.410 or a stout stick?

[wtr100]

So in your infinite wisdom whadda choose?

[mantis]

While not ideal for defensive applications, if the choice is having a .410 vs. not having a firearm at all, I'd take the .410. When it comes to defence, any firearm is better than no firearm.

[ozwyn]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... .jsp.form1

seems like there may be some worthwhile .410 loads.

hmm.. 3 00 buck pellets AND a slug

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... .jsp.form1

Might be designed for the judge, but chances are in a regular shotgun it will be more than just fine

[Kelvar]

This seems like more of a "what would you do?"

Fact is, most people have better options than any of these. So I'd have to vote, "None of the above."

[whisk.e.rebellion]

This seems like more of a "what would you do?"

Seems more like "Zombie Combat Tactics" to me.

[Kelvar]

This seems like more of a "what would you do?"

Seems more like "Zombie Combat Tactics" to me.

Well played, sir.

[Neocount]

I went with the .410, because as its been stated, its better than no firearm at all. On the plus side, when you run out of ammo, you have yourself a club with which to bludgeon!

[T-Rex]

Love the 410!

[Dooms]

.410 gets a bad rep, but it's not the total slouch people make it out to be. Typical 3" slug loads actually outperform a lot of common handgun loads. Here's a website which speaks specifically on the performance of .410 Brenneke slugs: http://mcb-homis.com/bren/bren.htm

I'd actually like to pick up a .410 Mossberg Cruiser. It's light weight, easy to shoot, and holds five 3" .410 shells. For defensive purposes I would keep 3" Brenneke slugs handy. Otherwise, with various bird shot loads it could be used to get small game at reasonable distances, including small game or birds on tree branches or in flight (which I would not want to use a .22lr for, as shooting a .22 that high into the air has potential safety ramifications). Essentially, it would probably replace my .22lr as my typical "go-to" wilderness survival/hiking gun.

I wouldn't even have to worry about ammunition availability anymore, because, thanks to the Judge, .410 ammo is everywhere now. I'm actually quite curious to see how some of those loads designed for the short barreled Judge perform out of an 18.5" barreled shotgun.

[DeadCanadian]

A stick, it is a no-brainer

Can't carry a .410 in Canada but I can carry a walking stick everywhere and that is what I train in.

[Finch]

12 gauge ftmfw

but if I must pick I'll take any high speed projectile launcher over a stick anyday

[Jamie]

.410...I've fired them with various loads, which I doubt stick-voters can say...

Jamie

[elkhills]

I've killed many a critter with a .410.
Less with stout sticks.




Zero with Klingon Battle Axes, though to be fair, I've never been to Kronos.

[bonanacrom]

When the .410 is out of shells it becomes a stout stick, win-win.

[ChaoticL0gic]

I have had an old .410 sideby for years, I love it! These brings up a question I have always wondered. For home defense in a apartment wouldn't a .410 be ideal since there is little chance the shot will going through the wall into another apartment. Even if it does it would have enough force to hurt anyone? Of course this is assume you're using birdshot and not 00 or slug.

oh and don't for get this little 410

[Dooms]

Anything that is going to have the penetration necessary to stop a threat, is going to be able to penetrate interior walls. Be it .410 buckshot or a .44 magnum. I've personally shot a .22 CB short round at an interior wall and it sailed right through the sheet rock and still had plenty of force on the other side to penetrate into a pine board....and .22 short is about as weak as gets, other than a BB gun.

Very simply, if you plan on relying on a firearm to stop a threat, there will be the potential for over-penetration. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with a BB gun that you may not be able to rely upon when your life, or the life of your family, depends on it.

[bonanacrom]

The .22 short has more penetrating power than birdshot. Trust me.

[Dooms]

The .22 short has more penetrating power than birdshot. Trust me.

Yes, but neither are anywhere near adequate threat stoppers for anything human sized. For that you would have to step up to .410 buckshot or slugs, which are going to have more penetration than .22 short or birdshot and are therefore definitely going to be able to penetrate walls.

Birdshot is fine for dispatching of small pests, but not for dealing with humans or larger. Especially if said humans are under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. Instead of stopping the threat, it might just piss 'em off.

[w3rdtoyamama]

I am quite partial to the .410 and would have no problem with using it for defense. I like the federal 000 buckshot load that is "designed for the judge". However, in my M505 with modified choke, they'll work just fine.
Also, Winchester 3" slugs are a good choice too.

[FrANkNstEin]

.410 anytime!

I have an old Remington .410 singleshot shotgun and some 3" slugs from the slovenian gunsmith and small ammo manufacturer "Ares" (Jozef Mongel) for it. Pretty decent stuff! (and quite cheap considering they are .410 slugs)

Any volunteers to take a 110grain wadcutter slug out of a 22" barrel to the chest, or for the sake of science: anywhere?

In a defense situation up close, i´d aim for the head or neck with that thing though, instead of COM.
Might stop a threat better/faster then a COM hit, i´ll admit that 110grains is still on the light side of what i´d use.
(yeah, ok i shoot 55gr and 62gr 5,56, but thats an entire different critter...)

No doubt, i´d feel a bit undergunned with a singleshot .410... still beats a stout stick by miles though!
When my old beater .410 runs outta shells, it´s still a stouter stick then any of your stout sticks ever where....

Probably the last gun i´d ever grab voluntarly, but better then nothing. *shrug*

[MrMendigo]

Use what you'll actually practice with. I have a couple dozen firearms, but my wife insists on using a .410 SxS for her home defense weapon. She loves that gun and practices with it often. She is surprisingly good at hitting clays with 9/16th oz. of birdshot.

[FrANkNstEin]

Thinking about it, a .410 could be a OK HD gun for elderly people with artrithis too(depends on the gun and it´s mechanisms though)

When i stumbled across the deal where i got mine, i was thinkin Kids though. Ya know, it´d be a nice starter shotgun with 2 1/2" shells for them or at least that was my thought behind the purchase. Granted, i don´t have kids yet... but i heard it happens to other people all the time, so i´d rather be prepared...

[dukman]

Cool... Another thread Necro!

I would say .410

I just picked up another 150 rounds for mine today

[tarman42]

.410 FTW

I'm biased though, an old breakaction Whippet was my first firearm, and has bagged nearly as much game as my Mossy 12ga

When i stumbled across the deal where i got mine, i was thinkin Kids though. Ya know, it´d be a nice starter shotgun with 2 1/2" shells for them or at least that was my thought behind the purchase. Granted, i don´t have kids yet... but i heard it happens to other people all the time, so i´d rather be prepared...

again I'm biased, but this is an excellent first gun for kids, lightwight minimal recoil, and the smaller loads reward a steady aim when taking your first rabbit, squirrel or dove. Instead of the armageddon, a larger gauge delivers on small game.