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Looking for advice. My 10 y/o wants to start squirrel hunting. I have a couple of .22s but just a little big for him right now. I have always thought that a .410 might be ideal for kids and small game but searching the net I see otherwise. I found a really nice Winchester model 37 full choke single shot .410 here local. Probably get it for $150. I was thinking that his hit to miss ratio might be pretty good with it vs the rimfire right now. Those of you that have used the .410 for such whats your advice?
A man's got to know his limitations!
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It is fine for shooting squirrels that are sitting still. But the 410 requires a lot of skill to hit fast moving targets and young folks get discouraged easily. Make sure that it has a recoil pad and the stock fits correct and you should be good to go.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Should work fine, but have the kid do a few pattern shots so he'll know what's happening out there.
Sadly it's cheaper to shoot a 12 gauge around here.
1Minute
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Campfire Tracker
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A full choked .410 is very limiting for flying fowl, but is absolutely fine for squirrels at reasonable ranges. A load of 3" 5s or 6s will give 'em a dirt nap post haste.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Dad bought me a Winchester M37 Steelbuilt .410 28" full choke when I was eight years old. I killed squirrels just fine with it. However rabbits pushed by a pack of beagles proved to be challenging. I remember being very frustrated while missing fast moving bunnies in the brush. At about 11 I got a 20 gauge modified choke and suddenly I simply couldn't miss. My little 20 seemed magical, I even hit the occasional quail on the flush. When I bought my son his first shotgun it was a youth model 20 gauge with a modified choke.
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
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Campfire Outfitter
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It is fine for shooting squirrels that are sitting still. But the 410 requires a lot of skill to hit fast moving targets and young folks get discouraged easily. Make sure that it has a recoil pad and the stock fits correct and you should be good to go. That
It�s a magazine not a clip......
Advice is seldom welcome, and those who need it the most, like it the least.�
- Lord Chesterfield. 1750
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Dad, in his ignorance, (again, a sarcasm icon is badly needed around here) started me with a full-choked H&R Topper .410. I, in my inherited and learned ignorance, didn't realize how he had handicapped me. I missed some pheasants before taking one. When the misses occurred, I thought that I needed to concentrate and become a better shot. I remember how proud I was the day I took my first limit of pheasants with that gun. Now that I am old enough to consider such things, I would imagine that my pride was at least equalled by Dad's.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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I wish we had targets as big as pheasant when I went out with my 410 at age nine. We were after doves. Dropped a few, eventually. Would have done better with a 20 gauge and skeet choke.
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Campfire Member
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For what it's worth, I started my kids out on .410s just to get them used to the noise and recoil with the understanding that while the .410s were OK for squirrels and pests around the farm, larger bore guns would be used if they wanted to do any wingshooting. One of the first times I took the kids out to shoot their .410s, I was surprised to find that they (and I) could hit hand-trap thrown clay birds about half the time or better. They graduated quickly to 12s for FFA trap competition.
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I have both of my kids (8 &11) on .410s right now. One is an old Iver Johnson with a full choke and the other is a Remington 1100 with a modified choke. We are after squirrels only at this point and the system works pretty well. The single shot requires you to be dead on the target, so I have the 11 year old using that one. The Remington is a little more forgiving so I have the little guy using it. He actually shoots it best off a bail of straw, due to the weight. I back both up with a 12 gauge and #6s.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Looking for advice. My 10 y/o wants to start squirrel hunting. I have a couple of .22s but just a little big for him right now. I have always thought that a .410 might be ideal for kids and small game but searching the net I see otherwise. I found a really nice Winchester model 37 full choke single shot .410 here local. Probably get it for $150. I was thinking that his hit to miss ratio might be pretty good with it vs the rimfire right now. Those of you that have used the .410 for such whats your advice? Wow.. That's the EXACT gun I got for my first shotgun - and at age 10 too! Still have it. I used that gun for everything when I was a kid. It was $39.95 when my dad bought it for me back in 1958.. Even at $150 now you got a decent deal. I've seen those run as high as $200+ at various places.. Best wishes for you and your son..
