doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 410 Choke Dimensions

I had posted a few weeks ago requesting opinions on choke dimensions for my recently acquired .410 bore AyA 4/53. The plan was to use the gun on pointed bobwhite quail but the existing chokes were too tight to be practical at the distances I normally shoot. My paced off distances were 12 - 15 yards to the area the birds were hit (not where they fell). The one time I shot the gun on quail I averaged 50%. Birds were either missed or shredded when hit.

Patterns shot with the right barrel revealed a considerable variance with different size shot and manufacturer. Right barrel patterns at 15 yards revealed a 10" diameter with #8's, 9 1/2" diameter with #7 1/2's and 7" diameter with #6. Pellet distribution was very "patchy" with no consistency from shot to shot. The patterns were not usable for pointed bobwhites. The left barrel at 20 yards threw a 7" diameter pattern.

With the information gleaned from my earlier post on this site and my pattern results I decided to have the chokes opened to .000 and .006. This decision on choke constriction did not fit with the often repeated requirement for a full choke in a .410.

At the suggestion of several individuals on this site I had the chokes opened by Mike Orlen. Mike received the gun on a Friday and the work was complete on Monday. I had the gun back on Tuesday.

After collecting 10 or 12 different loads I headed back to the patterning board to see if I had a "quail gun." Patterns shot with the right barrel (choked .000) at 15 yards now had a 20" diameter. Shot size and manufacturer had no effect on pattern diameter. Pattern diameter had doubled and pellet distribution was very good with very few fliers.

A few patterns shot with the left barrel (.006) at the same 15 yards revealed a 15" pattern diameter and very good pellet distribution with several different loads.

Next step was to move on to some clay birds. Standing on top of the trap house I put markers out at 15 and 20 yards. I had to slow the trap speed down to get my shots off at the desired range. I shot 2 1/2", #9's. In 3" I tried #8 1/2's, #8's, #7 1/2's, and #6's. All shots were taken with a low gun and birds were released without my calling for them. Obviously quartering birds at 15 - 20 yards are not difficult shots but the idea here was to see if I had a "quail gun." I fired a bit over 100 rounds and missed a half dozen shots. I believe I do have a "quail gun."

All the loads performed very well both on the patterning plate and on clays. Shot size did not seem to affect pattern diameter as it did with the original very tight chokes. The load that I liked the best on both the pattern plate and clays was Winchester Super X, 3", 3/4 oz., # 8 1/2's. I believe that will be my right barrel load. I have to do some more testing but think the left barrel will be probably be a #8.

Thanks to all that responded to my earlier post and I hope this .410 choke info is interesting.

Dennis

Interesting experiment. I have the slightly earlier AyA Number 4; which is a bit plainer and less figured wood than yours. I never have patterned mine. I tend to use it for rats and small crows around farm buildings. Might be worth getting it on the pattern plate sometime as I have a similar experience as you that they are either missed or well hit. A little English double hammer .410 seems to give me more consistent performance. Probably as you have found; too much choke. Lagopus.....

A worthwhile experiment and yet another instance of this site and its members providing education to the rest of us.

As to whether you have a quail gun, I suppose that having proven you have a clay pigeon gun the next step would be to try it on quail. If it works for you as well on quail as it did on clay pigeons then I suppose you do, in fact, have a quail gun.

Thank you for sharing this with us.
Mike

Dennis
Welcome to the 410 hunting gun club.

Good job, Dennis, and thanks for posting back your results. When you get ready to set up a .410 for doves you can go through all this again. 😉

As Chuck said, welcome to the .410 hunting ranks.

SRH

Couldn't have Orlen turned it around a little quicker!

Just kidding of course, his turnaround time is something all gunsmiths should aspire to.

Thanks for the replies. My original intent for this gun was to use it a few times a year for Bobwhites. While I don't think it will ever make the "first string", it is so "cute" it will probably see more use than I had planned.

As for Mike Orlen's turn around time, we have to cut him a little slack in this case. It WAS Easter weekend.

Dennis

Dennis,
When I was beginning to use a 410 for hunting, I would always start the hunt with it. If my success was not measuring up, I could always "gun up". After a few years, I stopped feeling the need to change to big bores like my 20 ga guns. Now I often don't even bring larger bore guns on outings. Maybe I should... But that's another story.

Chuck,

I'm looking at .410 use from the opposite direction. Collect most of my birds then take out the .410 to finish up. But only on Bobwhites. Maybe Woodcock. Might be fun on Rails. Chokes are too open for Doves but I could look for another .410 and set that one up for Doves. THIS .410 thing could be a problem!

Dennis