Remington .410 buckshot - any reviews?

[Longwalker]

I have a lady friend who is very independent and adventurous. She recently purchased a Boito backpacker, single shot, short barrel .410 to use for shooting grouse and as an emergency arm on her solo trips to the bush.

I don't think it's the best choice of a self defence firearm, but it IS very compact and I realize that the gun you have with you is better than no gun at all. It's Her choice, not mine.

Yesterday I was in my local gun shop and noticed they had the new Remington 4 pellet 00 buckshot .410 loads. So I bought a box for her. My question - Has anyone done any real world testing of this ammo? If she is going to carry her puny .410 for a "protection and foraging" gun I'd like to know she is is carrying the best available self defence ammo.

I have tested slug loads in short barrel .410's with no sights and lack of accuracy is a major problem. I figure birdshot is appropriate for game birds and food foraging, but think 4 - .38 cal balls at 1300 fps is far better than one .41 caliber hollow slug at 1600 fps if something bad was needing discouraging, or something bigger than a bunny needed killing for food.

I do not think her .410 is a "bear gun". But it might be a food getter, and a comfort in the presence of cougars, vicious dogs, or very bad people, and better than nothing in the presence of a bear. Your thoughts?

 

[Brutus]

She could be in for a surprize when she shoots it. Others co-workers tell me these 410 backpackers are very loud to shoot without hearing protection.
Worse than 'normal' length hunting shotguns.

I once made up some of my own 410 "00" buckshot handloads from store bought birdshot and sealed them with candlewax. I shot them out of a bronco 410 combo gun with cylinder choke. At 25 yards had a group of three buckshot pellets about 3 inches apart. Shooting friends did not believe me until I showed them the actual target. A learned shotgun enthusiast whose father was a avid trapshooter said the cylinder choke gave me these pretty good results. His opinion full choke would not have patterned them so well, which is a very common choke in 410s.

As with any shotgun using shotloads, choke and effective patterning mean everything. She needs to test this out for herself IMO.

 

[rodngun]

1) Its stupid loud.
2) It's only chance to stop a [bear] charge is 99% solely based on the affects of (1)
3) IMO a slug is always far better than buck shot.
4) Its target/field loads are very capable of grouse. Buck should would work well too.
5) All in all its a great forage gun, can be capable of self defense or suicide.

Would I ever buy one? No, not even for my kid..its the ignorant cricket in my books. The caliber is fun, but expensive. If I were worried about bear country and I wasnt brining something bigger, I would carry that+bear spray