My brother shot a Buck with a 410 slug when he was 12. It was close enough that he saw fur fly on impact but they never had blood and didn't recover it. Claims he had a behind the shoulder hit.
While a few deer have been killed with the .410 slug, it's ft-lb of energy is somewhat of a handicap. Many of the foster type slugs only weigh 85 grains and for a slug of .410 diameter, that's a recipe for low penetration. Further the velocity retention is not what we would like for shots of any kind of extended range. While there are many testimonies of deer killed with it, it simple is a marginal choice for deer hunting.
One would be far better served with a 20 Ga
