.410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Need opinions on .410 slugs for deer. are they adequate to 50yds?
I hunt in a shotgun zone and was considering between the Win 9410 and a muzzleloader. Any input on the pros/cons of each would be appreciated, thanks.

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RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I agree with Nick Bales. Sure it will kill a deer, but so will a 76 Ford pickup. I won' t go hunting with either. I woul opt for the muzzleloader.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Better check your law books first! A .410 slug is illegal for deer in Wisconsin.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Also illegal in N.J.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

N.Y. to:)

Little small for deer - 20ga much better, 12 even better

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

and in canada!

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I WOULD GO FOR THE MUZZLE LOADER

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Are you from Indiana? Indiana just made a stupid law that you could use a .410 during shotgun season. Thats great, even more wounded deer running around during gun season. I don' t think that a .410 should be in a deer woods but that is my opinion. If you do go with the .410 be sure that you sight it in very well and only take close shots and shots that you are very comfortable with. The muzzleloader will give you a lot more range and a ton more knockdown power.
Just my .02 cents their are 98 more!

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

If I had to chose between a 410 and muzzleloader the muzzleloader wins
hands down.
I agree with huntinfool--Stupid new rule to allow the 410. Theres already enough
people that cant get it done with a 12 ga.[:' (]

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I shot my first deer with a 410. That was many years ago, and I swore I would never do it again. It took three shots.

I am fortunate enough to live in a part of the country where that is not much of a concern...I hunt with a rifle.

But if I were in your position, I would hold out for a much larger bore size...Maybe a 12 guage.

I' m not familiar with the laws in your state, but you mentioned a muzzle loader...If you are to chose between a shotgun and a muzzle loader, than the muzzle loader should win hands down.

For shooting an animal at just a few yards, it probably does not matter what kind of weapon you choose, but in my experience, those real close shots are few and far between. A .50 caliber muzzle loader saboted down to a .45 are a good choice for anything from right in front of you all the way up to arond eighty to a hundred yards.

I' m not much of a fan of shotgun hunting, but that is probably because I' ve never had to do it as a result of local or state laws. But I would suspect that bigger is definately better in that regards.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

not in illinios maybe you could try with a slingshot

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I totally agree if the season allows you to shotgun hunt or muzzleload hunt, then a ML would be my choice. If you require a shotgun to hunt then please look to up it to at least a 20 ga but preferably a 12 ga. I have seen geese not even stumble when a 410 was used, so I can' t imagine they would be very effective on a deer!

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I live in Indiana and use a muzzleloader for Firearm and ML seasons , stick with the ML so you won' t have to worry about taking down your deer . A .50 or .54 will take down any deer in the woods .

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I should clarify- I use a 12ga currently. However the budget allows only one gun purchase this fall. I thought I might be able to stretch my dolaar farther by buying the 410 and also using it for smal game, however through your constructive input I' ll be focusing on the muzzleoader. Thank you for all the sound advice.

I live in Michigan , I thought I read you could use any guage in the rule book.
But then again you have to be a lawyer to decipher half of it.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I think you' ll be much happier with the muzzle loader for deer but if you want a shotgun look in the pawn shops for a good used 12 ga. You can use it on about anything you want to hunt. For deer the muzzle loader is the ticket:D

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

As others said the 410 COULD kill a deer, but there' s a great risk of just wounding the animal. I used one for grouse hunting as a kid, and while it did the job just fine at 15 yards or less, I soon moved up to a 20 gauge because it was more effective. If you have a kid that is just starting out hunting small game, then getting a 410 would be a good option since you could use your 12 ga. for deer.

If you want something strictly for deer, then definitely go with the muzzleloader.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I noticed you said you have a 12ga. Is a rifled slug barrel available for it? You might be able to get a slug barrel and a muzzel loader for about the same money as the Win .410. This is assuming you still want the ML aas the 12 ga will do just fine

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I agree with NE Hunter... consider a rifled barrel for your 12G is one is available. Before I could afford a nice rifle I hunted with an 870 that I put a rifled barrel on for under $100. It has rifle sights and I am totally comfortable with it out to 65-70 yards or so with Winchester 1 oz. sabots. I still hunt with it in certain situations (brushy areas, etc.) and I can tell you it packs one heck of a punch. Every buck I' ve taken with it went down like a piano got dropped on him. That would probably leave you enough money to get a modest muzzy to boot, which would give you another gun with a bit longer range capability.
Good luck

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Yep...what everybody else said. .410 is too small. Get a 20 ga (those buggers are accurate) or a 12 ga. OR, a .50 cal muzzle loader.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Given the choice I would go with the ML.But at Walmart you can get a single shot for the same price in 410,20 or 12.These are youth guns.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I would strongly suggest not to deer hunt with a .410. If for some reason you do and its legal, keep your shots under 20 yards and don' t hit the shoulder bone, get a good braodside double lung shot.

