[swearlikeasailor]

My friends dad has a .410 gauge shotgun and he is convinced he could kill a deer with a 97 grain slug, is this possible, or are .410 gauge shotguns more for killing small birds and rabbits?

[a1huntingsupply]

It can be done. It wouldn’t be any different then deer hunting with a .357 mag or even a .41 mag for that matter. It’s not the best choice but as long as you keep the shooting distance reasonable it will get the job done.

[RONSERESURPLUS]

Hello all



RON L here = SERESURPLUS



Not sure what it legal where you are, but if a felow can drop deer with 22LR as well as Pistol calibers like 38 SPCL and 9MM, I'm sure 410 slug would do the job as well? Just my guess, but seen Poached deer taken with 22LR a lot, so It goes to figure a 410 slug is pleanty enough?

[BRSmith]

I hunted for three years with a 410 singleshot. Don't expect to make 100 yd shots, but it will be suitable for brush or short range 40-50yd shots.

[A5Mag12]

A .410 slug is very deadly on deer. It is a 41 caliber bullet after all. This is off winchester's site for the 3" .410

Ballistics
Distance (yds) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft.lbs.) Trajectory (in.)
Muzzle 1800 788 -
25 - - 0.3
50 1288 403 0
75 - - -1.9
100 998 234 -5.8
125 919 205 -11.0

[uncle jer]

In Ilinois it not legal to use anything less than a 20ga for deer,but a .410 would not have any trouble doing this

[Catfish]

There is a big difference between the .410 slug and a .41 mag. While the .410 slug is moveing slightly faster, it only weights 97 gn. and the 410 mag. usual deer load shoots a 210 gn. bullet, giveing it more than 2X the knock down power at point blank range and the farther out you go the greater the advantege to the .41 mag. Personally I won`t use a factory .410 load, and they are leagel here in Oh.

[RL357Mag]

It would be very effective on deer, but the problem is your gun probably doesn't have rifle sights and a rifled barrel, so accuracy beyond 25-50 yds. would be questionable. If I was starving and that's all I had I wouldn't hesitate, other than that why use it on deer?

[4rum]

Accuracy is a relative term, but minute of whitetail is not that difficult to achieve with most anything more than a broomhandle... at a given yardage. The .410 is very deadly on deer as is a muzzle loading rifle. The slug is pretty soft, gets bigger as it goes through tissue and makes a nifty wound channel. I am not speaking in conjecture... I have shot the family .410 for many years. I have dropped deer with it. It is VERY accurate to 50 or 75 yards with only the bead sight and shallow notch in the top of the reciever just ahead of the hammer. A standard 'pie plate' at 100 yards is easy. At that range she's lost a lot of steam, but If I was hungry... I'd try 'er a lick!

[dragunovsks]

Oh yes, it can be done. Last year I saw my father-in-law drop a whitetail deer with a Marlin .22 rifle.