Took the .410g for a walk

Decided to take the .410g for a stroll up the creek on the boundary last night. I barely got 50m before kicking up a nice cock pheasant, I got a shot off at about 40m and it dropped clean but crashed into the willows on the edge of my pond. After about 20mins of trying to get to it it got too dark to find so retreated for dinner.
I went back out this morning and found it caught up in the trees so good result.
A nice young bird with a crop bulging with maize. Should be a good meal.

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very pretty,and the bird isnt bad either. if you havent tried them already,find some 3 inch winchester loads...mine all preferred the #4s but others swear by #6s. the .410 is a neat wee gun and deadly on possums up trees,almost to much fun.

I have to "like" that

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

very pretty,and the bird isnt bad either. if you havent tried them already,find some 3 inch winchester loads...mine all preferred the #4s but others swear by #6s. the .410 is a neat wee gun and deadly on possums up trees,almost to much fun.

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Funny you should say that, I run the 3"winchester #6 in the first barrel with an improved choke and a 3" #4 in the second barrel full choke.
I couldnt find any #4s in the super X so picked up a box of the Gamebore 3" which seem to pattern well too.
I have not noticed and difference in range or knock down power to the 12g, there's a few less pellets in the pattern but that keeps you sharp and lead still pisses on steel for clean kills.. best of all the low recoil and less noise is pleasant to pheasant with ��

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good ho....fiochhi make a really good 3" load too. watch out for different brands,the payloads get pitifull on some of them...rio make a 2 1/2 that has LESS than half n oz....useless. the old winchester 3" was a 3/4oz load and its easy to duplicate,we used a mix of shot sizes for best effect... thats a very nice looking gun....details please.

Good .410 ammo seems hard to find at the moment 11/16oz seems to be the heaviest load I can find, It seems like the shops dont know what to order so get stuck with the random crap and dont re-order. If I could get some decent loads like that old Winchester 3/4oz I'd be all over it. I havent reloaded for .410 before as I dont use it enough to warrant it.
I cant decide which I like better between the #4s or #6s so if I found some quality #5s that would probably be the go.

The shotty is just a 2004 Baikal that a mate gave me in a trade, I started duck shooting with one just like it but in 12g as a kid and they seem to fit me better than any other shotty I've shouldered. Its nothing flash but it takes me back to a lot of good childhood memories when I use it so its a keeper.

well buggermesideways..... that makes perfect sence....Bakails are AWESOME guns....we had three of them in action all weekend LOL.
unfortunately my whackamole .410 loading kit is on loan in other island at this time...will get it back one day.
if I find any good ammo I will be sure to let you know where it is.

Much appreciated!

Just had a google around for some 3/4oz loads.. it seems Winchester do still make it but no one seems to stock it. There is also one by Fiocchi and some other random brands that Ive never heard of with low velocity 800-900fps sub loads.
Maybe I need to find some suitable wads and have a crack a loading some.

https://yorkguns.com/shop/cheddite-4...nziata-24g-6s/

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like that a thousand times...its good stuff.

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Originally Posted by Wingman

Good .410 ammo seems hard to find at the moment 11/16oz seems to be the heaviest load I can find, It seems like the shops dont know what to order so get stuck with the random crap and dont re-order. If I could get some decent loads like that old Winchester 3/4oz I'd be all over it. I havent reloaded for .410 before as I dont use it enough to warrant it.
I cant decide which I like better between the #4s or #6s so if I found some quality #5s that would probably be the go.

The shotty is just a 2004 Baikal that a mate gave me in a trade, I started duck shooting with one just like it but in 12g as a kid and they seem to fit me better than any other shotty I've shouldered. Its nothing flash but it takes me back to a lot of good childhood memories when I use it so its a keeper.

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Want a couple of pkts of #5 B&P to try? 19gram load.
Willy

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

like that a thousand times...its good stuff.

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Always keen to try something new!
I didnt think to look up B&P, but found they also do a 3/4oz load

PS Ill give you a call tonight in regards to our other project, got my mate on board:thumbsup:

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That's good news coz I've already got the barrelled action on the way! :thumbsup:

Dang it @Micky Duck you've had me researching .410 hand loads all day and now I think I might just go that way.

I plucked the pheasant to put in the fridge for another few days and found 3 pellets on the bird, 2 in the boiler room and one in the upper neck which explains the instant kill.

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Not bad for a 40m shot with the 3" Winchester #6 shot but I decided to pattern both my guns with both lots of ammo at 30 meters just to see how much luck was involved.

The Baikal has a 26.5" barrel with fixed chokes of improved and full and my little Yildiz has 28" barrels with interchangeable chokes. I screwed in the same full and imp chokes to keep the test fair between the two.

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I roughly drew a 3" circle on some cardboard and shot one of each of the Winchester #6 and the Gamebore #4 through the full choked barrels of each gun.
Although both guns are full sized the little Yildez is a much lighter and pitite little gun than the Baikal which shares the same big frame as the 12g model so you can really notice the sharper recoil of the winchester 11/16oz loads over the lighter 1/2oz game bore loads.. the heavier Baikal felt no different between loads.

First up was the Yildez which seemed to favour the lighter loads of #4s

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The Baikal up next and it showed a much tighter group with the Winchester #6s. The Gamebore #4s really opened up at 30m. Id only ever patterned them at 20m in the improved choked bore in the past so this was interesting to see. Some pellets spread so low that they hit the Yidlez test target that some rookie left on the ground under this one.. so please ignore the vertical strikes in the Yidlez pattern it was Russian sabotage at work.


