Originally Posted by
Oldtimr
There are 4 00 pellets in a 2 1/2 inch 410 shell and 5 in a 3 inshell. That from a pip squeak shell at what range? 30,40, 50 yards? It is really a bad idea.
You really can't make this kind of statement about the 410 - the power/energy/momentum/Taylor KO factor is there, and its effectiveness at killing coyotes WHEN IT CONNECTS is well proven.
If a guy can connect with it, then shooting a coyote with 00 buck is about the same as shooting it
5 times with a 22WMR. The energy is there, and based on shot size, the Taylor KO factor is actually BETTER for the 410 buckshot than for the 22WMR by about 2x. A factor of 3x+ for the 22lr. I don't think many coyotes are going to argue with 5 hits from a 22wmr, so it's foolish to say that the 410 buckshot is UNDER POWERED.
The reality is that for any range beyond about 30yrds, those 5 pellets just aren't going to be hitting anything relevant. At 50yrds when the spread is the size of a trashcan lid and 3 out of 5 pellets miss and one hits it in the haunches and the other sticks in the shoulder, well, that dog's gonna run, without question.
At short ranges where your pattern could slip through a coffee can, then that's one dead dog.
It's not like the .410 is pumping shot out there so slow that you can see it in flight. 1200-1300fps with 55 or 70grns (00 and 000 respectively) will put a damper on whatever it finds. You just can't be certain that even ONE pellet will hit where you want in a shotgun, once your spread gets too big.