Is a .410 effective for hunting deer?

[Kenneth A. Dotson]

Is a .410 effective for hunting deer?

[JM]

Yes, but I wouldn't shoot if it was over 40 yards away.

[MN Outdoorsman]

I think it's illegal in lots of states.

[JM]

That's something I forgot to mention:
Like MWK_MN stated already, .410 is not legal in all states so make sure you check out the regulations where you plan on hunting.

[charlie elk]

You can certainly kill a deer with a .410 assuming proper shot placement just like you can kill a deer with a .22 but I would not use either for deer hunting.
later,
charlie

[Smitty18]

Just because it can kill a deer doesnt mean you should try to use it. If you are recoil sensitive i would go with nothing smaller than a 20 gauge or a .243.

[huntfishtrap]

Yeah, you probably could kill a deer with a .410 slug out to probably 30-40 yards, but the question is why would you want to? A 20 gauge with managed-recoil loads doesn't kick that much more, and is much more effective. And it's legal everywhere, which you can't say about the .410. In fact, I'm not sure the .410 is legal for deer hunting ANYWHERE.

[6phunter]

EFFECTIVE-WILL KILL DEER. EFFICIENT-WILL NOT KILL DEER WHEN HEAVIER GUAGES WILL.

[6phunter]

ANY CENTERFIRE RIFLE OR GUAGE IS LEGAL IN KENTUCKY,I'VE yet to see anyone use the .410

[Treestand]

Its legal in Fl. to use a 410 Bore, we have a grope of old-Timers Called the Four Tenners(12) That's all they use on every thing from skeet to Deer they have just about every type 410 made, On deer they use Brenneke 410 3" Mag Slugs, Most use a Mossberg 500 Pump with a Scope. We lape-out the Barrel to Imp/Cyl.

[RES1956]

IF you're very quiet, and sneak up real close, and can get the barrel in his ear, you'll have about a 100% harvest success with the .410,,,

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


The answer is yes.

An average test velocity of a .410 2-1/2" slug fired through a 24" cylinder bore has a muzzle velocity of about 1,817 fps, and muzzle energy of about 704 ft. lbs.

A 3" slug may increase the muzzle energy to over 1,000 ft. lbs.

With many thanks to my friend treestand for the info.

[ILikePike]

No. When is the last time you seen a .410 deer hunting shotgun for sale? By any manufacturer? I would not say it is effective. Capable in some circumstances, but not an effective caliber for deer hunting.

[teevang]

.410 Shotguns using Slugs are Legal for taking Deer in the State of Minnesota. They are mainly used in the southern part of Minnesota, but the most common shotgun used will be the 12guage. Don't trust me email or call the MN-DNR at [email protected] or (651) 296-6157.

.410 Shotguns shouldn't be used by novices.

Ammo and Accuracy plays the biggest part of making a clean kill. Even with a 30-06 you wouldn't want to use a full metal jacket bullet to shoot a Deer, or even shot a deer with a soft tip bullet and only hitting the side of the butt.

This is a common used .410 slug used on Deer around here.

Brenneke 3 inch Magnum .410 Hunting Slug
Wieghs = 114grain
Distance| Velocity| KEnergy |Trajectory
Muzzle | 1,755fps| 781ft-lbs | -2.0inch
25yds | 1,427fps| 517ft-lbs | +0.2inch
50yds | 1,179fps| 352ft-lbs | +1.4inch
75yds | 1,025fps| 266ft-lbs | +1.0inch
100yds | 930fps | 219ft-lbs | -1.4inch


Now I'm going to compare it to three other the Mathews Top MR5 Compound Bow, the famous .357 Magnum Revolver that is commonly used on Deer, and a Sam Yang .45 Air rifle that is legal to take Deer down in four Southern States.

Mathews MR5 Compound Bow
Shoots = 330FPS
Arrow : 460grain
Energy = 111.26FT-LBs

.357 Magnum Revolver
Bullet = Winchester Silvertip JHP
Bullet Weight = 145grains
Muzzle Velocity = 1290FPS
Muzzle Energy = 536FT-LBS

Sam Yang .45 Air Rifle
Muzzle Velocity :730 fps
Bullet : 200 Grains, Hollowpoint
Muzzle Energy : 237 ft/lbs

All three weapons harvest Deer every year!

I came to a conclusion a well placed shot with the .410 is a effective weapon to harvest Deer!

[snagman]

People who don't know how to hunt, rely on bigger guns. I've harvested well over 20 deer with a .410 shotgun and have yet to have one take a single step once I've pulled the trigger. My farthest shot was just over 80 yards so "yes", it requires a HUNTER who can properly stalk his game but it adds so much more satisfaction to do something well. The .410 is not for everyone, I will agree to that, but for those up for the challenge it makes for a real hunt and bragging rights at the end of a successful day.