Anyone ever use a 410?

[StreetHowitzer]

Santa brought my soon to be six year old a Rossi 410/22 and he wants to go turkey hunting with it this year. Anyone ever use a 410 for turkey hunting? Seems like it would work fine if the bird was within 20 yards. What do you guys think?

[shad309]

My first shotgun was a mossberg bolt action 410 and I killed lots of game with it! I have killed a turkey with it and it will work but you are right, closer is better. Mine had a screw choke system & I used the full choke with #4's.

Pattern it a 20 yards and see how it does.

[allaboutshooting]

A .410 is not legal here in Illinois, so I've never used one for turkey hunting. The work that I just completed with the Taurus Judge Ultra-Lite and .410 self defense loads has however shown me just how potent those shells can be.

The 2.5" Federal shell with #4 copper plated lead is pretty impressive. As a control, I shot some of those shells through a single shot .410 with a 26" barrel, before I shot them through the PD. I was shooting at only 7 yards (21 feet) but my guess is that it might be a potent turkey load at reasonably short distances. If the weather lets up a bit here, I'll try some through that gun at a more "turkey hunting like" distance and let you know.

Thanks,
Clark

[dirtnap]

I got one for my son a couple years ago.  Its a single shot.  I patterned it with 3 inch #6's at 20 yards and it will momic a target at that distance.  He just turned 6 last year during the season and we hunted with it some.  He never did pull the trigger on one.  I feel confident that it will kill one to 20 yards.  I have never toted it turkey hunting myself.

[BigPeck215]

i dinked around with my .410 last spring and i would give the winchester 3" 11/16oz 7's a try, if you limit your shots to under 20 yards it will be an easy kill

[StreetHowitzer]

Thanks for the replies! We are going squirrel hunting this weekend and I will take my pattern paper to see what a 20 yrd shot looks like. Might have to pick up some of that PD ammo to see what it does too. I would expect it to have a little less recoil since it is designed for a handgun.

[jtg88]

My first bird was with a .410 shooting 3" #6 shot.  It was just an old single shot but it would throw a killing pattern to a little over 20 yards.  When I was shooting that gun my dad would always try to set up somewhere really thick that way the turkey couldn't see the squirmy 6 year old and by the time I could see him he was close enough to kill.  Good luck to your son if he's anything like I was as a 6 year old I used to love getting to go turkey hunting with daddy.

[eight bore]

You might enjoy these video's hunting rabbits with a 14 inch contender 410

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDw1A441TI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDw1A441TI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLNW_x6MBqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuGMjtRNREM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFw2Rzv_1Go

and others  http://www.youtube.com/user/madcatter69

[hoyt]

Before I started building traditional flintlock shotguns to hunt spring gobblers I thought about a 410 with handload Hevi shot.

[BigPeck215]

man that was some good shooting with a .410, all one shot one kill

[Reloader]

I fully agree with the others about using the 410 with 7.5s.  The pattern will not hold very far in the 410, so you will get the most range out of smaller shot and still have far greater energy than needed.

I wouldn't hesitate shooting a turkey with lead #8s out to 25yds if you wanted and even better pattern. Lead 7.5s have been used by many hunters for turkeys over the years.

I've guided young hunters and it can be a challenge to get the birds in close without spooking them.  A blind would be a good option for youngsters IMO.

[shootumindaface]

If you are shooting a .410 and don't have access to ' 40 yd bomb loads, you really need to be shooting 7.5s. They have plenty of penetration to kill turkeys further than the pattern will hold up. Fours are the last thing you want to shoot in a .410. Why shoot a pellet that has the energy to kill a turkey at 80 yds that only throws a killing pattern @ 20. The 4s only have 92 total pellets in a 3" load. The 7.5s have 237.

I patterned the 7.5s a few years back in Rem and Estate through a Steves SxS F and F.. Both barrels with both shells put up over 100 at 25 yards..

I took the lil guy out, yacked up a gobbler to 10 yards and got a bad primer... Still cant let that one go

[Reloader]

If you are shooting a .410 and don't have access to ' 40 yd bomb loads, you really need to be shooting 7.5s. They have plenty of penetration to kill turkeys further than the pattern will hold up. Fours are the last thing you want to shoot in a .410. Why shoot a pellet that has the energy to kill a turkey at 80 yds that only throws a killing pattern @ 20. The 4s only have 92 total pellets in a 3" load. The 7.5s have 237.

I patterned the 7.5s a few years back in Rem and Estate through a Steves SxS F and F.. Both barrels with both shells put up over 100 at 25 yards..

I took the lil guy out, yacked up a gobbler to 10 yards and got a bad primer... Still cant let that one go

Dang man, that sucks!  It's amazing how stuff happens when you need it most.

Sort of reminds me of the time I had a great buck at 15yds while hunting with an old sidelock Mler.  It was so easy, it was a given until the dang thing snapped and the buck hauled tail. Took the old gun back to the camp and it fired instantly. It was all I could do not to place it on the bottom of our pond.  Inlines were just getting popular at that time, so I went that week and bought my first inline.

[hobbes]

I've got an old 410 single at the house that I started shooting when I was about 6 or 7.  I killed my first few ducks with it, and several doves.  I've let my kids shoot it some, but never have considered patterning it for turkeys.  I think I've got a box of 3" #6's for it.  Maybe we'll check her out when the weather improves.

Talking about bad luck at the worst moment.  I loaned my 7mm mag to a budy for his elk hunt because he was having gun problems.  He took it to the range and verified that I had it on the money with Remington CorLok factory ammo.  On day one he had a small bull broadside at 50 yards and decided to shoot it.  The primer must have been bad because it didn't fire and the bull was gone.  I was worried about the gun when he told me. He took it back to the range and that round fired but sounded bad and didn't hit anywhere near the target.  The next two rounds from the same box were still dead on.  Out of the 30 rounds I probably handed him, he managed to load up with the one bad round.  The small bull was the only chance he had.

[shad309]

If you are shooting a .410 and don't have access to ' 40 yd bomb loads, you really need to be shooting 7.5s. They have plenty of penetration to kill turkeys further than the pattern will hold up. Fours are the last thing you want to shoot in a .410. Why shoot a pellet that has the energy to kill a turkey at 80 yds that only throws a killing pattern @ 20. The 4s only have 92 total pellets in a 3" load. The 7.5s have 237.

When I used #4's is when that was pretty much it for turkey or at least that was the knowledge of the times (over 20 years ago). Honestly until I started reading forums last year, I never knew any different. I've only used #4's and never not killed the bird I shot at. Just another opinion. If you can see him blink, he's dead with a #4 or #8