To buy a .410 or not to buy a .410

Hunter7 said:
I can see a legitimate use for the smaller guns, 410 and 28g in sub gauge competitions but for hunting purposes I personally am not a fan. I own both 410 and 28g guns as well as 20, 12 and 10 gauge. IMO for hunting you are handicapping yourself with a 410 or a 28g. Just my experience and opinion, I know they have a loyal following but I am not impressed. Yes they kill at very short ranges but so will a slingshot. My nickname for a 410 is a “cripple stick” and find the 28g to be a glorified 410. I am referring to upland game hunting not waterfowl. They do not pattern as well or kill as well as a 20g in my experience and if the only reason to buy one is to save weight for carrying purposes there are light weight 20g guns that are available. When I was young my first shotgun was a borrowed Cooey single shot 12g. Kicked like a mule but killed like a bazooka🤣 For me the 20g is the sweet spot for upland hunting but again just my opinion and experience, use whatever you like that works for you.
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For squirrels and rabbits in overgrown wood lots .410 is great my old bolt action mossberg patterns good enough. Would I use it for wing shooting not really then again I don’t do much of that.
 
Hunter7 said:
I beg to differ on that, I thought that as well until I tried it. I bought 1oz loads for the 28g and my 20g still performs better with 7/8 oz loads than the 28 does with 1 oz.
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That’s odd I find that if the shot column is closer to the same length as it is bore diameter patterns rent to be better. Longer columns tent to have a huge shot string.
 
antiqueguy said:
That’s odd I find that if the shot column is closer to the same length as it is bore diameter patterns rent to be better. Longer columns tent to have a huge shot string.
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Shot column's that are closer in length to the diameter typically do give the best patterns, they're called a square load.

"I bought 1oz loads for the 28g and my 20g still performs better with 7/8 oz loads than the 28 does with 1 oz."

That wouldn't surprise me to see that on the pattern board, the 20 g load is much closer to square than the 28 g load.
 
A nice older broken in but still tight bolt action .410 would be my nirvana for small game. Saw oner on the CSSA marketplace a while back but the postal strike was stopping me for going for it but then it was not listed anymore.

The .410 to me is the universal great caliber/guage gun.
 
Falconflyer said:
Shot column's that are closer in length to the diameter typically do give the best patterns, they're called a square load.

"I bought 1oz loads for the 28g and my 20g still performs better with 7/8 oz loads than the 28 does with 1 oz."

That wouldn't surprise me to see that on the pattern board, the 20 g load is much closer to square than the 28 g load.
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The 28 gauge patterns very nicely with 3/4oz loads, not nearly as good with 1 oz loads. The 3" loads for the 410, typically pattern very poorly.
 
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