.410 bore for an adult

[Scott Tschirhart]

I picked up a .410 double that seems to fit me very well as my eye seems to center on the rib as soon as the butt hits my shoulder.

But I’ve never owned a .410 before and I know that we have a wealth of knowledge and experience here.

I’m looking to use it for dove hunts only.

Any tips about ammo or anything else?

[GunnyMack]

Welcome to the 'REAL WORLD' Scott!
I prefer Winchester 3" 7¹/²s for pheasants, doves I would use 8s or 9s . I shoot 8s for chukar.
Best thing to do is test a few different brands while changing chokes if it's got tubes. If it's a fixed choke gun you may find the open choke lines one load and the tight choke prefers a different load.
By all means shoot it at arial targets, as much as you can so you'll be ready to shoot AT doves come September!
Best part is you'll be able to put 2 boxes of shells in each pocket and shoot all afternoon.Trust me, you are going to love hunting with it!

[Scott Tschirhart]

This is an older Stevens Model 311C

[marlinman93]

My sister in law has owned a Remington 1100 Skeet in .410 for decades. My brother bought it specifically for her to shoot skeet when they were stationed in Germany in the 1970's, and it's the sweetest shooting shotgun I've ever fired. Tried numerous times to talk her out of it, but even though she hasn't shot it in a couple decades she wont let it go.
I think .410 shotguns are about as neat as it gets, especially for doves and quail.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I don’t know what this gun is choked for. I don’t see any markings to indicate what the choke is. I suspect it’s full/full.

Any ideas?

[gamekeeper]

I'm 75 and have been hunting with .410s since I was 13, as Gunny said pattern it with different cartridges to find which work best and don't expect 12 gauge performance. At 25 yds the .410 is deadly and with the right ammo further still. I rarely use a 12 gauge any more even my 16 gauge seems like over kill in some situations .410s are challenging but sure are lots of fun.
If your gun is full and full still check different loads and shot sizes before having one or both opened up. I have had some good results from cylinder to extra full but overall I prefer Modified.

[GunnyMack]

If I'd do anything I'd take it to Briley and have them install choke tubes.
Full and Full is my least favorite combo for 410. It's my theory that such a long shot column and that much constriction blows patterns all to heck. Especially when larger shot is used.
If I remember right an 11/16 charge of #4 is like 86 peices of shot! I don't normally use 4s but a guy has to get hulls!

[Scott Tschirhart]

I think Bailey chokes would be overkill on a handy little gun like this. It might well cost more than I paid for the gun! I have several different brands of ammo to test. I may get lucky with one of them.

[gamekeeper]

If nothing you have patterns well through full and full and you don't want to spend money on it a hacksaw might make it even handier especially for skeet and close up bunnies.

[GunnyMack]

You could just hone the right barrel to open it up some.
No matter what you do you are really going to have fun with it!

I shot a rooster this past winter with my CZ using the Winchester 3" and just about cut it's head off. The CZ is fixed choke i/c and modified. It's rare I need the second barrel. It also seems like when I take the 410 I end up shooting more birds!

20230115_103901.jpg

[Scott Tschirhart]

Gamekerper,
I reckon that a hacksaw would open up the chokes, but I would rather not.

[FLINT]

There are charts that will tell you the choke diameter for each caliber. You can measure your bores and determine what choke you have.

I bought a single shot 16ga stevens several years ago. measured the bore and determined it had a full choke. I took it to a gunsmith with a lathe and for very little money and only about 5 minutes time, he opened up the bore to the diameter I requested. worked out perfectly.

[Bronco]

Well at least you got options!
I have a 1100 410 with tubes and love it!
Range report is now officially requested

[GunnyMack]

My ol High Standard Flite King skeet gun used to be my favorite for jump shooting ducks on a farm pond. 3" #5s were fantastic. Of course that was before the non toxic shot laws.

[gamekeeper]

Rats are perfect quarry for.410s as they are often close to building you don't want to damage, the little two inch shell is ideal but I don't think they're available in the US.