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69
Pro-Constitution.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Probably the .410 is the worst shot gun chambering to start a youngster out with.Small diameter shot pattern makes them so you almost have to aim like a rifle instead of pointing. Mos will not have the stock properly fitted so that they will hit where you points them. A 20 gauge in a semi auto with light filed loads is a much wiser choice and the youngster will not grow out of it.
Last edited by saddlesore; 12/15/15.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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At 10 years old, most don't care much about 'fit' 50+ years ago.. And that 'small' pattern can really help to get a kid to properly swing or else it's a miss. One of my most favorite shotgun sports is when I can use my SKB .410 (part of a 3-barrel set) on a skeet range. I'm not that good though; 23 is the best I've done with it.. 
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69
Pro-Constitution.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
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Campfire Regular
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The problem with starting kids with a .410 field gun on moving targets, is that field guns are choked too tight.
A skeet choked .410 pattern is 24-26" wide at 25 yards. My 870 with a fixed Modified choke has a pattern about 18-20" at the same distance.
If they can handle the weight a Remington 1100 or 870 .410 Skeet gun is a great gun to start kids on. Teach them to limit shots to 25 yards where the skeet choke makes it easier to hit. They are not going to hit anything any way further out.
Michael
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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Looking for advice. My 10 y/o wants to start squirrel hunting. I have a couple of .22s but just a little big for him right now. I have always thought that a .410 might be ideal for kids and small game but searching the net I see otherwise. I found a really nice Winchester model 37 full choke single shot .410 here local. Probably get it for $150. I was thinking that his hit to miss ratio might be pretty good with it vs the rimfire right now. Those of you that have used the .410 for such whats your advice? I'd put the $150 toward a downsized 22LR. Travis
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual. Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit. My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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a fair bit more monies, but a gas operated 20, or even 12 would be a gift for sure
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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At 10 years old, most don't care much about 'fit' 50+ years ago.. And that 'small' pattern can really help to get a kid to properly swing or else it's a miss.
Problem being,it isn't if the kid cares,it is getting him able to hit. Those misses end up more than hits and the kid gets discouraged and then wants to go play on his computer. Example.Here where I live in CO ,you have to drive 120 miles to get into pheasants. You re allowed three per day,but are lucky if you see two.It doesn't take many trips for the kid to miss 4-5 birds and maybe kill 1-2 at most in a season for him to figure dad can go alone. Especially a 10 year old.
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Joined: Apr 2014
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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At 10 years old, most don't care much about 'fit' 50+ years ago.. And that 'small' pattern can really help to get a kid to properly swing or else it's a miss.
Problem being,it isn't if the kid cares,it is getting him able to hit. Those misses end up more than hits and the kid gets discouraged and then wants to go play on his computer. Example.Here where I live in CO ,you have to drive 120 miles to get into pheasants. You re allowed three per day,but are lucky if you see two.It doesn't take many trips for the kid to miss 4-5 birds and maybe kill 1-2 at most in a season for him to figure dad can go alone. This......I started all "my" kids on 20 ga. I also instruct at the BCWF New Hunter Boot Camp and we use 20ga SA08s for the Kids, they handle the recoil just fine and hit a few clays. We had one kid 10 yrs. who had never shot anything before in his life breaking 16-18 by the end of the session. IF you feel you need a smaller bore go with a 28 ga. but really a 20 is just fine for most kids starting out. Just my opinion but one based on a lot of observation Especially a 10 year old.
BORN to HUNT
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Saddlesore you hit on my thoughts exactly!! Thanks all for the replies. Oh btw, bought him a Remington 1100 lt 20 youth model. 1981 vintage fixed modified choke. Hope we both enjoy it
A man's got to know his limitations!
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
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At 10 years old, most don't care much about 'fit' 50+ years ago.. And that 'small' pattern can really help to get a kid to properly swing or else it's a miss.
Problem being,it isn't if the kid cares,it is getting him able to hit. Those misses end up more than hits and the kid gets discouraged and then wants to go play on his computer. . No wonder I got so good at hitting birds on the wing with that old M37 - there were no computers back in '58...  Man, I musta shot about a ton or two of .410 shells through this gun. A Starling or other blackbird within 25 yards had little chance back then...
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69
Pro-Constitution.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
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