Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
Gonna invest in 2 bags of shot for my 410's and lonely .28 gauge. Which 2 sizes would I find most useful. Main critters here are ruffed grouse, squill, pheasants and rabbits. Or would #7 1/2 do everything I need to with these 2.
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres
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- Old Ironsights
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
I prefer #6.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
Old Ironsights wrote:I prefer #6.
Me too.
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- Buck Elliott
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
#6...
Regards
Buck
Life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens, and the unforeseeable, that which your life becomes...
Buck
Life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens, and the unforeseeable, that which your life becomes...
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
The H&R single is full so I use #4. I prefer the One Lucky Pellet method.
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
Proud Life Member Of:
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Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
3 inch .410 with #6 is about as good as it gets with a .410 for small game.
Don't believe I have ever shot a 28GA.
----J
Don't believe I have ever shot a 28GA.
----J
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- Senior Levergunner
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
7 1/2 is a good all-around size for most upland birds and cotton-tails.
For squirrel, 6 is minimal 5 is ideal.
For squirrel, 6 is minimal 5 is ideal.
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
Go to Ballistic Products Inc website, they usually have #7 shot.
I use it quite a bit in all gauges, even late season, first barrel might have #7 in it.
Just a hair bigger than 7.5, but more pellets than #6.
I use it on pheasant, prairie chicken, quail, huns, chukars...
I use it quite a bit in all gauges, even late season, first barrel might have #7 in it.
Just a hair bigger than 7.5, but more pellets than #6.
I use it on pheasant, prairie chicken, quail, huns, chukars...
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- Levergunner 3.0
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
7s might be a good compromise if you can get them, but I'd say 7 1/2s and 6s, as hard as you can find, copper plated even better. These small guages "scrub" pellets, even in shot cups, and they also have a tendency to distort shot by having the shot hit each other more than in wider bores and shot strings. So you naturally get a larger percentage of "fliers" just when you don't want them--the patterns are thin enough as it is.
I agree with the "big shot" theory, but only for furred game. For flyers you need more shot and a better pattern than the few 4s that can be crammed into a .410 or 28 shell.
It's really nice to use a double when shooting these smaller guages. Then you have a choice of shot size AND choke for each situation. You can load one barrel with smaller shot for the birds and the other with bigger shot for the bunnies and squirrels. Tho' I do find that just about anything will kill a cottontail. It's the tree rats that are tough to kill.
I agree with the "big shot" theory, but only for furred game. For flyers you need more shot and a better pattern than the few 4s that can be crammed into a .410 or 28 shell.
It's really nice to use a double when shooting these smaller guages. Then you have a choice of shot size AND choke for each situation. You can load one barrel with smaller shot for the birds and the other with bigger shot for the bunnies and squirrels. Tho' I do find that just about anything will kill a cottontail. It's the tree rats that are tough to kill.
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- Senior Levergunner
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
#6 is my preference. Anything over #7 and you get a long shot string with the smaller guages.
The best, is to check your pattern and see what the piece is throwing, and at what distance.
The best, is to check your pattern and see what the piece is throwing, and at what distance.
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- Old Ironsights
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
In firefighting, our goal is to put the wet stuff on the red stuff.
But when it comes to small game, it's put the Red Stuff on the Fuzzy Stuff...
Sadly, it's only a 2-1/2" gun, but it does OK.
But when it comes to small game, it's put the Red Stuff on the Fuzzy Stuff...
Sadly, it's only a 2-1/2" gun, but it does OK.
Last edited by Old Ironsights on Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
#5 is my favorite.
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
I load #71/2s & 8s in 410 for fools hens and of the 3 kinds I prefer the ruffled grouse for eating. danny
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
#6 is good for critters that fly. I prefer #4 for rabbits and hares. So, take a look at your most likely target and decide from there.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
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"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
Even the 3" .410 has a low pellet count to start with so there is merit in 7 1/2 shot on birds to extend the range to 30 yards or so before the holes in the pattern are too big. If I were using a 2 1/2" .410, I'd definitely stay with 7 1/2 shot.
