What does .410 do well?

[Forte S+W]

I need to point out that there are no .45LC/.410 Bores, they are all .45 caliber barrels. They are .45 Colt guns that allow the firing of .410 shotshells.

They don't have a great reputation for accuracy with .45 Colt ammo, generally, because of the extra long jump the .45 bullet has to make to reach the rifling, which is further away from the bullet in guns made to take .410 shells as well. Some guns apparently do well enough, some don't. At pistol ranges its not usually a huge factor, but it could be, every gun is different.

I wasn't referring to the Bore diameter of the barrel, but rather to the .410 Bore shell. (Keep in mind that .410 is not a Gauge, but the diameter of the bore, ergo the cartridge's name is .410 Bore.)

So I've heard, but from what I've seen, reports of .45LCs inaccuracy out of .410 Bore cylinders is little more than assumption based on theory-craft. My Judge Magnum has been perfectly accurate shooting everything from 200gr JHPs to 255gr SWCs, despite the fact that its cylinder is chambered for 3" .410 shotshells. Furthermore, every .45LC accuracy test I've seen on YouTube has showcased good accuracy, including videos from folks who are critical of the Judge such as Paul Harrell. So in practice it would appear than any adverse effects the 2.5"-3" chambered cylinders of the Judge has on .45LC is too marginal to make a meaningful difference at average handgun distances. (Heck, Hickok45 had no problem hitting the gong at 80 yards with both the Taurus Judge and S&W Governor.)

So yeah, much like how shooting .38 Special out of a .357 Magnum, .44 Special out of a .44 Magnum, or for a much closer comparison, shooting .45LC out of a .460 S&W Magnum begets no practical loss of accuracy, it appears that even when it comes to more extreme differences between the OAL of cartridges and the subsequent distance the bullet must travel before it is engaged by the rifling, no appreciable loss of accuracy occurs when shooting .45LC out of the elongated cylinders of .410 Bore chambered revolvers.

Now, I'm sure that somewhere on the web their exists some botched or otherwise deliberately sabotaged test in which someone shoots .45LC squib loads out of the Judge/Governor which obviously keyhole out of the barrel or otherwise someone with a defective Judge/Governor with a canted barrel or fouled up rifling showcases their Judge/Governor's lack of accuracy shooting .45s which someone will inevitably call up as proof, but in my own personal shooting as well as a number of tests I've seen on YouTube, the Judge nor the Governor shows no appreciable loss of accuracy when shooting .45s.

 

[jimbob86]

What does .410 do well?

Teach kids to use a shotgun.

But it doesn't teach that at all; it is the smallest payload which makes success even harder, and thus more discouraging.

OK .... I'll modify that: It teaches kids to persevere in getting better with the shotgun that they have .... to point that when they are big enough to handle a bigger gun, they will be REALLY good if they managed to be any good at all with the tiny .410..... that's how it worked for me and my brothers..... when I moved up to a 16 gauge after learning to hit doves and pheasants with the little .410, it seemed that I could not miss ..... I am pretty sure all 3 of us boys killed our first birds on the wing with that crappy little Japanese single shot .410 .... and all 3 of us became good with it. .... and everybody wonders why the most recent generations are such ...... nincompoops.

The 28 would be a good one or - even better - loading 28 gauge level 3/4oz loads in a 20 or 12 the kid can handle.

The 28 would not have worked for me at all ..... I never heard of one growing up, and never saw any shells for one, either ..... It wasn't a thing in SW Nebraska in the 70's and 80's ...... The gas stations and hardware stores where we bought ammo never carried any such thing..... but they always had .410 shells, and I could ride my bike to Mercer's Husky station or the hardware store in town and buy a box of shells, and for less than a box of 12 guage ..... as for reloading, I only knew one person that reloaded shotgun shells back then- my Uncle on the other side of the state shot trap and skeet ..... I never asked and he never offered.

 

[jimbob86]

That thinner pattern will be so full of holes at any distance that it's quite possible for a bird to fly away from a shot that would be a hit with the more than twice as much shot thrown by a 12 ga. In order to get enough pattern density for a sure hit, 410s tend to use tighter chokes for a given distance than a 12 ga. Which makes the pattern smaller and harder to hit with.

It's possible to get clean kills with a 410, if the distances are short and/or you're a really good shot.

Agreed. You want to get good? Practice with a full choked .410.

 

[44 AMP]

but in my own personal shooting as well as a number of tests I've seen on YouTube, the Judge nor the Governor shows no appreciable loss of accuracy when shooting .45s.

That's wonderful. I don't have personal experience with the Judge/Governor or .45Colt/.410 cylinders.

