410 shotguns, why so full???

R

Roamin_Wade

Moderator
Imperical evidence illustrates that most 410 shotguns are preferred to be with a full choke for some reason. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fixed choke 410 in anything but a full choke. Why is that? Also, is it possible to get a small cylinder hone like they use in engine cylinders but much smaller and open up a 410 to a modified choke size? If not, what can be done? Thanks...
 
Simply because anything more open resulted in very sparse patterns due to the very light .410 loads. Yes, you can open up a .410 choke but doing so means that the effective pattern will be very short range.
 
Full choke is what is commonly offered, I think because the .410 is considered more of a pest gun than a wingshooting gun. There's not a lot of pellets compared to larger rounds, and spreading them out is counter productive for a lot of what .410s are most often used for.

If you can find a hone small enough, go ahead, its your gun. But pattern the gun before you start, and often thereafter as you hone, so you don't go further than you want.

Also be aware that if you hone the gun to give your desired "perfect" pattern, it could change if you shoot a different brand of ammo. Probably not, or not much, but not impossible.
 
modified

I had a pal a while back that had a Remington 11- 48 (autoloader, preceding the 1100) that was in .410, modified. It was his Dad's, who used it to hunt quail over dogs. Only one I've ever seen so choked.
 
Has to do with the number of pellets per round. Think 3" ammo for the .410. Has about 11/16 Oz of #4 shot at 171 pellets per ounce.
 
Imperical evidence illustrates that most 410 shotguns are preferred to be with a full choke for some reason. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fixed choke 410 in anything but a full choke. Why is that? Also, is it possible to get a small cylinder hone like they use in engine cylinders but much smaller and open up a 410 to a modified choke size? If not, what can be done? Thanks...
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410s are available in a wide variety of choke configurations. A friend bought a 1100 years ago; came with a fixed Mod. Another shoots skeet and his Win 42 has a fixed skeet. Step up to Browning and Beretta O/U (and similar type guns) and you get interchangeable chokes in whatever floats your boat.

As to opening it up, yes it can be done, but best done by a gunsmith who knows HOW, typically run about $50 or so, so by the time you buy the hone and then a new barrel to replace the one you mucked up (;)), you're better off having someone do it.
 
I had a Mossberg 500 in 410, think it was 26'' with a modified choke. Nice pump but the price of 410 shells made me sell it.
 
I have never seen a factory 410 slug barrel. Is that something fairly new? I don't like the new shotguns of any make so I don't pay much attention to them. If it's not a milled gun it has no interest to me. Repeaters that are on local used market in 410 are all FC that I've ever seen. Moss had BA with choke system back in the day.
 
I have a Mossberg 183-D that has the screw on the end of the barrel choke set up. I have a full and modified tube and then just leave the chokes off and you have a cylinder bore barrel.

For the little testing I have done I don't see a huge difference in patterns. Probably because the usable range isn't all that far. Either choke is tight enough that at 25 yards either choke will put about the same amount of pellets through a bean can. Get out to 30 yards and they are both getting thin. The no choke set up is great for my 3 ball loads. I load 3 .395 lead balls in a 2.5" shell. They would make a great deer load for a SHTF gun as long as the range is no more than 30 yards.

I have a couple of the H&R break open 410 guns and they are my favorites. I have opened the choke on two 20ga shotguns by using a wooden dowel that was close to bore size with a slot cut in the end to hold emory cloth and spun it in the barrel to go from a modified to improved cylinder choke. It was easy to do. the 410 ought to be a piece of cake.
 
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i tired using 410 for squirrel last couple of years when there was a lot of foilage and i can attest you really need full choke to be effective.
 
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