Since I found out that Bass Pro Shops carries .410 ammo, reloading equipment and GUNS, I have enjoyed browsing their sight. Though I have not purchased anything for the hunting season I am going to take advantage of some fly-fishing equipment.
So why write about shotgun shells? Because they are what drives our sport when it comes to frequency of enjoyment. Anyone can own a smallbore shotgun – but without ammo it’s just an expensive club, walking stick or wall hanger.
I have purchased ammo from Cabela’s, Able-ammo, big dog ammo, and from gunbroker as well as Wal-mart, K-mart, and the plethora of local shops and sporting goods stores. When it comes to 12 gauge ammo for sale – help yourself friends – $6 a box of 25 rounds and it can be cheaper obviously if purchased in volume. But not for the .410 or 28ga. The cheapest (and best for hunting) slugs I found were the Silver Bear Russian rounds. 5 slugs for, you ready,$ 3.50 a box! I once purchased 270 rounds of Silver Bear Slugs and Golden Bear .410 buckshot for $85.00! Remington, Federal and Winchester slugs are $5 and Brenneke’s are $7-$9 – for 5 rounds.
Birdshot is no better for the smallbore shooter. A box of 25 #6 3″ remingtons can run you $11-$13 at Wally World, Dick’s or your local shop. This is why I started reloading. An endeavour that is well worth your time and money as regards savings and enjoyment in the long term. But back to .410 shotgun shells. Remington has a great deal now on the “Slugger” packs of slugs. 15 rounds of Remington’s 2.5″ .410 slugs can be had for $11.00 at Wal-mart. My local shops do not carry them at all. So what’s the major problem? Popularity is the problem. The .410 bore has been so maligned, for so long, by so many, that both ownership of and usefulness for the .410 bore shotgun was relegated to women and small children for the most part.
Well, the times they are a changin’ folks! Today you can safely and ethically shoot Deer size game on down with a .410 shotgun. I know because I have done it, as have others, and the only difference between my 30-30 and my .410 is that I can only use the 30-30 on larger game! But the .410 I can use on Deer, Coyote, Fox, Rabbits, Woodcock, Pheasent, and Partridge. I can also shoot clay birds one hour and switch to plinking tin cans the next – with my Deer gun! I might add as well that after two hours shooting at the range my shoulders are just getting tuned in – not broken up?! Try that with your 12gauge.
Anyhoo…enough truth for now, I wouldn’t want the nay-Sayers runnin’ home cryin’ to mama bout how wrong they been all these years. You know, the ones who write articles about the “Diminutive little .410”. Diminutive my butt! I got 148grains of diminutive that is pretty darn lethal in the woods of New England. I got a buckshot round made from .40 pellets that’ll drop Bobcats, fox, or ‘yote’s without blowin a hole clean through the pelt! I got…..@#(^$@!$^ ah forget it! What did I start out talking about? O’ right, ammo, anyway, I have to go now. My Marine Corps, God fearing, hardcore Officer of a son is gonna call me soon. Probably showed ‘um up again at the range. That’s what happens when a boy learns to shoot with his “a’hum” NEF .410 Pardner we bought him when he was ten! An all out full chokin’, deer killin’, bird droppin’, clay pigeon shootin’ single shot it is – and his favorite – because he was taught “To ride, shoot straight and speak the truth” with it, and busted birds at the high tower is all truth – regardless of the gun.
Some of you will appreciate that last part.
thanks for reading folks,
the vintage sportsman
(and no, “the vintage sportsman” don’t refer to my age!)
Dedicated to the Smallbore Shotgun 