I do have personal experience shooting the .45Colt/.410 out of a T/C Contender. Might have just been MY barrel, but my experience was that from that barrel my .45 Colt loads did not match the accuracy of that same ammo fired from my Ruger Blackhawk.

I got a .45 Colt (only) barrel and the same ammo shoots as well or slightly better than it does in the Blackhawk.

Every gun is a bit different. And just because you or I haven't seen a thing doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Just means we haven't seen it...

 

[Forte S+W]

Oh, don't get me wrong, a firearm chambered exclusively for .45 Long Colt will almost assuredly get better accuracy than a Judge because the Judge has shallow rifling, I'm just saying that reports of it having extremely poor accuracy are greatly exaggerated.

So yeah, if you were to pit the Judge against your Blackhawk, you'd most likely get better accuracy from the Blackhawk, even against a 6.5" Barreled Judge. But you'd still be able to hit your target with the Judge as well.

Generally speaking, accuracy from the Judge is best described as adequate. At reasonable self-defense distances, it will hit to point of aim.

 

[44 AMP]

Generally speaking, accuracy from the Judge is best described as adequate. At reasonable self-defense distances, it will hit to point of aim.

Good to know. Though often a gun writer will use "adequate at reasonable self defense distances" to mean "I could hit the target, somewhere..."

Not meaning to bash the Judge/Governor in concept, while they are revolvers, they aren't revolvers like other revolvers.

I had an opportunity where a nest of rats (real rats, you know the ones almost big enough to put a saddle on...) under a barn needed eradication. a few of them managed to get out and the .410 Contender did yeoman service that day. I can see where a Judge would have done well, even better as a repeater.

But they aren't quite the same as something like a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt in several ways. My years with 12ga gives me faith in buckshot (under suitable conditions) but its because of the mass. The .410 buckshot just doesn't seem that good, to me. However, the .410 slug is another matter.

The .410 is an excellent choice for a number of chores, but for wingshooting bigger bores are much, much better.

 

[Cheapshooter]

What does .410 do well?

Start arguments with self proclaimed gun experts about it being useful in a revolver format.

But seriously, kicks less, easier to carry, can be challenging because of it's reduced performance.

 

[Forte S+W]

Good to know. Though often a gun writer will use "adequate at reasonable self defense distances" to mean "I could hit the target, somewhere..."

Not meaning to bash the Judge/Governor in concept, while they are revolvers, they aren't revolvers like other revolvers.

I had an opportunity where a nest of rats (real rats, you know the ones almost big enough to put a saddle on...) under a barn needed eradication. a few of them managed to get out and the .410 Contender did yeoman service that day. I can see where a Judge would have done well, even better as a repeater.

But they aren't quite the same as something like a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt in several ways. My years with 12ga gives me faith in buckshot (under suitable conditions) but its because of the mass. The .410 buckshot just doesn't seem that good, to me. However, the .410 slug is another matter.

The .410 is an excellent choice for a number of chores, but for wingshooting bigger bores are much, much better.

Modern writers in general typically use words to mislead others, and unfortunately most writers of articles in gun magazines are strongly encouraged to write favorable articles regarding firearms which are manufactured by companies who sponser such publications in the form of paid advertisements.
However, I am employed by no such publication and have nothing to gain nor lose by speaking honestly , ergo my statements aren't euphemisms.

When I say that it has adequate accuracy at reasonable self-defense distances I mean that .45LC will hit to point of aim, provided of course that the firearm is in proper working condition. (i.e. If your Judge isn't an example of Taurus' infamous quality control.)
Heck, it will generally hit to point of aim well in excess of any typical self-defense distances, well out to any distance that one could expect to maintain accuracy with the .45LC cartridge out of a handgun, but seeing as the Judge is primarily a nightstand gun for me, in-home distances are what I'm most concerned with, I've never personally attempted a true long-range shot with it, so I cannot attest to anything more.

I will say this much though, Jerry Miculek once did a video on the Judge, and he seemed satisfied by its accuracy.

 

[stuckinthe60s]

.......it puts smiles on young kids faces.

and my old mug too.

 

[FireForged]

I don't know about the rest of you but I bagged plenty of rabbit and squirrel with a .410.

It puts down small game rather well. What it is that you want it to do?

 

[340 Weatherby]

What does a .410 do well? If you have a good quaulity .410 like a Browning or Beretta they can be pure magic. If you walk out of a dove field with a limit There is no better feeling for a wing shooter. Takes a lot of practice though.

