I don’t even think 410 slugs are legal for deer here. Of all the hoorah that gets raised around here by guys who don’t think a 223 is enough gun for deer, I’d wager it’s 10x the deer gun a 410 is. I might try it for the novelty as a challenge but I shoot pigs with 38 specials and 9mm for the heck of it and deer with a stick bow. I’d almost view it as setting a kid up for failure or a lost deer.
I just don’t like the idea of starting kids bird hunting with a 410 due to the degree of difficulty involved. Get them frustrated and they may not want to go anymore. Around here the lions share of our bird shooting is doves on waterholes or coming into feed on cut crop fields, not much stalking or woodsmanship involved but lots of opportunities to get some shooting in and practice gun handling.
Of course lots of us started lots of stuff the hard way and we turned out okay. YMMV
