Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Single shot 12 gauge - glutton for pain?

I've been wanting a Mossberg 500 .410 for some time now. Everytime I'm in my LGS, I pick it up and play with it. Seems like it would be a fun gun for small game. The ONLY reason I haven't gotten it yet is because I haven't seen any lead ammo except buckshot. Would hate to buy a gun and not find decent ammo.

I'm a little surprised there aren't more US manufacturers out there building quality hunting single shots. I think Henry is the only one.

The LLC that owns Palmetto State Armory bought Harrington and Richardson. They stated they had planned to make M1 Garands under the H&R name. But I've heard nothing else to date. If they were to turn out a quality single shot, like the Model 58, at a reasonable cost, they'd probably sell a bunch of them.

I've had several .410's over the years. They work OK on rabbits/squirrels with lead loads if you don't need to shoot much past 25 yards. Every time I hear somebody say they're a good squirrel gun I think they must not have very tall timber where they hunt. They won't reliably drop squirrels out of the top of a 100 foot hickory when you're standing at the bottom of the tree. BTDT dozens of times with full choke .410's and various 2.5 and 3" shells loaded with #6 and 7.5 lead shot and results are less than satisfactory. I don't mess with the little toy pop guns anymore. My shoulder ain't that tender and I have no problem carrying around the weight of a real shotgun all day.

Note I said a fun gun on small game, not a fine gun! Seriously, though, a .410 with the right load and reasonable shots is perfectly adequate.

I shoot the vasty majority of my squirrels on the ground. Rarely past 25 yards. Some further, but not too many. Mostly with a .22, sometimes with a 12 gauge, but lately with a 20 gauge. I only take open shots. What I don't do is blast into shaking foliage or shoot into brush and hope a squirrel falls out. And #6 is the smallest shot I will use on squirrels. #7.5 and finer just makes a damned mess. #8 IMO is worthless unless you are just using it for pest control. I prefer high velocity #4 or, 2nd choice #5. #4 will shoot completely through a squirrel at reasonable ranges, will break leg bones, and won't bloodshot meat. I have no doubt Federal Hi Brass 3" #4 .410 at over 1,100 fps would be an authoritative squirrel killer at reasonable ranges.

I used 7.5 shot with the .410 to get pellet count up because it doesn't hold but a thimble full and the patterns with bigger shot SUCK with plenty of squirrel vitals sized voids past 20-25 yards . #4 shot ain't the greatest for squirrels unless you're heaving a lot of it for that reason. I've come to prefer a 12 gauge load of 1 1/4 oz. of #5 shot or 1 oz. of #6 in my 16 and 20 gauge guns to keep the pellet count/pattern density/penetration equation at optimum levels in the tall timber where shots can be long. This is based on 48 years experience and several thousand squirrels brought to bag with every gauge from 12 to .410. I prefer to use a .22 when/where appropriate but some of my best squirrel hunting spots are in farm woodlots with houses/barns/livestock within a few hundred yards in nearly every direction and I won't launch bullets skyward in such places.

This 410 talk has me leaning back to 20.

I had a 410 growing up and it worked on sitting grouse, never wingshot them...
Disappointed on squirrels
great on farm yard wood chuck.


I suppose a person could use TSS on squirrels and get them up in the trees.

;-)

Awful expensive squirrels...... 🙄😏

If you like picking fAiry dust sized shot out them....

No body but a Democrat wants a single shot gun....

Seem popular with turkey hunters wanting a light gun.

Also popular with off grid dooms day mountain man survivalist woods loafers that like the cartridge adapters to shoot multiple ammo types. They don't seem like democrats.

Or guys that own farms that want a quick to load legal low cost truck guns (like me)...


But you're the F'in expert here on guns and demographics.

It doesn't have to be disappointing on squirrels. A #4 or #5, #6 or #7.5 pellet flying at 1100-1200 fps doesn't know if it came out of a .410 or a 12 gauge. The difference is the amount of shot, and pellet energy. The reason any gauge/caliber is disappopinting on squirrels is using shot that is too fine, and/or shooting too far, and/or taking bad shots.

If you make a decision based on other peoples preferences, you're never going to make a decision. The simple fact is, a .410 is perfectly adequate for turkeys, squirrels, and many other game animals IF you take reasonable shots.

And don't you forget it !!!!!

BWAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA !!!!!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ever here of "Qualifying the Witness"....

20 Gauges are nice, but if you don't want to buy another gun, there are plenty of lower power 2 3/4 shells for skunk and beaver work that mimic 20 gauge loads. For turkey, Foxtrot ammo makes a 12 gauge, 2 3/4 TSS 1 5/8 load that is the same as the 20 gauge Turkey load. TSS #8 is proven penetration out to 50 yards, #9 is proven penetration out to 40 yards. Some people stretch that range.

Good to know. I haven't seen many lighter non-tox loads out there.

I broke down and bought the 20 gauge.

They had a 10% off sale and the clerk gave me a $15 off coupon so it made the gun real reasonable.

I may get the 12 gauge someday for the dedicated truck gun and look at loads Mow told me about.

You didn't mess up. 😉

another 20ga convert

You mean convert ?

Good deal! Post up some photos of it when you get the chance.