New Henry lever arms axe .410
- Thread starter nathank
- Start date
I see people commenting on this a lot. 2.5" vs 3".
I'd like to to see real world data (video) on the difference between 2.5 and 3. Where would 3" be "better" than a 2.5?
Slugs out of a 410?, maybe. but for birdshot, shooting at a partridge, skunk, squirrels, pests, 2.5 vs 3 isn't going to make a difference.
Migratory Birds? ehh, most use a 12g.
2.5" 410 ammunition is getting harder to find, is that the reason people prefer 3"? If manufacturers are producing a 2.5" 410 product you'd think the ammunitions would/could be readily available.
carry on.......
EDIT:
And for the record I have two 410's, a 3" Single NEF and and 2.5" SxS CIL. I shoot them LOTS and don't notice any difference.
I have enough 3” for a lot of shooting, so that is my preference. I rarely see 2.5 available and only have one local ammunition dealer. If it the Henry took 3” I would have bought the full size just to help chew through my supply
What do you need a video for. You are hunting with them
A 2 1/2 410 say in 7 1/2 will have approx 175 pellets the same in 3" will have approx 241 what else do you need
We always did our skeet shooting with 2 1/2 and 3" for all our hunting
As far as patterns go the 2 1/2 may be a bit faster but doesn't produce a better pattern in most guns
Just my 2 cents
Cheers
hannibal.black98
CGN frequent flyer
Nice!!!
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I'll take 30% more pellets any day, especially when stretching the range of the 410 on sporting clays!
Looks like the specs are out. Screw in chokes! Nice.
https://www.henryusa.com/firearms/lever-action-axe-410/
Attachments
The 410 in 3" will have a long shot string. You also may want to head off to the pattern board with 2.5 and 3 " in a few shot sizes. And try various yardages. You may be surprised in what you discover and learn. It is not as simple as 30% more pellets, may garner a 30% better chance of hitting a target.
I used a 410 for years on a skeet field, and we always had one at the moose camp for birds so I have a wee bit experience with one.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You may not be the only one with a wee bit of 410 experience mrgoat, and some us have not limited ourselves to the skeet range with it's close targets.
I do hear what your saying about patterns and all the rest though and I mean no disrespect but using the 410 on a skeet range has little in common with the long shots that are present on some modern sporting courses and in my experience more pellets is more better at long range regardless of the stringing. If 30 percent more shot gains one target per one hundred in a shoot off then it's worth it!
I do hear what your saying about patterns and all the rest though and I mean no disrespect but using the 410 on a skeet range has little in common with the long shots that are present on some modern sporting courses and in my experience more pellets is more better at long range regardless of the stringing. If 30 percent more shot gains one target per one hundred in a shoot off then it's worth it!
No disrespect to yourself either, just letting you know I wasn't making comments without some experience behind it. I haven't set foot on a sporting clays course in many years. A few of us traveled weekly into the USA to shoot clays before there were any courses in Ontario. Orillia was my home club in those days and was one of the first to put a course in after Uxbridge. The game has obviously evolved and continues to from what I hear. In those days sub gauges were totally unheard of and seen on a sporting clays course especially a .410.
I gather part of the evolution of the game is allowing 3" ammo, do they allow 3" in 20 and 12ga as well. ? What would a long shot on a sporting field be now a days. ?? Are there specific small gauge events or are you shooting against fellas with 28-20- and 12ga, ..? Just curious
My reason for suggesting the pattern board and different ranges is to show that the "Effective", pattern of a .410 is approx. 30 yds max. and as gauge increases so does 'Effective" range, with a 12 ga 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 sitting at about 45 yds. The 410 3" actually has a higher breech pressure than a comparable 12 ga. and as such with standard soft lead shot will deform its pellets more as they start their journey down the barrel. Deformed pellets scatter quicker into the outer fringes of the pattern. So you can actually get a comparable to larger size pattern as a 12 ga. at closer ranges. But at longer ranges that long shot string of a 410 really gets dragged out and full of holes big enough for a clay to easily escape. The "Effective" pattern of a 410 lies in the centre of its pattern at closer ranges, as its fringe pattern can be spotty. With the use of 3" 410 the closer range pattern fringes will be, should be denser due to increased shot numbers but at longer ranges with deformation and that long shot string the "Effective" pattern performance drops sharply compared to larger gauges.
Choke obviously has a huge bearing on the pattern thrown, but so does shot hardness, forcing cone length (shot deformation). The 410 will perform better pattern wise with harder shot. You should, as you suggest, get better results with the higher percentage of pellets in the 3" load. However there are a lot of variables that go along with that.
Well I should stop here and wish you all the best in grinding clay targets with a .410. There is an old saying than any hit is a good hit with a 410.
I gather part of the evolution of the game is allowing 3" ammo, do they allow 3" in 20 and 12ga as well. ? What would a long shot on a sporting field be now a days. ?? Are there specific small gauge events or are you shooting against fellas with 28-20- and 12ga, ..? Just curious
My reason for suggesting the pattern board and different ranges is to show that the "Effective", pattern of a .410 is approx. 30 yds max. and as gauge increases so does 'Effective" range, with a 12 ga 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 sitting at about 45 yds. The 410 3" actually has a higher breech pressure than a comparable 12 ga. and as such with standard soft lead shot will deform its pellets more as they start their journey down the barrel. Deformed pellets scatter quicker into the outer fringes of the pattern. So you can actually get a comparable to larger size pattern as a 12 ga. at closer ranges. But at longer ranges that long shot string of a 410 really gets dragged out and full of holes big enough for a clay to easily escape. The "Effective" pattern of a 410 lies in the centre of its pattern at closer ranges, as its fringe pattern can be spotty. With the use of 3" 410 the closer range pattern fringes will be, should be denser due to increased shot numbers but at longer ranges with deformation and that long shot string the "Effective" pattern performance drops sharply compared to larger gauges.
Choke obviously has a huge bearing on the pattern thrown, but so does shot hardness, forcing cone length (shot deformation). The 410 will perform better pattern wise with harder shot. You should, as you suggest, get better results with the higher percentage of pellets in the 3" load. However there are a lot of variables that go along with that.
Well I should stop here and wish you all the best in grinding clay targets with a .410. There is an old saying than any hit is a good hit with a 410.