Good Luck!

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Nick Bales,

I' m 100% sure a .22 shell can not kill a deer. In fact I' m sure a 460 Rigby shell couldn' t either, unless they swallow it and choke on it. - just playin

I agree with the advice given, the 410 is not adequate.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

.410 slugs are illegal for deer here in KS too

Here' s something to consider: a 1/5oz slug is 87.5grains, not bad, something like a .243 weight, BUT, instead of 3000+fps, you' re lucky to get the 1830fps that the box claims (winchester super X 2.5" slugs). At the worst B.C., my Speer manual only goes down to a .12, which is probably much better than what a .410 slug really is: @ .12bc, 87.5grains @1800fps=7.19ft.lbs. per grain at the muzzle= 629.125ft.lbs. muzzle engery, 447.125ft.lbs. @50yrds, and 318.5ft.lbs. at 100yrds. Like I said, you' re lucky to get the published data, lucky to come close even with a standard length bbl, which the .9410 doesn' t have, you' d be lucky to get 1600fps mv, which drops your muzzle energy to just slightly more than the above 50yrd data. Most guys call 500ft.lbs. a minimum energy requirement for taking deer, with a .410 you' re lucky to get it at the muzzle.

Don' t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE .410' s, and I use them for more than they should be (ducks/geese), but deer hunters they are not. If you were really die hard, and exactly limited your range to ' under 20yrds' , it would make a deer gun, if it were legal, but if you' re going to haul a gun around, you want more than 20yrds range...a good 12ga (not implying a slug gun even) can get you out to 100yrds, and the limiting factor there is your accuracy, some slug guns now are capable of close to 200yrds in the right hands.

JUST ON THE GUN: I don' t know that I' ll ever buy a 9410, I may consider the marlin version though, but not likely: they' re only 2.5" chambers, not capable of much more than sqrls, rabbits and dove, the 2.5" rnds are just weak, whereas 3" loads have been my upland loads for all my life, and I' ve ALWAYS bagged more game than anyone in my hunting party (all equipped with 12' s and 20' s, except one 10ga occasoinally). I' d never take 2.5" ers out on anything I really want to hunt again, except maybe on pigeons, and that' s all that you get from the lever guns...I suppose I' ll just have to get by on the 6 .410' s I already have.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I have killed more deer iwth shotgun than any other type of weapon due to regulations in the cointies I hunt and the style of hunting sometimes.. But I would have to say that I have taken a number of deer with the .410 now before you all go and start bashing on me I will say that the first deer I killed was with the .410 with a slug and at 40 yards.. it was a broad side standing shot. it only ran around 50 yards.. I feel that while the .410 is by far the gun for choice on marginal shots that if you take only high % shots and know your limits and you guns limit you can take deer and do it humanly with the .410 Since taking my first many years ago I quickly grew into the larger gauge guns and love them.. each one holds a special place in my heart. I have a few times taken the .410 out since that first day and have also harvested a few other deer with it.. but like I said you have to feel comfortable.. That being said I have gone to the other extreme latley and used my Browning BPS 10 gauge last year to take a few deer with.. this thing is a dream...now if it was only about half the weight lol....jmo

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RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I would choose the muzzle loader over a 410 for deer, but a 410 in the right hands is deadly on deer, a family friend killed a ton of deer with a 410. I wouldn' t hunt with one though.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

the 410 is a good gun for kids just starting out but I personally wouldn' t use it. I' d follow NE advice and pick up a slug barrel for your 12 ga and be done with it.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Does anyone know of a state in which a .410 is legal

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

Indiana they are legal. And I believe Ohio as well.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

They are legal in Va.

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

legal in Arkansas

RE: .410 slugs(powerful enough?)
 

I believe you can add texas to the list. I' ll double check to make sure