doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com hunting with. 410

I've found that cottontail rabbits are easy to kill compared to most flying things; usually one pellet in a vital area does the job. Snowshoes and jacks are a different matter.

I always use #4s in a .410 when hunting ONLY cottontails. The big pellets kill them dead and leave an easy-to-follow trail in the meat for easy extraction, and there are far fewer to extract. Just in case you don't know, a #4 between your mollars is a sure bet for a crack, a crown, and several trips to the dentist with attendant bills. Find 'em all!

And #4s have a very different POI in a .410 than smaller shot. You need to figure that out BEFORE bunny hunting.

Not a good enough wingshot to use a .410 on wild birds of any kind. I save it for bunnies, snakes, and, with 000 buckshot, "things that go bump in the night." But I ALWAYS have a couple of .410s in the stable!

Only thing I have noticed with rabbits is you can be way in front and still get the rabbit ....zero behind it

Hunting with a 410 is a hoot... and a real challenge. But when you bring a bird down with a 410, you can't help but smile.

I've used Savage 410 inserts in various 12 ga doubles over the years for Quail. It's been my experience that this works well as long as the shots are kept to reasonable ranges. IMO: This means 30 yds. or less. with 3" shells and No. 7 1/2 shot
Jim

I don't know about the effectiveness of the .410 on birds much larger but under the right conditions it is adequate for birds as fragile as snipe.

Thing with your small bores is there are very few really nice ones.

Have shot 410 on bolting rabbits from my buddys Belgium poachers double folder and it certainly kills them well enough.

*starts shopping*

The 410 is a lot of fun. In November a friend of mine and I used 410's on a quail hunt in Kentucky. His is an RBL and mine is a 21 20 with 410 barrels. It was great fun. My truck gun is a Stevens 311 410 which I bought for a friend. Before He got it I took it dove shooting and when I shot my 25th shell I had my limited of 15. I've never done that many times with my 20.The shells were 1/2 oz. of 8's. My friend never got the gun and since then I've had a single trigger installed and the stock reshaped with the grip under cut and a grip cap installed and the stock stained. It is called the cute gun by my friends. I have shot groundhogs, muskrats, Geese, skunks, pheasants and doves with it. It has a real set of barrels. Its nice to have when I go around the farms in the mornings. Its also my rain gun.

AWC

Love hunting with one of my .410's.

Here is a grouse I took with a .410

I have even killed spring turkeys with a .410. Hunting with a .410 sure puts a big smile on your face when you put something in your game bag.

A waterhole, some mojo decoys and a 30" barrel .410 makes for a fun afternoon. I agree with Skeettx, and am still waiting on an opening day invitation so I may observe the true masters of the .410 at work.

I have shot a few rabbits with my Win 101 .410 using #7 1/2 shot. I was actually hoping for quail but none showed that day. If I was going out for only rabbits I would use #6 shot. BTW rabbits and hares are two different animals.