Thank you friends. That's what I was trying to get across. When they passed the .410 regulation change, they did it for all the wrong reasons.
I had neighborhood kids that sat in uncle bubba's tree stand that had shot their newly bought .410's 3 or 4 times. Maybe once with a slug, never at paper to "sight in" their bead.
Same diameter slug as a .41cal, and usually a heavier projectile.
I've taken a doe with a .410.
Not my round of choice, but if you do your job. it will suffice.
Typically, .410 slugs are 1/4 ounce or about 109 grains and .41 caliber handguns typically shoot a minimum of a 170 grain bullet so the .410 is really not in the same league. Additionally, the .41 caliber handgun typically either has a well designed controlled expansion hollow point bullet or a heavy for caliber hard cast lead bullet while the .410 slug is just soft lead.
I doubt the .410 is responsible for all that many wounded deer though. A lot of factors can lead to a wounded deer, from shotguns with nothing more than bead "sights" to lack of practice to insisting on using the bare minimum legal caliber to poor bullet selection, etc. However, sooner or later most people will wound a deer if they hunt long enough, there's so much than can go wrong and sooner or later something will.
The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.
The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.
The bucks with parts of their antlers shot off are what amazes me, that's a difficult shot.
When I was in Elementary school, One of my close friends owned 10 acres on the edge of a large Christmas tree farm. He was the smallest kid in class by a mile, but that didn't stop him from deer hunting with dad.
He used one of the old Winchester single shot bolt action .410 shotguns - the kind that had a front bead, but also a rear notch. His dad set him up on quite a high tree stand along one of the trails that crossed their property, and he took his buck every year. Shots were WELL under 50 yards, probably more like 25.
.410 works ... like 32acp or 380 works - just about everything else is better, but it will do its part if you do yours.
Don't believe Winchester ever made a bolt action shotgun...
I whole heartedly agree that everyone who steps in the woods or fields to hunt owes it to the game to practice and make every effort to make a clean, quick kill. I have quite an extensive background in training and I work with my equipment until I feel as if I cannot miss. That said, I made an absolutely horrible shot on my buck last year and I still have no explanation for what went wrong. I don't get overly excited and everything felt right with the shot but my arrow missed it's mark by 18" to the right of where I intended it to go. I'd been struggling with not being able to practice as much as I wanted due to my shoulder but still felt confident. That's the last animal I'll take with a bow. As much as I love bowhunting, the animals deserve better so I'm now using a crossbow.