IMG_20200416_164816.jpg

[GunnyMack]

We have 2¹/²" and 3" here John. They work very well on tree rats!

[Rockrat]

I have one of the Baikal O/U 410's. Its choked IC/F. Have shot skeet with it and it does pretty well. Its built on a 12ga frame, IIRC, so its pretty hefty. Stock up on 410 ammo when you can find it, but be prepared, its $$$ nowadays. Been playing with loading some 410 shells using 9.3x74r brass. Need to get to the skeet range and see how they shoot

[gamekeeper]

We have 2¹/²" and 3" here John. They work very well on tree rats!

Will, I have plenty of 3" and 2¹/²" for my favourite quarry (as per avatar) just don't like wasting lead on ordinary rats....

eley-410.jpg

Wish I could still get them in paper cartridges.

[GunnyMack]

And they are paper hulls! Love the smell of freshly fired paper hulls!

[.45colt]

Around 1980 I bought a Stoger .410 SXS. it was full & full . I was totally nuts shooting skeet at the time and had a gunsmith open the chokes to skeet. It worked Great . I still have the Mec .410 reloader but My one Brother in Law talked Me out of the gun which He still has . For a hunting gun I would want skeet & modified.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Seems to pattern a bit to the right. More the first barrel than the second.

It does seem to be choked a little tight but it has a good solid pattern at 25 yards with Fiocci dove load (1/2 oz of no. 8 shot at 1200fps).

[barbarossa]

The 410 has always been a favourite of mine.Here s my TPS m6 scout in 410/410

[765x53]

Pattern! Pattern! Pattern! Short shells often show better patterns than 3 inch shells. If you load your own, petal-less wads will often produce a more open pattern.

[Grizz]

OK! Alright already, I give up. I am now looking for a 410 barrel for my Pardner, currently a 20 ga. Then, finally, I can consume the box of 410 cartridges I've retained since my last 410 episode.

I was looking at the 22-mag-over-410 http://tpsarms.com/ and wondering if it is actually a replacement for various firearms that overlap this one's performance specs. is the 410 too short a barrel? what might the range be? more stuff i know nothing about.

One alternative would be to get a 22 mag and 410 upper for the American-Rifle frames. Another would be to find [ !! ] those barrels for the NEF frame. etc. then I could sell off the other misc. calibers and concentrate on marksmanship.

https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/ ... iew/386583

votes? opinions? information? other?

grizz

[barbarossa]

Where I live the woods are mainly thick so the shots are fairly close so the 410 suits my need in that respect.As for the TPS scout the gun is a bit of a favourite of mine and I m planning on ordering another one in 22lr/410.If you are unfamiliar with the TPS version I would recommend if you can find one in person to see if it fits your body style before you buy one.I m 5,8 and about 170 pounds and the gun fits me perfect.Also I don t have super large hands or fingers which might be another factor on whether the gun fits you or not.Just like most suits one size does not fit all at times.Like I said I like the style of gun and also have an original M6 scout as well as the TPS scout

[Grizz]

Where I live the woods are mainly thick so the shots are fairly close so the 410 suits my need in that respect.As for the TPS scout the gun is a bit of a favourite of mine and I m planning on ordering another one in 22lr/410.If you are unfamiliar with the TPS version I would recommend if you can find one in person to see if it fits your body style before you buy one.I m 5,8 and about 170 pounds and the gun fits me perfect.Also I don t have super large hands or fingers which might be another factor on whether the gun fits you or not.Just like most suits one size does not fit all at times.Like I said I like the style of gun and also have an original M6 scout as well as the TPS scout

thank you. i'm going to do just that. sounds like i can like it.

[AJMD429]

.
One time I was especially proud of my son was when I gave him an older 22LR/410 Savage breakopen and instead of dissing it in favor of the Ruger 10/22 and 12 gauge Mossberg 500 he had access to. That was 15 years ago, and it's still about his favorite gun, although since he hunts bear and elk, he kinda needs a bit more power in a rifle sometimes....

