Ever try a .410 bore shotgun slug for deer hunting? I was a youngster of about 8 years old using a 20 gauge slug to take my first deer, but my younger brother took his first deer with a .410 bore slug from a Winchester single shot. Years later, I bought a .410 side by side to squirrel hunt with and I've taken a few critters with slugs including a coyote and quite a few armadillos, and one feral hog that I came up on while squirrel hunting in the big woods of south Arkansas using .410 slugs. Sometimes while small game hunting with a .410 during gun deer season I have carried a few slugs in my pocket, but never took the opportunity to shoot any deer with it.

I came upon this on line article and imbedded test video and thought it was some very good info worth sharing, especially the test comparing two popular .410 bore slugs, the traditional Remington Rifled (Foster) Slug against the Brenneke slug. I was very surprised at the outcome of the test.

Just for clarification, I'm not advocating deer hunting with a .410 bore shotgun.

BALLISTICS GEL TEST: .410 SHOTGUN SLUGS (VIDEO) - The Classic Woodsman

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I hate to use the little .410 on just Dove, let alone a deer size animal.

To keep a deer from suffering, I think the 12 Ga. slug is minimum, in order
to have enough energy and penetration.

However, anything will work in a true survival event, if needed, to survive.

In order to kill a deer with a 410, everything must be perfect. There is no room for error. Your marksmanship must be perfect. Your ability to estimate range must be perfect. Your knowledge of deer anatomy has to be perfect. The animal must be in the right position to present a proper target so that tiny slug can hit something vital. More likely than not, it will just wound the animal and cause it to die a slow death someplace other than where you are. I would not consider using a 410 for deer unless it was a survival situation. In fact, I would go so far as to say that using one for deer is unethical.

I’m sure a fair number of white tails have been taken with a 410, but it seems more like a stunt than a good idea.

We’re all aware of photos of an Alaskan Brown Bear killed with a 22 short. Just because it’s been done, doesn’t make it a good idea!

In Wisconsin the smallest legal gauge for deer is 28. 410 bore is further defined as illegal for deer.

After my buddy's dad died, knowing that I was a shooter / hunter, he gave me his Dad's bolt action mag fed .410. He swore that his Dad had taken a deer every year with it. As he described it, it was many years before, and it was the only gun he ever owned.

The regulations in my home state forbid the use of a .410 for deer, so my only guess is that the law must have changed.

My Winchester 42 pump in .410 is my favorite shotgun. I've never shot a deer with it, but I've seen several taken down with 'em around our area. I'm with Faulkner, though. I wouldn't recommend it for deer hunting.

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I saw a deer taken with a 410 at just about 200 yds. Guyhad a Stevens 311 SxS. He just up and took a shot. Deer stumbled fell down and was dead when we got to it. Hit it just above the left eye. I shot one with my Win M-37 in 1960. About maybe 50 ft in a pine thicket. Never used a 410 on a deer again. It just kept walking for about 15 ft fell over dead. A friend shot a small buck with a Remington 11-48 28 ga one day while we were quail hunting. He used a blue Peters punkin ball load. I don't ever remember seeing a 28 ga foster slug. Killed the deer but surely didn't knock him over dead. A 20 ga is about as small as I want to go for deer

Ballistic products seems to have one or two viable specimens, but even they don't give the .410 slug much attention.
That's probably all one needs to know

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I've seen a number of deer killed with .410 slugs, but that doesn't mean I'd recommend it. I've also seen deer killed with 22LR's, but that doesn't mean it's a smart or humane choice.

Sorry, no. Nor would I EVER. Our venison feeds us, so we would not try such a silly thing. But you do you, BOO!

Not sporting in any way, shape or form. Horrible for you, AND the deer…

Need I say more?

Regards, Rick Gibbs

That was a well-done video.

The performance difference between the Foster slug and the Brenneke was amazing.

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I'm sure many deer have been taken with .22LRs. But I would not use a .410 or a .22 unless it was a survival situation.

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I agree with your assessment of the video. Often it is asked on these forums what is the best ammo for any particular animal to be hunted. The number 1 answer is "whatever your gun shoots best". After 6 decades of hunting deer, elk, antelope, bear, etc. I can find no worse advice. This video is proof of my experiences. If a novice hunter followed such poor advise and his 410 shot the foster slug better, the hunter would take to the woods and deer fields with the worst possible ammunition. In the big game fields of Africa there is a saying that is just as true here as there. There are only 2 factors in successful hunting and those are bullet placement and penetration. I autopsy every animal taken by myself, or clients and have even found dead unrecovered found animals that I autopsied to determine the cause of loss. The 2 factors in all cases were either poor shot placement or poor bullet performance.

I'm just curious. I wonder how a 410 slug compares to a 357. Lots of people use 357 handguns on deer.

I don't think.I would use a 410 for deer. I don't think the projectile will retain sufficient velocity out last 30 to 40 yards to reliability kill a deer. Accuracy is also a consideration. A 1/5 oz 410 ,'slug is only 5.6 grams, 86.5 grains. I could be wrong but a 20ga or 12ga slug would be more comforting to me.

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Since no one has posted this yet...

.410 slug ballistics: Foster 88 gr at 1830 fps, Brenneke 110 gr at 1755 fps at the muzzle. Compare these to a 12 gauge at 438 gr at 1550-1750, to 600 gr at 1600 fps.

