A .410 is a good deer gun

[Hammer Handle]

My niece got her first deer a few years ago with a .410

Some friends told her it was "luck" and that the gun in not big enough.

This last weekend...she downed two running deer with the same .410 Two shots, two more deer.

Wonder what her friends will say now? More luck?

That .410 has already killed many deer in our family.

[Mr Special]

I know a few people that uses a .410 and within it's range it'll get the job done.

Congrats to your niece!

[slabchaser]

a .410 is a great deer gun. I have met several people who insist on using them. she should be proud of her aim and tell her friends to look at her pictures.

[Musky Buck]

It isn't so much the gun as the placement of the shots. Keep hitting them in the rhubarb and they'll go down, make sure you get fairly close shots and she can keep on wacking them.

[SSSTaxidermy]

I used a Mosberg (Coast to Coast model) .410 when I first was introduced to deer hunting. When I hunted shotgun area, that was the gun my father bought for us boys. I harvested my first deer with that .410. Boy I remember that morning like it was yesterday.

But anyway, when I thought I was "big enough" to get myself into a 12ga like most of my cousins and uncles who we hunted with. I sure caught a lot of slack, from my uncle, who tended to harvest most of the deer for our hunting party, and he used a .410. Many times, he only put in 2 slugs, he said, if he has to use a 3rd shot, it was #1, not going to be a good shot & #2, it was prob out of range.

[Hammer Handle]

My dad shot a deer at 180 yards with a 20 guage. And yes, he brags that it is his "Coast to Coast" gun.

He proved it was not all luck by doing it again this year at about 150 yards.

Now, a .410 will probably not travel near that far with a killing shot. But, in a no-rifle zone and a girl wanting a light gun...it is great.

[Musky Buck]

If you can shoot a 20 gauge 200 yards and kill your target, why is there a shotgun zone ? I rarely hear of a guy with a rifle downing deer in Minnesota at more than 200 yards ?

[Neighbor_guy]

I killed my first deer with a Mossberg .410 bolt action. It was my first gun, used it for everything from deer to small game, grouse (on the ground), even yotes and fox.

I used to hunt with a guy who lived on the rifle/shotgun boundry. He had a 30/30 rifle retro fitted, rebored, and rifled to shoot .410 sluggs.

[HuskerBen]

I inherited my Grandpa's old .410 Mossberg bolt action (model 183). It holds 3 rounds. He called it his "porch gun." It served farm duty for years, and has taken a lot of deer, fox, coyotes, and squirrels. I still take it squirrel hunting. I love that little gun.

I have a good deer rifle, so I use that for deer. But I have no doubt that, within range, that .410 would still put a deer on the ground in short order.

[Neighbor_guy]

I should add.... Brenekee 3" mag sluggs are FANFREIKENTASTIC when it comes to choosing a round.

[riverrat56]

If you can shoot a 20 gauge 200 yards and kill your target, why is there a shotgun zone ? I rarely hear of a guy with a rifle downing deer in Minnesota at more than 200 yards ?

Shotgun zones aren't to restrict how far away you can kill a deer at, but to prevent that projectile (slug in this case) from traveling too far and possibly hitting a person or anything it wasn't intended too. It's a theory, and using a shotgun/slug does not making poor shot choices an option. As always be sure of your target and what is beyond. (Not that you would take a poor shot, just explaining the theory)

Back to the .410, well if you think about it, the 3 most popular deer rifle calibers are arguably the .270, 30-30, and .30/06, and the .410 shotgun shoots a projectile much larger. Although it travels at a much slower speed than the 3 rifles mentioned, it is still cabable of killing a deer out too maybe 50 yds, after that it looses too much velocity. Still lethal in the right hands. I would opt for the 20 ga though, much more versitile.

On a side note, has anyone seen the 3 1/2" 20 ga that Hastings is developing? Only avalible in a single shot as of now, but they claim sighted in 2" high at 100yds it is 9" low at 200, interesting if nothign else...