[Bill in Oregon]

Thee's just something about a .410 and a pocket full of those lovely little shells that makes me smile. I have a handful of mixed-brand paper hulls that I like to just look at once in a while.

[Bronco]

Foggy morning, hot sweet tea, butter on sourdough bread, sitting with my dad and his coffee and the smell of shot paper hulls! A memory that will last my life time!

[GunnyMack]

Scott, if you are thinking about loading your own and are going to use a MEC, there is now an adapter that takes up the extra 1/2" so swapping between 2¹/² and 3" is no problem.
I have my old MEC700 that I converted to 410, I use it for 3" only as resetting it for shorties is a real PITA. Thankfully I also have a Grabber for 2¹/².
Ballistic Products has lots of great products for all gauges.

[gamekeeper]

I just picked up a Stevens 94 single shot .410 only cost about $88 bucks and it looks almost new apart from the usual dings from the gun safe. I also bought a box of those little two inch shells, I would have bought more but they only had them in #6 shot.

[GunnyMack]

2" with 6s, that's about 38 pieces of shot

[gamekeeper]

2" with 6s, that's about 38 pieces of shot

Yes I cannot understand why they don't make them in #8 or #9 shot, even the bigger shells are hard to find with anything other than #6 or #5....

[GunnyMack]

I had bought a 10lbs bag of #12s long ago, the patterns out of a 12 ga was insanely dense. I've often wondered how 12s would be out of a 410.
Maybe some #10s for chukar hunting...

[gamekeeper]

Will, I used 12 shot in those CCI .22 shot shells and was not impressed I contacted CCI and asked if they had tried 10 shot but I think because most of their customers use them in rifled barrels they need a few more pellets, over here the Webley garden guns are smooth bored and choked making them a little more useful. #10 shot in the two inch shells would work well on Rats.

[GunnyMack]

Yes, very poor performance from rifled barrels. A smooth bore they are MUCH better, I've been trying to talk a guy out of his Henry garden gun, then I can shoot stink bugs and lantern flies! Maybe even these new chicom spiders we are supposed to be invaded by soon. Although a 4 or 5 " spider I might need to step up to the 410 or even the 28!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Foggy morning, hot sweet tea, butter on sourdough bread, sitting with my dad and his coffee and the smell of shot paper hulls! A memory that will last my life time!

The smell of older shotgun shells immediately takes me back to the days when I hunted with my brother. We shared a single barrel 20 ga and took turns.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Thee's just something about a .410 and a pocket full of those lovely little shells that makes me smile. I have a handful of mixed-brand paper hulls that I like to just look at once in a while.

That’s kind of what I’m thinking.

[Grizz]

Where I live the woods are mainly thick so the shots are fairly close so the 410 suits my need in that respect.As for the TPS scout the gun is a bit of a favourite of mine and I m planning on ordering another one in 22lr/410.If you are unfamiliar with the TPS version I would recommend if you can find one in person to see if it fits your body style before you buy one.I m 5,8 and about 170 pounds and the gun fits me perfect.Also I don t have super large hands or fingers which might be another factor on whether the gun fits you or not.Just like most suits one size does not fit all at times.Like I said I like the style of gun and also have an original M6 scout as well as the TPS scout

thanks again. I looked into the Chiappa M6, https://legacy.chiappafirearms.com/family.php?id=35 , and found some things to like. like no switching the hammer up and down, just two triggers like normal shotguns. and cock on closing like normal shotguns.

one issue, if i didn't misunderstand, they make a 20 and use an insert for the 410, which is also rifled for 45 Colt, which seems like a dogleg work around. anyone familiar with this one?

[barbarossa]

The only problem I see with the Chiappa badger is quality control.Some people have them and like them but others have had more than a few problems with them so I guess it can be luck of the draw sometimes if you get a good one or not

[barbarossa]

Here s a neat one a Baikal 94 mp in 22mag/410

[Grizz]

Here s a neat one a Baikal 94 mp in 22mag/410

thanks for the foto. i'm keeping watch to see what turns up.