vaslugger

Wondering if anyone here has killed a deer using a 410 shotgun and Buckshot.Thinking of getting some buckshot for his shotgun but dont want to waste my money if this is ineffective for deer.Hes only 8 years old and carrys his shotgun with him while we deer hunt and after I killed one this week the deer was already dead he wanted to also shoot it but I did not let him as I did not want 6 shot all in the meat.I would love to let him shoot his own deer but I want to make sure 410 buckshot can do the job.Thanks for any help! Mike

hunter_kid20

i would try slugs.

A5Mag12

I agree with getting him some slugs. .410 slugs can be very effective. Just make sure you get him enough to practice with.

stalkingbear

It's justmy opinionbut you need to get him a 20 gauge. It'll be almost as light and easy to carry for him while the 20 gauge will be MUCH more effective on deer size game. It would be devastating for him to shoot a deer,only to have it run off and be lost. Sure,under optimal conditions,a .410 will kill a deer but why take the chance? A 20 gauge single shot won't break your bank either. A LOT of people have the misconception that a .410 slug "shoots as hard as a rifle" while nothing could be further from the truth. I started all my kids out on 20 gauge after they learned how to properly and effectively handle/shoot a .22 rifle.

JagMagMan

My answer to this question in the Deer Hunting thread was NO! Not a fan of buckshot, especially in .410!
Talk about cripplers, this is it!

Retaks

The only time i use buckshot is in a 12 gauge and it is still very limited then. Try slugs or go to a 20 gauge.

eldeguello

Forgive me! When I see a question about the use of buckshot for deer hunting, I get the urge to scream, NOOOOO! As a matter of fact, this is one of my few real prejudices when it comes to guns & ammo for deer hunting!

Even in a 12 ga., buckshot leaves a lot to be desired for KILLING deer anywhere nearby so you can find the body to eat! That's why buckshot is totally banned for deer hunting in many states! In a .410 bore, it would be worse than useless. Even the .410 slug is much less effective than a good .44 Magnum in a handgun!

idunno

I would try to get a H&R single shot in 44 mag if you're thinking single shot. 410 just doesn't have the knock down necessary and accuracy isn't great unless you can find it in a rifled barrel

bugsNbows

.410 and deer hunting don't go together...especially with buckshot.

Leafrivermac

Most of the 20 gauges I've shot kicked just as hard or worse than many 12 gauges. Could be that this 8 yr old is a small framed kid and maybe a 20 would be too much kick for him.
My first gun was a 410 and it has killed many deer with slugs. Of course I picked my shots with it and never have killed a deer over 30 yds with it. I also hunted for yrs with a 12 gauge pump and can't say that lost but maybe one deer that I chose to shoot at . . . .and that was due to poor tracking on my part as I found him the next morning but lost him to coyotes.
That said, if money is'nt an issue right now there are many choices for calibers that will take down deer but not kick too much for an 8 year old. I bought my son a 243 that shot real nice. He soon put it down for an 06, but the 243 took several deer nicely.
He can do it with the 410 if you can set him up where he will get a close shot and if he can properly place his shot.