real world differnce between 2.5 and 3 inch 410 ammo???

G

Grant 14

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I want to start loading for several 410s that I have. I had assumed that I would load 3 inch, which is all I have ever fired, but it seems impossible to find new primed 3 inch hulls. There are some 2.5 inch hulls available , and I wonder how much real difference there is? I am only interested in field loads. Any suggestions? Grant.
 
1/2 oz of shot vs up to 3/4 oz of shot. I guess it depends on what you need it to do. I don't shoot 410 so I can't say how much of a real world difference that would make. But my gut feeling is that 410 needs all the help it can get.
 
I think so long as you keep the distances short, it's irrelevant. .410 is not a good choice for distances beyond 20 yards, no matter what shell length is used.

For slugs and buck, I don't think there is much difference. Maybe there is with buck, one more pellet of 000 Buck isn't gonna make much difference, but it's a force multiplier, slugs however, an extra 21 grains of lead with a 3 inch adds very little to the penetration.

In general, if you need something or feel you need something, get it now. There are no guarantees.
 
The basic fact is that for field loads you get an increase of 50% in shot charge going to the 3” shell. Regardless of how anemic anyone thinks the .410 is or isn’t, it’s shot patter density and pellets on target that kills small game. The easiest way to get 3” hulls is to buy the loaded ammo and save the empties. I hunted for many years with a .410 sxs and killed a lot of game with it. It’s effective on rabbits, squirrels, and even grouse and doves. On the skeet field you will lose a few targets regardless of how good a shot you are, but some find that the attraction to this gauge.
 
I have a .410 O/U that I have used for Trap. I shoot my own loads. (Note: i am not the greatest Trap shot in any case). My scores with 3 inch shells are wildly better than those shot with 2.5 inch hulls.
 
I’ve shot a lot of game with a 20 ga and 3/4 ounce loads, it is very effective on upland game. No reason the same amount of lead would be any less effective out of a .410.

In my youth I sometimes shot pheasant with a hunting buddy, both of us using 2-1/2” .410s. We were very successful, but we were hunting over dogs and the birds often didn’t flush until we were within 15 yards. That made a big difference.



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i have a rem 870 in 410 3" that i kill a pile of hoppers in late winter with about 2-5 "of snow on the ground with 3" #5-#6. a good friend has a long lane(about .5 mile) that has both sides of the lane thick with brush-briers and hopper holes and shots are at best 20 yards or less and the 410 knocks them flat with no chance to get in the holes. late winter hoppers taste best to me.
 
I think that I may load some 2.5s, since I cant find any primed hulls in 3 inch, but I will keep looking for 3 inch. Quail is about the only thing I will hunt with the 410 so I will use whatever I can find. It is interesting that the Lyman #5 shows the 2.5 loadings with a little heavier powder charge than the 3 inch(at least for bismuth with LIL GUN powder). There is still much to learn. Thanks Guys. Grant.
 
Grant14, whether loading shotgun or centerfire, the powder weight generally goes down as the projectile weight goes up. Nothing unusual about your observation with the .410.
 
Having loaded and shooting 410's for years. There are misconceptions above. The standard 3" 410 holds 11/16 oz of shot not 3/4. Also the 2 1/2" shell seems to pattern better with the 1/2 oz. load. using either you'll see very little difference in the field. The 410 will kill a dove or a clay bird lots farther than 20 yards. I know. I shoot skeet and doves with 410's. An auto. A pump. And an under & over. It will kill just as far as 12 if you can hit. The shot travels just as fast as the 12. The only thing you lose at distance is pattern density.
 
i have boxs of three inch 410 factory 3/4 oz shot. yes hoppers are the same as wabbits, the 410 does not fill the wabbits full of pellets at 20 yards if my head shots are not perfect.
 
I'll pick a nit, 3" ammo is typically 11/16; just a little shy of 3/4 - not enough of a difference with #9s, but might be with much larger shot.
 
There is a very significant difference between a 20 gauge 3/4 oz. load and a .410 3/4 oz. load.

The small bore diameter of .410 makes for a long shot string, that impacts pattern density.
They are not equal despite the fact that the numbers are about the same.
 
I'm somewhat of a 410 fanatic, owned many of them, reloaded and patterned as well as chronographed the loads.
Here's some observations.
While 3/4 410 loads pattern good on paper they're to slow for just about anything you would want them for, most factory loads won't go over 1000fps and are ineffective on game and to slow for skeet.
AA's and STS's in 2.5 are great on clay targets, I don't use them on live game.
I have two 410 Mec loaders, a 650 for AA's and a Junior for 3" cases, 410's are the hardest shotgun shell there is to load and 3" 410 shells are the worst of the worst to load.
Although I'm set up to load 3" shell I rarely do it, see the last sentence.
The standard 3" Winchester and Remington 11/16 load is the best, I use #5 through #9 depending on what I'm hunting.
My favorite two loads, Winchester super x 3" #9 and Remington 3" #5, both are solid 30yd game getters.
If the op wants to torture himself I'll sell him 100 3' empties.
 
I use the 3in shells for hunting. My favorite ammo is Federal game load high brass, 3in 11/16 1135fps. But they are harder to find, so I try to stick with the Winchester Super X ammo.
#4 or #6 shot for rabbits and squirrels
# 7 ½ for birds. this is the smallest shot that I buy.
3 inch slugs for deer and varmints
 
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If I had to leave the house to leave the house with just one small game load it would be the Winchester 3" 11/16 #6 load, probably not the best load for dove and quail but great for everything else.
The Remington 3" 11/16 #5 load has a tighter pattern with less fliers out of all four of my guns at 30yds but the pattern density is less than #6 shot due to the larger shot size. For some unknown reason the smaller shot sizes in the Remington 3" don't pattern as well in my guns as the Winchester loads.
 
.410

I have two 410 Mec loaders, a 650 for AA's and a Junior for 3" cases, 410's are the hardest shotgun shell there is to load and 3" 410 shells are the worst of the worst to load.%
Click to expand...
Interesting. I use a 600 junior also for my 3” .410s. I do not find them any more difficult to load than any other shotshell.
I splurged a bit last Fall and bought a box of Browning’s TSS shot loads #9 supershot (18g/cc). The results were very satisfying. Two shots...two pheasant, one of which was easily 40 yards and heading for home.
As to velocity, Browning claims 1100 fps for a 13/16ths ounce load of #9 shot.
I see no reason to doubt that.
Pete
 
Dark Gael

With those Browning Tungsten loads costing 5.25+ shipping and tax per shell I can imagine most folks wouldn't be inclined to testing them on paper or over a chronograph so we'll have to take there word on the velocity.
The only 3/4 oz load I've chronographed was the Winchester clocked 980fps. Your experience with hunting makes the discussion irrelevant, if they work they work at least the Browning tungsten 13/16ths did for you.
 
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