Slugs in a full choke

[rickhem]

I have an inexpensive .410 O/U that is full over full. When I bought it, it was either full/full, or skeet/skeet. I figured that I'd use this for rabbits and such, so went with the full chokes. I've shot skeet with it and did well, so not a handicap in actual practice.

I bought a couple boxes of .410 slugs a couple years ago and have fired 5-6 of them at our pond. I'd pick a cattail or a reflection, and see how close the splash would be, and they were often more than a foot away. Bead sight barrels, especially single bead ones, do not lend themselves to accurate shot placement, at least not with occasional use. Well, my opinion anyway. I believe the vanes on larger gauge slugs are designed to give room for the lead to swage into when passing through a choke. The cheap slugs I have for the .410 don't have those vanes, so probably not a good idea for me to shoot those through the full choke. Mossberg's response makes sense to me, at least for a full choke.

All that said, those loads with a few buckshot might be perfect for your daughter's application. The #4 shot loads would work well too. If you know someone that reloads, there are lead BBs intended for airguns that would probably make a very potent load in a .410. From everything I've read, loading the steel BBs is a recipe for disaster, since steel won't compress in the choke, so not the steel BBs. Most slugs are listed as ¼ or 1/5 ounce, that's less than 110 grains, so not much weight. The shot loads have ½ ounce, or 11/16 ounce, so a bigger payload, and a better chance of hitting too.

[BrokenolMarine]

I'm thinking with her size and the use she intends, she'll go with the compact gun. I'll keep an eye on the mossberg site and buy Miss T a slug barrel for the nicer gun when mossberg gets them back in stock if Jess takes the Defender model. I think it will be a better fit for her overall. Either way is fine for me.

[PBSnooker]

The mossberg 410 turkey model is not a fixed choke. I accidentally shot a slug through the turkey choke. It may not pattern that well anymore.

[BrokenolMarine]

The Turkey choke, from what I read, is an extra full, or super full. Yeah, I can guess it might not pattern that well.