Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum 410/20 guage slug hunting

Who all deer hunts with a 410 shotgun? Or use to? Or has kids that do. Is it a smooth bore? What size and type slugs do yall use? What kind of distance are yall smokin em at? Id like to hear any hunting story or any talk you might have on deer hunting with 410/20ga slugs.

I have 2 single shot new england 410s sittin around. I think my 7yr old boy is big enough to hit the shooting range for this deer season. I was gonna get him to use a 410 with rifled slugs.

They are pretty dang heavy for their size though. For a young kid im concerned about the recoil too. I might have to wait til next year. But im hoping he can sit and atleast shoot a deer if we get lucky. We will see how it goes at the range i guess lol.

I have dropped some wild hogs with 12ga slugs at 50 yards.

Growing up as a preteen, popaw and i have killed a good bit of deer with his old Montgomery Ward single shot 16ga and regular old slugs. That was in the 80s and 90s. It was a full choke gun. He was always afraid it was gonna blow the barrel up in our face but we never had a problem.

I use a savage 220 20ga. I've only shot one deer with it but deer died quickly. Very accurate at 100yards but I think the recoil maybe a little too much for a small child . I use 3 inch slugs

If recoil is a big problem ,,,, 357 mag single shot rifle

I killed my first deer with a single shot 20 gauge.

I started my son with a .22 to get use to shooting then went to a .410 then I put him on his .243 ruger American.

My son killed his first deer with a .410 slug when he was six years old. He made a perfect shot on a big doe at about 10 steps....she ran about 50 yards before she died.

I grew up hunting deer with a mossberg pump .410 and a mossberg 20 guage bolt action "goose" gun fun memories never at lengthy distances. Before I graduated to a 30/30.

I had a bb gun then carried a 16 ga squirrel huntin. But we were scared to keep shooting slugs out of it so we borrowed a piece of junk 12 guage bolt action. Had adjustable choke settings that you could just twist and it changed the choke. Not removing chokes. I was 12 when i started shooting that. It was junk. You couldnt hit anything with that gun. Shotgun shells OR slugs, it was a miracle if you hit a barn with it. Then my grandpaw bought me a 3030. I was so proud of it.

I bought these 410s years ago to save for the right time. Its getn time now. Im surprised how much these 410s kick. They are pretty stout for my kid i think but he will grow into it soon.

I enjoy reading yalls stories and advise. Thanks you. Keep em comin please!

When I was a kid I hunted with a .410 with slugs. Thought I was a big man.
Never killed a deer with it though. This was back before doe seasons and
there were very few deer around.

Started with a Stevens 410/22 over under , then 20 gauge Mossberg pump before getting my first 30-30.

PM’d

I always remember a story a guy I know tells about killing a really nice 8 point with a 410 slug and he didn't even know he killed it. I know it's true, and he has the deer mounted, but I don't know any details except that he walked up on the deer in the fields behind his grandparents' house and shot at it. He said the deer never even acted hit, just bounced out of sight. The next day his dad and some friends found the deer while rabbit hunting and he had gut shot it.

I Always heard a 410 and slugs were lethal. Im gonna piddle at the range and get my kid familiar with it.

Good luck. I tried 410 slugs but they were terribly inaccurate. Hope yours do better.

20 gauge slug is a proven deer killer, pretty much any slug, any brand at any reasonable distance will kill a deer.

410 gets tricky, not impossible but you have to make sure you're using the right slug and that your gun has decent accuracy. The Brenneke slug is by far the best performing and most powerful option for the 410. one of the biggest issues with some 410's is poor accuracy with slugs and I've generally equated this with the fact that most fixed choke 410's are have a full choke, especially the cheaper single shot models. most slugs are designed to give the best performance with cylinder bore or improved cylinder.

even with the right slug and good accuracy, range will need to be limited and shot placement will be a lot more critical, especially on big deer. that brenneke out of a rifle basically has the same ballistics as a light loaded 10mm out of a handgun, so just keep that in mind. good luck!

^^found this to be very accurate information.
I also have thought I would start my daughter with my old 410 and slugs. She couldn't hit a bucket at 20 steps. I had the same results. Savage axis in 7-08 youth and managed recoil was a MUCH better option.