.410 Reborn

I have always liked the .410, as it stirs up a lot of nostalgia for me. My mum’s side of the family were all farmers down in Kent, and I have great memories of rabbit shooting with an old Webley .410 bolt action in the late evenings or early mornings.
Advances in cartridge technology have led to a resurgence in the popularity of this calibre, whether it’s used for clay shooting, traditional hunting, or vermin control. Its low noise and recoil continue to endear it to smaller framed shooters, but those attributes are also welcomed by seasoned shooters. So, let’s look at what’s available today.

A closer look
The .410 round, as its name suggests, has a bore diameter of 0.410” (10.41mm). However, a ½ choke barrel measures 10.2mm and a full choke 9.8mm. This means that the smaller bore, compared to a 12-gauge, produces a very long shot column, which is not always conducive to great patterns, hence the need to get the choking right. Most barrels come with fixed full choking, in an attempt to keep the patterns as tight as possible and therefore increase the effective range. It’s often the case, however, that a slightly more open choke will achieve a much better pattern, helping to prevent the pellets from colliding with each other.
There is always a debate about the best shot sizes too, with newer loads used by clay/casual shooters using shot sizes of No. 6 or No. 7.5, and even No. 9. However, many rough shooters still like the larger No. 5 or No. 4 shot sizes, despite the sparser spread of shot pattern, because they retain better energy down range. Remember, a single No. 6 pellet travelling at 1275 fps performs the same when fired from a 12-gauge or a .410, there are just more pellets flying in the air with a 12-gauge.

Cartridge choice
Gone are the days of only having a handful of 2.5” .410 cartridges for the older-style guns. Today, there is a wide range to choose from for target, skeet, field, or game etc. The fact that you can select from a wide number of 2” to 3” cases, means you can mix and match ammo to suit the task at hand. For example, a close shot in a barn at a rat, or a distant pigeon. As well as shot sizes ranging from No.4 to No.9, you can even get steel!

What’s on offer
The FourTen from Eley uses a 2” case (50mm) and the FourLong uses a 2.5” (65mm) case, and these are handy for older guns with only these sized chambers. Most will opt for the 3” (76mm) Extra Long cartridges that deliver 18-grams of lead shot. No. 5, 6, and 7 shot sizes are available. The fibre wadding is popular, and on a full choke, I’ve typically had 157 No.5 pellets on target, with 98 in the inner circle and a good overall density of the shot pattern.
I particularly like Eley’s 3” Extra Long Subsonic cartridges, as these hold the same 18-gram load as the standard velocity 3” cartridges. However, only a No. 6 shot size is available, and the velocity is below 1050 fps instead of 1300 fps. When used, the muzzle report is very low in standard guns and super quiet in silenced ones. Again, from a full choke, typically you will get a total of 145 pellet strikes on the boards, with 85 strikes in the outer 30” and the other 60 pellets within the inner 15”.
One of Eley’s new .410 loadings, and one I really rate highly, is Eley Trap, which is designed for the sport of clay busting with small calibres. Here, you have a 19-gram load of No. 7.5 shot that dusts clays and is equally good for vermin. I have had a total of 131 hits, with 45 central strikes and 86 outers, while using the full choke. After fitting the ½ choke, however, I got 10% more!
Hull Cartridge’s High Pheasant is one of the best, with the magnum 3” load showing a plastic wad and 19-grams of No. 6 shot. In my Rem .410 1100 auto, I get superb patterns -143 pellet strikes in total, with 63 outers and 80 inners.
Gamebore makes 2, 2.5”, and 3” .410 cartridges, with the 3” being the best. It holds 16-grams of No. 6 or 7 shot and has a plastic wad. I had 166 No.7 pellets on the board, with 66 within 12” and a very dense pattern overall. Also, their Target/Skeet load contains 14-grams of No. 9 shot, features a 2.5” case and plastic wad, and is aimed at the skeet or clay shooter. It achieved 174 pellets on the board, with 51 inners and 123 outers. Overall, a great clay load.
Lyalvale’s 2” fibre-wadded cartridges have a modest load of 9-grams of No. 6 shot, whilst the 2.5” version is available with No. 5, 6, 7 or 9 shot. Their 3” Express load contains 16-grams of either No. 5 or 6 shot. It is very popular and managed a total of 128 hits, with 78 inners and 50 outers, all with a full choke. I really like the Magnasonic cartridges, which are designed for suppressed guns. With a velocity below the speed of sound, they use a load of 17-grams of No. 5 shot. Overall, 101 pellet strikes, with 33 inner hits.
Finally, Winchester’s Super X 3” cartridges. They are expensive but perform very well. Inside is a plastic wad and a No. 6 payload weighing 19.5-grams. The velocity comes in at 1135 fps. If we look at their steel load, this moves at 1400 fps, contains 10.6-grams of No. 6 shot, and you need to use the correct choke. We had 109 pellet strikes in total, with 60 inners and 49 outers.

Conclusion
The .410 cartridge is very much alive and not kicking! It’s a very versatile cartridge if you take the time to understand it and use it correctly in the right choked gun. Happy hunting.

Contacts
Eley Hawk Ltd - www.eleyhawkltd.com
Gamebore - www.gamebore.com
Lyalvale Express - www.lyalvaleexpress.com
Hull Cartridge - www.hullcartridge.co.uk
BWM UK – www.winchester.eu