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Im really keen to try some 3/4oz loads now.. a little more lead traveling slightly slower may patten better.
It looks like the only way Ill be testing them any time soon is if I load some myself. Ill have to pick up some primers, wads and some shot when I work out the best components for the task. I have Win 296/H110, Hogdon Lilgun and Alliant 300MP powders to try and a handfull of empty hulls so there's a start point.
I drove around 6 gunshops this morning and the was next to nothing on offer other than a few light trap loadings in #7.5s and #9s. There were 2 boxes of Eley #6 1/2oz loads at gun city but that was about the extent of the game loads available.

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most .410s are patterned at 25 yards......it gives a much more consistant kill at 25 than at 40..... none of my .410s over the years have liked 6s....dont know why,its just one of those things....

mate in Timaru is importing the B&P steel loads in .12ga......he may even be agaent for it....wouldnt be hard to get some of the 410 stuff but may have to buy a slab....

I just pulled apart some very old .20g shells to re-use the lead.. going to throw a few handloads together in some 3" hulls with some Alliant 300MP and #4 , #5 and #6 shot and see how it does.
I opened up one of the Winchester #6 shells and the wads are only holding 2/3rds of the 11/16oz load like you said Mick Duck so hopefully I can find some longer ones to hold the 3/4oz load. Ill make up some hand loading tools/dies in the lathe in the next few days

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mix the shot together.and chuck some 7s and 8s in with it......and for tools you only need a mock chamber and a dowel of the internal diameter to tamp down the completed round...primer pokes out with a punch..just need a flat surface with a hole for primer to go into...put new one in by hand,insert dowel in business end of case and push down on flat surface....we used grannies tile table top... I used to pour in powder,wiggle wad in by hand,pour in shot,then put it in holder and push down with dowel...getting component height is criticle...if the end of your mock chamber is tapered inwards it will start crimp closing and the dowel coming down through it does the rest.....possibly wont work through a pump or semi...but you can get away with a hell of a lot with a break open.......if you put a wee cardboard disc ontop of shot,your crimp can be rather" agricultural" and still work fine.....

Yip thats what Ill do for now but If Im doing more of it Ill make some dies for my press to decap and crimp etc
I dont really want to mix shot as I will only buy one bag which will last me a loooooong time. Im leaning towards #4s or #5s

I hear you.....BUT by chucking in some #8s you will fill out pattern much better,heck buy a box of cheap clay loads,25oz of size #8s goes a long way if you putting in 1/4 oz per load...100ish if my maths teacher taught me right....half oz of your #4-5 and rest the 8s.....it would double your patterns density near enough....Bill Axby was a big fan of 8s in the wee gun.

My maths teacher was a dick, I get it but it just goes against my school of thought and how I tend to use my .410g. I shoot a lot more 30+ meter shots than I do under 25m so penetration and killing power on larger game birds (with a higher chance of missing) is more important than a tighter pattern littered with smaller shot that might wound rather than penetrate and kill especially will slower moving 11/16oz and 3/4oz loads. Im going for slow and heavy in the tightest chokes over fast and light in more open chokes as that is what best suits my purpose.
Looking back at my pattern tests, all would be propper dead ducks, pheasants and rabbits at that range but if I was shooing more rats, weasles starlings etc Id venture into the trap loadings.

good stuff,you know what your doing with bangsticks,your rifle builds and cartridge loading leave me waaaaaay behind in the dust. find Bill Axbeys book "the bird hunters" its a good read.

you need some of this perhaps
18-gcc-tungsten-super-shot-tss
I would loke to try it but 16 12ga rounds per pound means its bloody expensive by the time its shipped here

yes the guys in states are shooting geese at 50 yards with #7s......that takes a lot of getting the head around.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

yes the guys in states are shooting geese at 50 yards with #7s......that takes a lot of getting the head around.

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I know, would like to try some in my 20ga and 28ga would be better than steel

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Originally Posted by mikee

you need some of this perhaps
18-gcc-tungsten-super-shot-tss
I would loke to try it but 16 12ga rounds per pound means its bloody expensive by the time its shipped here

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Now why did you have to go and show me that?! Yes you are right.. this is what I need. I wonder if anyone this side of the pond has it on the shelf?

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Originally Posted by Wingman

Now why did you have to go and show me that?! Yes you are right.. this is what I need. I wonder if anyone this side of the pond has it on the shelf?

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Well if you find some I would be interested. Problem with the sub guages now we have these new Non toxic shot rules is no bloody retailers / importers actually bring in any for 410 or 28ga (market too small) and very little for the 20ga.
I usually shoot a 20ga with 28ga adapters over my dog as all the shots are close and generally rising away from me and 28ga is perfect. If I could have brought the gun in 28 I would have but when I brought it 11 years ago 28ga was not an option and neither was .410

Heres a good vid showing various hunting shot sizes at longer ranges.

https://youtu.be/PSw0PENfztY

Guys, I am keen on the tungsten option for 20 & 28 ga too. I believe there are two types of tungsten shell. I think tungsten matrix is ok for older guns but tungsten iron is only suitable for "steel proofed" guns. The tungsten option in #7 appears a mighty option for a .410 as well?

Group buy?

it does sound great. Don't know how it would go out of the full choke remmy