Lead will always be softer than steel. This level of accuracy is definitely acceptable for deer or hostile hominid. .22 LR/.410 combination guns have been with us since before World War II. So my test gun is a smoothbore Saiga .410 picked because its optional 10 round magazines make it also useful for self-defense. 3" Mag., 97 Grain, .410, 50 Rounds - 113709, 410 Gauge Shells at … The light weight of the ammo is also helpful, with nearly 150 rounds to a pound. The old-timer with the Foster .410s probably just brained the deer from a tree stand. 410 Gauge - 3" 97 Grain Sabot Slug - Golden Bear - 5 Rounds Details The 410 shotgun is one of the most versatile firearms out there. In Ohio, where I live, .410 slugs have been alternately illegal and (currently) legal for deer hunting. The 410 is the least powerful caliber, but it is still a shotgun round. Because the same sights are used for both .22 and .410 barrels, the shooter should decided which of them is the most important and use Kentucky windage for the other. Is it the BEST choice in defensive shotgun? This round ball light game slug is designed to fit into standard 3″ (75 mm) shotgun shells and should be finished with a roll crimp closure. 4, with the result that the 00 penetrated about two inches deeper and was effective for self-defense use. I love my shotguns. For defense, the main options are buckshot and slug loads. Home-defense and law enforcement shotguns are usually chambered for 12-gauge shells, providing maximum shot power and the use of a variety of projectiles such as buckshot, rubber, sandbag and slug shells, but 20-gauge (common in bird-hunting shotguns) or .410 (common in youth-size shotguns) are also available in defense-type shotgun models allowing … 12ga slugs in 2.75″ shells are about 9 to a pound, while the heaviest of the 3″ .410 Brenneke slugs are 38 to a pound. Ol’ Reliable; Less ammo selection, especially in the area of 4 is that the 00 penetrates more deeply. It has the same velocity and energy at the muzzle as a 110-grain .357 Mag fired from a carbine, but with the advantage of 30% greater frontal area. The best method of bullet testing for effect on living bodies is ballistic gelatin. from Hubel458. What practical use is a .410 slug? Let’s take a look at a few of the recent innovations in 20-gauge slug ammunition from the big-name companies. Cold Blooded Murder Shows Effectiveness of .410 Shotgun - The … I believe that with #4 buck or better, that this is a reasonable home defense weapon that is plenty accurate within that realm. so Semper Fi. For hunting small game with the light, nimble 410 bore shotgun, these slugs are a great choice. Rodney’s technical and historical articles have appeared in Gun Digest, Handloader's Digest, Guns Illustrated, Shooter's Bible, Guns Magazine and AFTE Journal, the publication of the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners. 4 is that the 00 penetrates The Brenneke’s performance is roughly comparable to a hot, light-bullet load in a .40 S&W pistol. The performance of the Foster slugs is somewhere around the .32 S&W Long to .32 H&R Magnum level. That consideration is the most realistic limitation of using combination guns with slugs. The Fosters are strictly for small game. It took down many a deer in Michigan with 00 buck shot. Wound ballistician Dr. Martin Fackler ran close-range (10-foot) tests into gelatin with both 00 and No. Brenneke slugs work with rifles and smooth bores, but rifling would make shot loads ineffective and defeat the point of having a universal survival gun. Penetration in water-filled cartons divided by 1.5 yields a penetration roughly approximate to that in ballistic gelatin. Unfortunately, that customer is no longer living, so no insights are available. Their limitations of range must be respected, but they do have enough power up close to take down deer-sized game or a cougar-sized threat — provided good ammunition is used and shots are well placed. Maximizing .410 Shotgun Performance for Hunting and Defense - … The flat-point and hollowpoint Foster slugs, with Winchester at 93 grains and Remington, Federal, and Barnaul at 97, are completely outclassed by the 114-grain Brenneke. SKU: ... America is aprox 250 years old while other countries are thousands years old, how is it possible that we became the most prosperous - richest - most powerful, most generous nation on the planet in that amount of time compared to the others? The Brenneke could be considered an adequate deer load at close range. The reserves of penetrating ability allow the slug to defeat most bones. 