[Quackaddict9]

Quote:

If you can shoot a 20 gauge 200 yards and kill your target, why is there a shotgun zone ? I rarely hear of a guy with a rifle downing deer in Minnesota at more than 200 yards ?

I shot a buck last year over 250 yds...and then shot a doe today at least 300 yds, I dont know why, I went for it and she just fell on her back dead.

[Tipup101]

Everyone in my family started with a .410. Good guns. That was my dads first gun and killed tons of deer. As far as 200 yard shots. My buddy's slug gun hits 200 he kept 4 of 5 shots in a 6 inch plate and the 5 nicked the edge. Its a remingtn with slug barrel and one [PoorWordUsage] of a scope. Granted it was off a lead sled see how he shoots on his own.

[jnorm1984]

My uncle swears by the 410, and to this day he hasnt lost a deer shooting a 410 at it.. the ol 12 gauge is a different story tho

[harvey lee]

Those are some very long range shots for a shotgun and slug for sure. I would not advise anyone to try and make those shots unless they really know their gun very well or there could be many wounded deer.

I personally have made a few 100 plus yard shot but never at at ranges past 150 yards. I do have a very good slug gun, with a scope and rifled barrel. I have spent many hours at the range with numerous brand slug brands to make sure the gun is shooting at its best. I personally would not try a shot at 200 yards.

[Scott K]

I have a .410 I dont even think the slug will travel 200yds not to mention be accurate!

[ec30_06]

I have shot .410 slugs at plywood and would never take a shot at a deer out of bow range. Good for youth hunters who have close shots

[picksbigwagon]

quackaddict, are you saying you shot a deer with a slug gun at 300 yards? Or your rifle.

I think any shot over 150 yards with a shotgun is not a well advised shot. I know my slug gun is accurate at 100 yards with open sights, at least minute of deer accurate, but at 200+ yards, let it walk....

I have never shot a 410 slug but after looking at the velocity and foot pounds of energy, I would limit it to handgun range, 50yds or less.

That is just my opinion

[Quackaddict9]

A rifle- 30-06 bolt action.

As musky buck quoted "I rarely hear of a guy with a rifle downing deer in Minnesota at more than 200 yards ?"

I was referring to that.

[picksbigwagon]

That's what I thought, but I think others were assuming you were making amazing shots with you slug gun, thanks for clarifying

[Tipup101]

I have shot .410 slugs at plywood and would never take a shot at a deer out of bow range. Good for youth hunters who have close shots

Two years ago my buddy was in a accident and broke his right arm. So he shot a .410 it was easy for hin to handle. The first doe he shot was at 80 yards and that slug left a perfect hole right through it. Doe didn't go 20 yards double lung shot. It is not the size of the slug it all boils down shot placement and how well you know your gun.

[riverrat56]

It isn't about the size of the slug but it is about energy down range and if he would have hit that deer in the shoulder, it my not have had enough energy to break the bone or it might have done that but not continued through to damage any vital organs.

As far as I know there is not a rifled barrel for .410's and at 80 yards, rifled slugs out a smooth bore gun get very unpredicatable. Not to say that you can't drill a deer that far away, but everything needs to be perfect, a larger gun would put more energy down range and could make up for a shot that hits the shouler blade.

[SDbowhunter]

I took my first deer ever with a 410. Did as good of job as any deer I have harvested with other firearms.

[JustLOVEit]

I've have never seen anyone take a deer with a .410. I've seen people try it, but majority of the time it just ends up a wounded deer.

Maybe a shot under 15yards and a small doe??

[c&amagn]

About 3-years back my father shot a fork buck at about 25-yards, perfect low and behind the shoulder shot. Needless to say upon cleaning the deer the slug went in one lung, hit near the heart area and stopped, didn't even do a pass through. The buck dropped about 40-yards away but after I saw that, I studied the ballistics and they just don't have the energy or velocity I'd say past 60-75 yards or so. But it did it's job though.