New grouse gun

[Anonymous]

I made the mistake of visiting the local hook and bullet...I've been holding on to a gift certificate my wife gave me for my birthday until something caught my eye on the rack.

I've been eyeballing O/Us for a while now, but could never pull the trigger on a $2500 piece...just not that into shotgunning and tend to hunt harder than I'd dare to with that kind of rig.

Found a Stevens 555 on the rack in .410...not bad for a mid priced Turkish gun. Decent enough wood for a $500 O/U. Finish was decent too. Just a hair over 5 pounds and it seemed to do the trick when pointing in the store. Even has 5 interchangeable chokes, which seems pretty optimistic with 3/8oz loads!

So I took it home, thinking it will make a good piece for knocking around the woods on grouse forays which is generally way more walking than shooting. I've never been a huge fan of the .410 for a serious killing stick but we'll see how this one does. I'd have really rather have had a 28ga, but the .410 was on the rack and 28ga shells are like unicorns around here. 2 weeks left in grouse and ptarmigan season so I need to get to work.

 

[Thebear_78]

I think you'll enjoy it. I have a hard used and abused rem 870 410 thats hell on grouse/ptarmigan. It's a full choke and shoots a tight pattern out to 20 yards. It will take the head clean off a bunny or grouse out to 15 yards or so, you have to really aim for the head.

I also have a Contender in 410 that shoots a narrow long pattern, it works great on those out to 20 yard shots, even on flushing birds

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tjen]

The 3" 11/16 ounce loads will work great out to 30-35 yards, and #7.5 will work great on partridge sized birds. Win-HS hull are the best to reload and 300MP will get you 1200 or better with FED/REM/WIN hulls. Alliant did not list loads for the WIN-HS hull so I sent s few loads in for pressure testing (1225fps@9,200psi).

I shoot these with #8 hard mag shot for Sporting Clay's and grouse hunting they will shatter clay's and drop birds at 35-40 yards. I use chokes from Lt-SKT to Lt-Mod. For hunting SKT & IC works best for 15 to 35 yards, and two IC chokes would work the best for Clay's but I have to use either SKT or Lt-Mod. Its fun when you dust a 35 yard clay better with a 410 with a Lt-Mod than the other three 12ga shooters did.

Every gun model patterns different and My Briley chokes are slightly tighter than some other gun restrictions so I would drop in a IC & Mod choke and pattern them 20 & 30 yards. After my first season shooting sporting clay's using a 410 I gained real respect of what it can do. I learned most of my misses would be misses even if I used a 12 gauge. IT IS where you point the gun not the gauge most of the time.

For either the 410 or 28 gauge you really need to reload them. I use only premium components and load the 28 ga for $4.24 per box and the 410 for $4.17. I can afford to shoot a lot (3,000 shells/year) only because I reload.

Have fun with your new gun.

 

[Anonymous]

Great info tjen!

I was wondering about chokes for the .410... I patterned some #6 steel in the CYL and IC chokes and was surprised at how good it patterned at 30 yds.

 

[tjen]

I have a CZ SxS in 410 with Fixed chokes IC & Mod it patterns just like my 686 with briley extended chokes in SKT & IC. I shoot sporting clays from a hunters point of view to test my loads and choke selection to see what ranges the really work at. Fun & practice and lots of it. Except for specialized areas for wing shooting a 410 is best for 35 yards or less and patterns better with smaller shot. I do have a box of #5 shot for rabbits but when #6 shot or larger is needed I usually break out a larger gauge gun.