Why didn’t you tell me how much fun this is??

[Scott Tschirhart]

Dove hunting with a .410 was such a blast on opening day. I killed more than my share and my shirt pocket was my shell bag. Centered in the pattern and they crumpled and fell.

I’m hooked!

[TedH]

Have to admit, I've never tried dove shooting with a 410, but it sounds like a boat load of fun in a good dove field. I have a hard enough time hitting them with a 12 ga though.

[gamekeeper]

I have been using a .410 for 64 years on Wood Pigeon and Squirrels I always get more satisfaction with it than blasting everything with my 12 gauge. I am waiting delivery of a .410 adapter for my 20 gauge and already have one for my sixteen gauge just to give the game a little more of a sporting chance
Of course there have been times when I thought the darn thing was firing blanks...

[GunnyMack]

I knew you would!
The small guage gun are so much fun and like you said, don't need a lot of storage for ammo.

[marlinman93]

As fast as doves are I find a .410 works even better since they swing so much faster. The .410 is the perfect dove shotgun.

[TraderVic]

I have and use a single shot 410 (Savage Model 220) that was my grandfather's.
It's an absolute pleasure to carry and shoot !
On the other hand, 410 shotshells have always been disproportionately spendy......and continue to be. Was in a local Scheels last week and a box of 3" field loads (25 ct) was $23

[Bill in Oregon]

I believe President Eisenhower preferred the .410 for bobwhites.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Yes, .410 shells are spendy but I don’t really get to hunt doves that much each year. So it isn’t a major investment.

[GunnyMack]

For 30 some years I have reloaded my 410s. Sadly the new hulls are garbage! I have started to use overshot cards just to get useable shells. Both Remington and Winchester hulls need a little extra TLC. I never had much luck with Federal 410 hulls.
That being said I'd still look for a used 410 machine and load my own. But there is different presses for 2¹/²" and 3". I have a press for each.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Thanks for the advice.

[.45colt]

Good for You Scott! The .410 is a lot of Fun. That's Great Shooting. For those of us that are NRA members and get the American Rifleman magazine the September issue has an article about a Westley Richards "Federal Model .410" . 27" barrels. The gun was made in 1923 shipped to South Africa where it spent most of it's life and found it's way to the U.S. after a lifetime needing some repair that was handled by Griffin & Howe . The author is now using it for Quail and doves with Good success. This would be of special interest to Gamekeeper and Nath who might be able to add to the story of that Gun.

[Bronco]

I believe the MEC has a single stage press that if ordered for 410 3" shell, they sell a spacer that fits into it to load 2 1/2" shells.

[LeverGunner]

I've never hunted with a 410. I've shot a few clays with them though, and I do like them quite a bit. I have owned at least 1 that I remember, an old H&R single barrel. I bet they are a blast to hunt with.

[GunnyMack]

You are correct Bronco!
I converted a Mec single stage to 410 long before they had the spacer. A few years ago I picked up a Mechanic Grabber for 2¹/²" and my single stage is 3" only. I hunt with 3" mostly.

[marlinman93]

I only used Winchester AA Trap hulls for all my shotguns, simply because I got more reloads from those hulls than any other brand. We had a local gun shop that specialized in shotguns, and shotgun reloading, and they had barrels full of AA Trap hulls in various sizes. I never did buy any new .410 ammo, I just bought their AA hulls and loaded them. Been a long time ago, but I think hulls were .3 cents each back then, and I still have several hundred stored here.

[Griff]

I've never shot any sort of .410. I'm with Ted!

...I have a hard enough time hitting them with a 12 ga though.

Since I moved to TX, I haven't hunted them... and I usually have a flock or two around my pond near the opener! Never got the hang of cookin' 'em.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Looking forward to trying out whitewings this weekend.

[marlinman93]

I've never shot any sort of .410. I'm with Ted!

...I have a hard enough time hitting them with a 12 ga though.

Since I moved to TX, I haven't hunted them... and I usually have a flock or two around my pond near the opener! Never got the hang of cookin' 'em.

Really nothing to cooking them as it's basically just remove the breast and that's it. A little seasoning on the breasts and quick fry in a pan on each side and done. They cook really fast, so no need to cook them very long on each side.