 

[rc]

A 410 fits into small guns for small shooters and the shells are small so you can fit a whole box in your pocket. A 410 at 20 or 30 yards with six shot is effective on Rabbits and squirrels. The long shot string and limited shot make wing shooting more difficult than with a 20 or 12. A skilled shot can kill pheasant with a 410 but you have to be close and accurate with your lead because the effective pattern is small. A 410 is probably best as a snake gun up close. Far better than shot from a pistol. A 410 will never be as good as a 20 ga overall. rc

 

[darkgael]

Do well? For one thing, they are easier to carry. I am at a point where my lower back problems limits my mobility. It is difficult to walk much, difficult to bring a larger gun up, mount it and shoot. I can do those things with a .410 more easily.
Last weekend, I went pheasant shooting on a preserve. I was using an inexpensive ATI O/U that weighed about five pounds. The flushes were, mostly, close and I took four birds with half a dozen shots. I was happy with that. One of them was going away and at 30 yards at least. Two shots fast, mod&Full. I saw the tail feathers go, thought that I had missed it but the dog found it.
Note: sometimes I experiment with "things" that are really impractical. This hunt I brought along five Federal TSS Turkey shells....Just to see. They worked very well but are way too expensive to use for general hunting at about six bucks a bang. 13/16 ths of #9 TSS.
Even reloading my own would be too expensive for my tastes. TSS shot is $$$.
Pete

 

[The Happy kaboomer]

I got bit by the 410 bug last February(2019). Bought a Yildiz 410 O/U. Killed the limit of doves on opening day with it. Started reloading for it. Then I bought a Remington 870 in 410. This year I bought a Tristar G2 semi auto in 410. to date I loaded a little over 4000 2 1/2" & "3' 410 shells. I use these guns weekly on my skeet field. Plus I rabbit hunt with them also. I make my own #8 shot so a reloaded box of 410's cost me about $2.50 a box.
I have no use for a 410 pistol. To me they are useless.

 

[seeker_two]

In a full-size pump shotgun using Federal 000Buck, it makes a decent SD tool that doesn't beat you to death....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[TruthTellers]

In a full-size pump shotgun using Federal 000Buck, it makes a decent SD tool that doesn't beat you to death....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

OP here, that's one thing that I have considered .410 to be very acceptable with and for some of small stature or don't handle recoil well I would think they'd be a lot better of with a .410 they can shoot well vs a 12 or 20 they can't.

5 pellets of 000 Buck is nothing to sneeze at, cuz we gotta cover our sneezes and coughs these days with the coronavirus.

Personally I shoot 12 gauge poorly, 20 I've never shot, and .410 I will assume is like shooting a .40 PCC.

For people still reading this thread, in regards to self defense, how much more effective is 20 gauge vs 5 pellet 000 Buck .410?

 

[The Happy kaboomer]

What does it do well?...........It makes me happy. On the skeet field/dove field and with the beagles on rabbits. I now have 3. A semi-auto(Tristar G2), a pump(Remingotn 870) and an o/u(Yildiz SPZ-ME). This coming from a guy that has shot 12's for the last 50 years. Reloading the 410 cost me about $2.50 a box.

 

[darkgael]

For people still reading this thread, in regards to self defense, how much more effective is 20 gauge vs 5 pellet 000 Buck .410?

Having never used the .410 for actual self defense, I do not know how it would “actually” do.
The 20 ga. will give you more pellets on target with about the same size pattern if fired from the same size choke. That I can test. Each pellet .410 or 20 will carry about the same amount of energy. I am not sure that there are 000 loadings for 20 gauge shells. The largest that I have seen for sale in 20 gauge is #2 buckshot which is not available in .410.

 

[Grant 14]

The problem I see with the .410 is ammo cost. I own 3 and love them but a reloading kit (LEE) for 20 with an interchange for 12 gauge is just under $100 from Midway. The least expensive MEC .410 reloader is about $235 and if I read the adds correctly you need a different one for 2.5 inch and 3 inch. I keep looking at my old rifle single stage press and thinking about modifying it for .410. The shell holder and the ram would have to be opened up a bit to allow the larger primers to drop and some company would have to make a sizing die. I just wish Lee would make a conversion to their basic shotshell press. It would be mostly plastic, so it would not cost a lot to manufacture. OH WELL! Grant.

 

[FireForged]

The 410 is a squirrel gun. If you can get a shot at rabbit (rather close), you can hunt rabbit with it. I consider it a poor bird gun because birds of often out of range regarding the 410s rather narrow sweet spot.

I have never really considered the 410 to be a self defense weapon but I guess it could be used successfully in that role. The thing is rather devastating at close ranges.

As far as what it may do better than the 12 or 20? I wouldn't say better, but I would say cheaper and easier. It efficiently takes small game with an ease of effort/comfort and at a lower price point than a 12 or 20. That is my general impression