On squirrels and rabbits, my preference is 5 shot in a 2 1/2" .410 or 4 shot in a 3" .410 as a balance between pellet count and penetration.
On squirrels and rabbits, my preference is 5 shot in a 2 1/2" .410 or 4 shot in a 3" .410 as a balance between pellet count and penetration.
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
I don't have much experience with the tiny gauges, but I like at least #6 for squirrels preferring 5 or 4 shot. Never had any trouble killing cottontails with 6 or 7 1/2 (but #8 cheap game loads were unimpressive on one hunt). Squirrels are much more tenacious of life than bunnies. I use 12 and 20 gauge so I don't know when patterns start to deteriorate with the smaller shotcups.
I would go #6 if I were determined to go with one all around load. Maybe 7 1/2 (rabbit, grouse) and 5 (squirrel, pheasant) for options. Maybe 4 is too big for .410, don't know.
I would go #6 if I were determined to go with one all around load. Maybe 7 1/2 (rabbit, grouse) and 5 (squirrel, pheasant) for options. Maybe 4 is too big for .410, don't know.
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
My .410 has been retired some time ago as a wall hanger. In general I used #6's for pheasants and ducks. Shots usually weren't taken over about 25 yds for pheasants and over decoys for ducks. Later on it was used to shoot cripples while goose hunting. Mostly used for grouse hunting. Used mostly #7 1/2's and occasionally with #9's which years ago could be found loaded in 3" hulls.
Happy Trails!
Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
If it were me I'd get a bag of Magnum 8's and a second bag of Magnum 6's !
It used to be magnum grade shot was as much as $2 a bag more then chilled shot , now it's about $0.50 dealer cost . So when I buy shot I see no reason not to get magnum grade .
I bought some copper plated one time when I was grouse hunting alot . That had to be 25 years ago anyway Lawrence copper plated 7 1/2's were about $30 a 10 pound bag then !
I've shot something in the area of 50,000 rounds of 28 and 410 at skeet over the years . And I gotta say I never felt at a loss using either . Matter of fact in the latter years my 28 gauge average was always my highest and I was AA in all gauges if that tells you anything . The 28 gauge with 3/4 ounce of shot is one of the two most ballistically efficient shotgun loads with the other being the 16 gauge with an ounce of shot .
Over the years I killed a good number of dove with the 28 it also made an excellent preserve quail gun , although I gotta admit I minced a few quail using the 28 same as I would have with a 12 , 16 or 20 . But I suppose that was a product of always shooting quick and trying to get them right off the nest !
It used to be magnum grade shot was as much as $2 a bag more then chilled shot , now it's about $0.50 dealer cost . So when I buy shot I see no reason not to get magnum grade .
I bought some copper plated one time when I was grouse hunting alot . That had to be 25 years ago anyway Lawrence copper plated 7 1/2's were about $30 a 10 pound bag then !
I've shot something in the area of 50,000 rounds of 28 and 410 at skeet over the years . And I gotta say I never felt at a loss using either . Matter of fact in the latter years my 28 gauge average was always my highest and I was AA in all gauges if that tells you anything . The 28 gauge with 3/4 ounce of shot is one of the two most ballistically efficient shotgun loads with the other being the 16 gauge with an ounce of shot .
Over the years I killed a good number of dove with the 28 it also made an excellent preserve quail gun , although I gotta admit I minced a few quail using the 28 same as I would have with a 12 , 16 or 20 . But I suppose that was a product of always shooting quick and trying to get them right off the nest !
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- Old Ironsights
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Re: Shot size for 410 and .28gauge
Something else to consider, especially when shooting bunnies.
Since they are almost always running away or barely quartering if you get the snap shot, most of the pellets won't do a heck of a lot of damage.
When I've cut up my bunnies, sometimes there isn't even a bone broken... but then I find that one pellet that rectum ...
Since they are almost always running away or barely quartering if you get the snap shot, most of the pellets won't do a heck of a lot of damage.
When I've cut up my bunnies, sometimes there isn't even a bone broken... but then I find that one pellet that rectum ...
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!