4. It is a widely accepted thesis that for home defense, indeed for most any kind of short- and medium-range defense, the … Having said this, it must be admitted that a lot of deer have been taken with the .22 LR cartridge, and my local gun shop owner told me of one of his customers who claimed a deer a year for eight years with Foster .410s. In sum, .410 combination guns have their place in the survival line-up. Since our major ammunition companies produce them, somebody must be buying them. The RWS was the only one that stood out, penetrating the cartons to 26 inches, which equates to 17.33 inches of gelatin penetration. take a Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Lions, or other dangerous game at 75 yards or less ? There really isn't much comparison between the two as according to Winchester's website a 1/5 Oz slug (about 60 gr) from the .410 generates 651 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle, whereas a .30-30 with a 150 gr bullet makes 1902 ft lbs at the muzzle. Typical slugs are hollow 85 grain lead thimbles that fragment excessively on impact, giving only about 7″ of penetration in gelatin. To round off the .410 collection, I have a Saiga .410 with an ATI Talon/Scorpion pistol and 15 round magazine. The long shot stack and light load of the .410 shotshells limits them to about 15 yards on small game. The results: when fired from a Savage Arms Model 42 from 50 yds., the all-lead, .41-cal. You can use the soft Foster-type slugs in a Full choke barrel. You can argue with a handgun, and you can argue with a rifle. The problem the .410 runs into is that most people compare the .410 to other shotguns only in terms of amount of lead thrown and “knockdown” power. AR-15/M16: The Rifle That Was Never Supposed to Be, Editor’s Pick: Complete Guide to 3-Gun Competition, Particulars Of Reloading For Semi-Auto Pistols, Reloading Revolver Cartridges: Keys To Success, 6 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2021), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2021), 8 Budget AR-15 Options: More Bang For The Buck (2020), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2021). A lightweight .22 handgun with a separate .410 shotgun is a viable alternative and provides the benefit of two sighting systems at little additional weight. (437.5 grain) 2 3/4″ Foster shotgun slug (12 gauge) achieves a velocity of approximately 1,560 fps with a muzzle energy of 2,363 ft. lbs. The trigger is fairly decent, so if any platform would show the slugs to advantage, this would be it. C. RODNEY JAMES has been a shooter and reloader for more than forty years. Michael Bane has pretty much settled the issue of .410 lethality with penetration tests featured on his TV show, Shooting Gallery. On page 386 of the 7th Edition is the statement, “The .410 slug is not good for anything but small game at short range.”. slug penetrated to a depth of about 8½”. Seen it done with handguns; kills them dead! Fixed 4 power scope reduced the aiming variations. DEAD!! Shotgun slugs are designed to deform easily for safe passage through the full chokes typical of older single shot .410s. Like shooting 10 of those at once. The .45 caliber wound channel isn’t exceptional by deer rifle standards, but it’s plenty to bring down dinner. The Fosters tended to shatter into flat slivers, while the Brenneke maintained its integrity, expanding to .455-inch. Ive been hunting with an H&R 410 single shot since 1962. With modern loads like the Winchester PDX or plated 00 Buck loads, a bad guy is in for a world of hurt when faced with even the short barreled Taurus Judge. Learn how your comment data is processed. I decided to test that assertion. It’s not dangerous at all and I did it for several years when my only hunting gun was a Full choked single 12 gauge. The 3″ slugs travel at around 1,760 fps with a muzzle energy 3,105 ft-lbs. There has been an error with your Email Subscription. .410 SLUG Shotgun Ammo 200 rounds - $257.99. Product Overview. Each slug features a plastic, gas sealing carrier for consistency and pushes a soft, round lead ball to high velocity. The main difference between the 00 Buckshot and No. Probably not if you can handle a bigger bore. My next test was at 35 yards, that being the maximum range recommended by manufacturer. In a longer shotgun barrel I can’t image how the performance wouldn’t be even better. For comparison, a .410 shotshell weighs in at only 22 grams, same as a 45ACP cartridge. The main difference between the 00 Buckshot and No. .410 slugs - Brenneke vs Remington vs Meat Target - TriStar Viper … The 410 gauge light game slug is a highly accurate short to medium range slug for use in smooth bored barrels. I also have a Mossberg .410 pump w/Hogue pistol grip & 18.5″ barrel; lots of fun! Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Today’s 20-gauge slug is an efficient and powerful deer hunting tool. This makes it an excellent choice for use in wilderness survival applications. For those who think of the .410 as a weak sister to heavier gauges, this is not the case. This is not loaded ammunition. 410 Gauge Shells . Penetration tests in plywood sheets and water cartons yielded travel equal to buckshot from a 20-inch 12-gauge riot gun barrel at the same distance. The idea was to provide a lightweight small game firearm with bullets for ground-based game and shot for birds and arboreal rodents. Remington features their four-pellet load of 000 Buck in a 2-1/2-inch .410 format called Ultimate Defense. With its small size, it is sometimes featured in unique firearms such as handgun and combo firearms. Package of 25. For the security minded, the Mossberg M-500 .410 pump with its 18½-inch barrel offers harder hits than a handgun, a better grip with less muzzle blast (about like a .38 handgun), and more manageable recoil. I find the .410 to be a fun shell to shoot. Most combination guns have fairly basic sights, limiting the aimed range of .22 LR barrel to 50 yards or less on small game. The late Frank Barnes, in his Cartridges of the World, made contradictory observations about .410 slugs. To settle debate on using a .410 on a bear in the event of an attack. A typical 1 oz. If you want to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please submit the form below. 4 may be suitable for some pest shooting, but penetration is lacking for self-defense purposes. Not that it would be dangerous. The .410 must ultimately be classed as an expert’s gun for hunting and used much like a rifle—sights are mandatory and careful aim must be taken. While the .410 certainly cannot throw lead like a 12ga and should not be anyone’s first choice for a combat shotgun the erstwhile survivalist would do well to remember that guns are tools that will be used for more … Federal F412RS Power-Shok 410 Gauge 2.5" 1/4 oz Slug Shot 5 Bx/ 50 Cs- Power-Shok- Hunting- 410 Gauge- Rifled Slug- 2.5"- 1/4 oz- Slug- 1775 fps- 5- 50- Hunting- Rifled Slug Is a .410 Shotgun Effective for Deer Hunting? Compare that to the 3,800 ft lbs of the Brenneke Magnum Crush. For police combat use, the FBI recommends 12 inches of gelatin penetration. Federal Ammunition’s Power-Shok .410 bore 2-1/2 inch rifled slugs pack a punch, and are a fantastic choice for hunting medium or large game. If I remember correctly he is well over 35,000 ft lbs, way more than a .50 BMG. Likewise, complaints about the ineffectiveness of the .410 bore have been around for a while, and yet the chambering persists. I don’t think I’d do it with the harder Brenneke slugs. $1.29 ppr $257.99. With a muzzle velocity of 1775 fps and weighing in at 1/4 ounce, these slugs offer an ideal blend of precision and stopping power. 12 2.75 1 ounce Thug Slug 12 3.0 ITX-13 Goose #2 20 2.75 7/8 ounce Thug Slug 410 2.5 125gr Thug Slug The test site was configured as below: Velocit 7 feet 10 feet With the ultra slow motion camera in use being the Photron SA-5 Color. Atmospheric conditions at the test site were 76°F and 80% relative humidity and took place on 04 April 2014. The slug generally tracks straight with the point of aim with the balls radiating around the center. The Barnaul, Remington, Federal, and Winchester slugs all penetrated 11¼ inches. Rifled Sabot Slugs: Power, Distance and Accuracy. Hell, you can even argue with a machine gun. A five to six pound .410 shotgun is easy on the shoulder but a lot less pleasant in 20ga or 12ga. Get the 74th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. Despite .410 ammunition being more expensive than many of the 12ga loads now, it has three advantages for a survival gun: lighter weight, lower recoil and lesser report. Backpackers used to counting ounces gravitate towards lighter equipment, and guns are no exception. As it has a full choke I cant use slugs in it. Our Team Said: It was easy to like the pattern, the lightest felt recoil of any load … The Silver Slug packs the energy of a 41 Magnum handgun, and according to this article , will out-penetrate a 10mm handgun round. The three-inch loads will fit few revolvers and, while the kick is noticeable in a long gun, in a handgun recoil it runs towards the .357/.44 Magnum class. Divided by 1.5, that converts to 7½ inches of penetration through gelatin. Nominal 000 Buck doesn’t pattern well, as mentioned in the Circuit Judge article. Any bullet can kill a human if shot from the right distance and at a fatal point of impact. How powerful is a 12 gauge slug? Whatever 20 Gauge allegedly lacks in power, 12 Gauge definitely has. The Hornady .410 defense load features a .41 caliber slug followed by two round balls. In terms of performance, there is really no comparison. