.410?

I think buying a small youth a .410 to learn to shoot with at tin cans, clays, etc. might not be all bad. Get them use to a little recoil and gun handling and then work up to a 20 ga. with some light loads. But don't send the kid after pheasants with a .410.
 
COWAN said:
No harm meant, my opinoin is start a kid out with a 20ga.. They will accomplish so much more.
Click to expand...

That's what my dad started me on. H&R single 20. Kicked like a mule though:eek:
 
Dakotazeb said:
I think buying a small youth a .410 to learn to shoot with at tin cans, clays, etc. might not be all bad. Get them use to a little recoil and gun handling and then work up to a 20 ga. with some light loads. But don't send the kid after pheasants with a .410.
Click to expand...

Another good point Dakota. I'd like to add the point----A .410 on pen raised birds may work out okay for youth starting out (emphasis on "okay"). On wild birds they're probably going to loose their "first bird". It may produce more frustration than high-fives and congratulations.
 
Dad borrowed a bolt-action .410 for my first pheasant hunt. On the first rise, he told me (many times) how proud he was (to a point, lol) . . . rooster flushed, I flipped-off the safety, mounted the gun, swung on the bird, and then watched it fly plumb out of sight without firing a shot. "Buck/Pheasant" fever, anyone, lol? The next bird folded dead. I still eradicate starlings on the wing with a Contender pistol chambered for 3" .410; great packrat medicine, too.
 
Use 3" shells w/no. 4 lead shot through either a modified or full choke and I think it would be fine for pheasants.
 
That's what my dad started me on. H&R single 20. Kicked like a mule though
Click to expand...

Same here, started on a Iver Johnson single 20. Kicked massively, then moved to a 12 ga not long after.
 
.410's are fine for skeet and clays, where even a slight hit counts. For birds, not so much.
 
CRP said:
.410's are fine for skeet and clays, where even a slight hit counts. For birds, not so much.
Click to expand...

+1 It was apparently originally developed as a round that would fit into the walking canes that were popular in the late 1800s that were actually single shot guns. Those walking canes also were used with a sharpened ferrule on the end like a sword so now you had a gun in a knife fight. A good place to be.:)
 
I bought a "Made in France" .410 this summer at an auction for $75. Kinda beat up and looks like someone tried to fix it up a bit but, it is a single shot and it shut real tight and ejected well so I thought what the hell. Cant buy bb guns for that much. I shoot a lot of ducks and geese. So for the fun of it I took it to shoot ducks in a field hunt. I had no problem killing big greenies. Dropping them like a stone at the 20-30 yd mark. Was fun.
 
.410

Nice post bigv. Like I said before, a .410 can be deadly in the right hands. Ducks would be fun if I could shoot steel thru my o/u.
 
Last edited:
bigv, I wasn't aware that you could buy steel shot for a .410 but I see Federal has a 3" load with 3/8 oz of #6 or#7 shot.

BTW, where are you located in NE SD?
 
Actually..a friend gave me a box. I hate to say but I cant remember for sure off hand but I believe they are winchester experts 3/8 oz. Haven't shot it since. I live in Webster.
 
And...actually I kinda don't think you're suppose to shove steel down this one either. Not sure though. I really don't know much about the gun yet but I did it anyway. All went well and didn't hurt it. Only shot about 7-8 times. Wonder if I pushed several through.. the barrel would have suffered? I now use it for a truck gun with lead shot. Was able to kill two pheasants road hunting.
 
PrairieStormAddict said:
The reason I even brought it up as one is because it's not unheard of for youngsters to start out on one here in SD.
Click to expand...

I started hunting everything from pheasants to geese with a .410 when I was a kid. It taught me how to be a patient shooter. I haven't hunted with a .410 for pheasants in a while but if you are shooting pointed birds a .410 could get you just as many limits as using a 12 gauge for birds over 40 yards.
 
Frangler said:
I started hunting everything from pheasants to geese with a .410 when I was a kid. It taught me how to be a patient shooter. I haven't hunted with a .410 for pheasants in a while but if you are shooting pointed birds a .410 could get you just as many limits as using a 12 gauge for birds over 40 yards.
Click to expand...

I like your thinking
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top