moderated if in the hunting field .

As a mod is effective and also helps add some weight to an otherwise very light barrel .

Wish there was a moderated 28b. 

[figgy]

At 20 foot a 9mm garden gun would work well in buildings.

Try and borrow a .410 with open choke and see how you get on with it. reloading your own carts with fine shot would give better patterns.

Edited August 29, 2018 by figgy

[Farmboy91]

18 minutes ago, figgy said:

At 20 foot a 9mm garden gun would work well in buildings.

Try and borrow a .410 with open choke and see how you get on with it. reloading your own carts with fine shot would give better patterns.

+1 for the garden gun. 

Paid £90 for my W&S and its near on immaculate, used it plenty including indoors on ferals and wouldn't be without it, ideal tool for where a 2". 410 might do any sort of damage.