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The slug’s oversize expansion diameter surely … Find 410 Gauge Shotgun Shells at low prices here. Why You Shouldn't Use .410 Shotshells for Defense -The Firearm … Although 22 WMR and 22Hornet chamberings have been tried, most combination guns still use .22 LR mainly because of much lower ammunition cost. Shot at 55 yards, groups of five would cover 3.5″ and show slight keyholing as the stubby projectiles became transonic. Hornady has their .410 Critical Defense round, consisting of a .41 caliber FTX (FlexTip) slug over a pair of .35 caliber round lead pellets. The solid, slightly streamlined design of the Brenneke definitely squeezes the most out of the marginal .410 slug terminal performance. Five shots of .410 can deliver upwards of 25 heavy buckshot pellets on target. Penetration tests in plywood sheets and water cartons yielded travel equal to buckshot from a 20-inch 12-gauge riot gun barrel at the same distance. Shop Sportsman's Guide and get great values on Shotgun Ammunition. its 50% more powerful than .50 BMG. Shotgun Gauges Explained: 10 vs 12 vs 16 vs 20 vs 28 vs 410 | Big … The .410 Saiga is gas operated and has all the felt recoil of a .22 rifle. The greatest fault with the Foster design is that the slugs come apart after relatively short penetration. At 35 yards, the velocity is down to about 1310fps. I had zero malfunctions. He is the author of the 6th and 9th Editions of The ABCs of Reloading. The No. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. Six major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. In larger bores, ammunition weight becomes a challenge for anyone traveling on foot: 12ga shells weigh from 44 to 56 grams, 20ga around 40 grams. Taurus PD and Ammo 4_phatchfinal. A reliable and cheap substitute for this medium is water-filled, halfgallon, coated-paper juice or milk cartons placed standing in a row and touching one another. I have the Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV and shooting High Brass 3″ shells is an experience to remember! According to hunters, it is adequate for deer out to 40 yards or so. But the Full choke may damage the slug enough to ruin any accuracy. In recent years, ammunition manufacturers have jumped on the .410 home defense bandwagon. - Gander RV & Outdoors We offer quality tested Shotgun Rounds for all of your hunting and shooting needs.Use our 410 Slug Ballistics Chart to find out exactly how your ammo is … The Brenneke Silver Slug is the most powerful 410 slug on the market, and also one of the most accurate. Slug loads are even lighter, 11 to 12 grams, closer to the weight of a .223 cartridge than to the heavier 7.62×39. At 55 yards, the slug travels at just over 1140fps, which is still enough for over 17 inches of penetration in gelatin with a slight controlled expansion. The cylinder bore of the Saiga emitted the .410 caliber lead cylinders untouched, as evident from the textured edges of the holes in the target. For my tests, I fired four shot series using the smaller 4-shot box magazine. I ended up shooting about 50 slugs in two separate range trips. But light weight isn’t worth the savings if the firearm doesn’t do its job. Please try again. On page 393, however, he states that, while inadequate for deer, the slugs are quite effective in guns such as the Savage M-24 combination gun (with rifle sights) and that it is possible to hit rabbit-size targets at 80 yards and claim clean kills on bobcats and coyotes at this range. Most powerful are the 12 Gauge Shotgun from He!! If you have one, it might be worth your while to explore its potential. Penetration tests were made with the Winchester 42 into water-filled cartons at a range of 50 yards. They are the most intimidating and fearsome handheld weapons on the planet. The one apparent standout in the .410 lineup is the 114 grain Brenneke load. * That it … While a .410 shell carries a lesser load than a 12 or 20-gauge , it still packs similar velocity in the pellets. But for the small-framed, elderly, infirmed or recoil shy I’d say it’s a very viable defensive choice. It is essential you pattern the shot on a paper target to … Assuming that an adult male person and a deer are of about the same weight class, this fi ure seems a valid standard. Just be sure to stay safe, and take the time to pattern your shotgun so you know where it shoots at a given distance. Earlier this year I shot my first ever 1-inch, 100 yard group with shotgun slugs.