410 slugs

[zahc]

What are the best .410 slugs?

 

[Badger Arms]

For what?

 

[zahc]

A .410


Deer.

 

[Badger Arms]

I'd generally shy away from the .410 for deer if you can. While it will certainly do the trick, it's somewhat on the low end of the power scale. If, however, you are on a limited budget, want a small-statured person to shoot it, or for some reason just WANT to, pretty much any of the slugs on the market will do. If you have a 3" chanber, Bismuth and Brenneke both make slugs. Remington and Winchester also stock less-powerful 2 1/2" slugs. I'd go with the Brenneke, but I don't have any personal experience with any .410 slug. They are about in the same class as a 357 magnum from a lever action IIRC. For deer, you might be better-off selcting a 3-pellet buckshot load. Depends on the size of the deer too. Understand that 1/4oz is only 110 grians. A 1/5oz is only 88 grains or so. We're looking at under 800 foot pounds of energy here. Still enough, of course, but I would prefer a clean kill on animals.

 

[zahc]

Yeah it's for kids, though. I mounted a red dot on a NEF youth .410. I just got a 2 inch group at 30 yards w/ the brenneke 3 inch slugs.

The shotgun does not eject them! I had to push them out with a rod, not something you wanna do in the field.

 

[zahc]

Oh yeah. Buckshot is illegal in OH.

 

[kudu]

Badger says a .410 has about the same energy as a .357, but its even less, about a little better than a .380 ACP round. Last year was the first year Indiana let hunters shoot deer with a .410 and some people did but more lost a wounded deer as it ran into the next county to die.
On another note I have gotten very good accuracy out of Remington 2.5 in slugs at 75 yds. with a vent rib barrel, 4 shots in 8"s.

 

[tiberius]

Don't know about the 3 inchers, but winchester specs theirs as 1/5oz at 1830 fps. That translates to 87.5 gr. So its really like a .380 at double speed and is probably closer to a .357 from a 6" revolver than from a carbine.

I have seen data for them from a derringer where they trickled out the barrel at about 900fps, but from a long gun they don't sound too puny.

 

[Badger Arms]

I was thinking carbine, but the analogy is the same. Bottom line is that if you're using the 2 1/2" loads, shot placement is going to be critical. We're not talking 30/30 here.

 

[Darrin]

Oh yeah. Buckshot is illegal in OH.

No sh.....kidding? Buckshot is illegal? That's crazy talk!

I guess "fun" SG ammo is illegal also, huh? (Dragon's Breath, Tracers, flares, etc...)

I'm liking TN more and more as I hear about crazy laws such as this in other states.

 

[Badger Arms]

LOL, I think he meant for hunting. I can imagine using dragons breath to hunt would be VERY sporting. Just blind the deer and spook him so he'll run into a tree. Funny stuff.

 

[zahc]

For deer hunting, silly.

 

[Darrin]

Ah, I see. So you can purchase it for target shooting and social events.

 

[Detachment Charlie]

ZAHC,
Been a while since I hunted deer in Ohio, but as I recall, the rules are 12 ga. minimum and only slugs during regular "gun season."

 

[zahc]

The rules have changed then.

 

[Oleg Volk]

I have yet to find .410 buck that would pattern well -- pelelts tend to deform against each other on firing. 3" with slug would work but, based on informal testing, it would lose velocity fast and not penetrate all that well past about 50 yards. It is pretty wide for its light weight. I used to be a real fan of .410 but its use on deer-sized game ought to be limited to very short ranges. Brenneke designs seem like the best bet, as lack of penetration is the main concern. No direct experience, only tests on various objects.

That said, .45cal muzzle-loaders account for a few deer (granted, with heavier slugs) every year, so .410 wouldn't be out of question.

 

[zahc]

I'm definately planning on passing up shots over 50 yards with this thing. Probably less.