A .410 is a kids gun
Great little shotgun to start a youths into the sport alongside a .22LR.
Why an adult would want to fool with one I just don't much know
While .410 makes for a good introduction for kids to shoot shotgun at
static targets, for flying targets, it is an expert's gun.
The recent trend in taking turkeys with the .410 is one example of the versatility of it.
My older son 'plinked' with my H&R .410 at clays sitting on a woodpile when he was 8 or so, and when he saw a woodchuck out in the yard, he came and asked me if he could use the .410 on it. I said "Sure." He hit that thing in the head at 20 yards, and his first "kill" was a DRT. He later carried that .410 with him while checking his traps out at the farm, and just bumping around the woods. I ended up giving it to him later on.
When I worked at a well-known St. Paul gun shop, the Beretta rep invited us down to Horse & Hunt, where he had racks of Beretta shotguns, pallets of shells, food and beverage aplenty, and the Sporting rounds paid for. All he asked in return is that we filled out an evaluation of every gun we shot. I filled out many evaluations that day. I shot every gauge there, 12, 20, 16, 28, and .410 bore. I shot several 12's and 20's, and shot decent scores with them, but I noticed the clays were a little harder to hit with the 28, and more so with the .410. But the guns were a joy to carry around. Since then I've had the chance to shoot a round of Trap with a Model 42, and while I didn't run 'em, I shot a respectable score, and enjoyed doing it.
I don't shoot Skeet, but of course, for those that compete in it, .410 is part of the course. It's isn't included because it's easy.
It's sort of like the reason some pistol hunt for deer, or fly fish for trout. Anybody can shoot a deer with a .30-30 or .30-06, (and there's nothing wrong with it, I have also done so) or catch trout with a spinning rod from the banks, (again, BTDT) but there's just someting about doing it the harder way that is satisifying in itself.