Comparing the .410 to a revolver is interesting. If you took a .41 Magnum, loaded it with soft lead bullets at about 40% standard weight for caliber with full charge loads you'd be close. Accuracy with that short of a bullet might be close to a smoothbore also.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I would think a 410 slug would be similar to a 45LC ballistic wise. Using the long Colt in 410 might be better but without rifling who knows. LC isn’t very accurate out of my 15” 410 Encore.

NEVER.......It's weak and small. You'll wound more than you kill. I'd consider it a "stunt" to try it.......Coming from a 410 shooter and a 410 loader.

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If you like your eyes and fingers you will never shoot a 45LC out of a 410 bore shotgun.

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The first few years my wife hunted deer she killed her deer with one shot from a Savage pump 410. Her stand was in little creek bottom and shots were 30-40yds. Same stand and practically the same shot year to year.
410 slug has about same power as a standard .38 special at those ranges.
I had buddy that was worried about the 410 thing and I think her Third year he insisted she use his Rem 1100Lt 20g. With which she shot her deer again same stand, same range. The Rem was a lot prettier than the Savage so I ended up having to purchase a 1100Lt 20g. Which she continued to do same shot, same spot for years.
On subject of 20g slugs for deer. I don’t know exactly how many deer I’ve shot with slugs. There was a game warden who made it his mission in life.
I shot a few with 20g as far as I have with 12g which is about 125yds. The Average shot in my neck of the woods is 30-40yds. Most of mine are shot on the jump out of thick cover. The 410 is no good for that type of hunting.
For sitting on a stump on a deer crossing , which is deer shooting not deer hunting the 410 is fine. Several kids shot their 1st deer from wife’s stand too. At 30-40 yds it’s not hard to kill a deer with a 22. I know a guy that once killed one with a 22short / Ruger Single-6 at about 25’.
The 357 mag is popular deer rifle here in Ohio now that we have limited rifle season. A 410 slug ( 1/5th once ) at 1250fps at 30-40yds on stationary deer will kill it just as dead as a 45/70. I also forgot to mention they weren’t bang flops but didn’t go better than 20yds. yes they were good hits, from people who could shoot.
I saw on a gun forum that shooting running deer is unethical. It probably is for 50% of hunters. I’ve found that Bar Stool Bullseye Shooters don’t fare to well when you stand them up on their hind legs. A man has to know his limitations.

What are they intended for?

In the early 60s I had a S&W .44 Special and my brother had a Bay State single barrel .410. We didn't have any .410 slugs so we used the .44s and didn't have any safety problems. I don't remember the accuracy or penetration but I'm pretty sure a 246 gr. .44 that is keyholing would leave a mark. Larry

At 200 yards, a .410 slug will have 50-70 ft⋅lbf of energy left, and hitting anything will be pure luck. If one can't handle a halfway decent rifle cartridge, then that person should not be hunting at distances of 200 yards.

Here's a Gundigest article on the subject: .410 Slugs: What’s The Use?

My Contenders are made to shoot both 45s and 410. So is a Judge. And I have shot slugs in the Contender...choke removed of course. Actually shoots ok. I only shot the one deer with a 410. But understand 410 slugs cost the same as 12 ga...and I wanted to eat deer rather than seafood so much....father being a Chesapeake Bay waterman et al...I still don't eat seafood. The 410 slug while not great is adequate for deer to maybe 100 ft or so. Where the rub comes in is not everyone will be content to only shoot that far and only on standing or walking critters. Many don't consider the 410 a sporting round at all. Limited range and pattern. I killed my first goose and thousands of doves with the gun. Just have to KNOW the limitations. And BTW when it comes to patterns the average 410 will shoot better ones with the short 2 1/2 inch rather than the 3 inch loads. Ask how I know! I do remember two men who used the 410 slug in their beef and hog slaughter business. Most used the 22 but one had an old Iver Johnson 410 cut off to about 12 inches

I didn't say it was a thing to do.. I just saw it happen. I was about 12-13 years old . The kid that shot was excited to even see a deer. About 10 people were surprised. They were just finishing up on a deer drive. As I said...inside 30 yards may be acceptable

I’ve shot 45 Colt from various 410 single shots. The only bad feedback I know is a guy wrecked a Snake Charmer 410 with a .444 Marlin. We found 45 in 410 was inaccurate. Same as I’ve found with the Judge.
Most who bad mouth 410s never had one. Used within range limitations they will do the job. My dad never liked 410s for kids. He said it put kid at disadvantage and wounded game. Because kids would shoot to far. I think there is some truth in that. I know guys that use 410s for rabbit & squirrel exclusively.

My son his first deer with a Winchester single shot in 410 at the age of 12. The shot was about 25 yards right thru the heart/lung area. About as effective as a 357 Magnum.

Yes, I know, I didn't comment on what you're doing but on what you observed.

Seems to depend on the specific slug.
Many appear to be purpose built to separate money from the customer base
Others seem to have the intent to offer the customer something in return

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I would have to disagree.
Two old friends of mine who have passed away did most of their deer hunting with bolt action .410’s, and killed quite a few deer with them over the years.
Both said they never took a shot past 50 yards, and the little high-speed sluge made pretty nasty wounds with plenty of penetration.
One of them had only lost one that he knew he hit, and the other guy had never lost any. And they almost always waited for a good ( not always perfect ) shot thru the lungs if they could.

I think that might be illegal in some jurisdictions.

You will find these kinds of rules in some places:

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