# ,410 for squirrels?



## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

I haven't hunted squirrels in 20 years and don't own a .410 so I'm not looking to buy. There seems to be a rush to hunt turkeys with a .410 and I just wondered if anyone still uses them for squirrels. Back in the day when I did hunt them, it was with a .22 or a 20 gauge. (I do miss sitting in the fall woods with a gun across my lap and a hot cup of coffee in my hands).


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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

410 is the MOST scarce, nonexistent round of the shortage. Stick with a 20 you might have a better chance of getting a box of 4 5 or 6's.


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## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

ruffhunter said:


> 410 is the MOST scarce, nonexistent round of the shortage. Stick with a 20 you might have a better chance of getting a box of 4 5 or 6's.


As I mentioned, I haven't hunted squirrels in decades. I was just wondering if anyone hunts them with a .410. I was always leery about hunting with a .410.


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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

My buddy uses 410 for them. He switched to 4's. Was having problems with any in real tall tree's if they were in the tops. 26in mossberg 500 26" full choke


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

They’ve become popular with turkeys because of the TSS loads becoming more commercially available. But I sure wouldn’t spend $10/shot on squirrels. That being said, my kids have used regular high brass 4 or 6 shot and it works fine.


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## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

M.Magis said:


> They’ve become popular with turkeys because of the TSS loads becoming more commercially available. But I sure wouldn’t spend $10/shot on squirrels. That being said, my kids have used regular high brass 4 or 6 shot and it works fine.


I can't get over the price of those shells. All these years using a 12 gauge with 3'' mags for turkey and now I find out I'm a cheapskate. LOL I do hear they're deadly though. I remember when I switched to Bismuth and Steel shot for waterfowl and was outraged by the price. Man, that was nothing.


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## Howland 937 (10 mo ago)

I've found a couple of boxes of .410's here and there in the last couple months, but haven't squirrel hunted with one since I was a kid. Last time I rabbit hunted about 15 years ago, we had 5" of fresh snow and 2 completely worthless beagles. I took my old Savage 24 .22 over .410. 

My dad, brother, and I all 3 limited out...after we gave up and took the dogs back to the truck. To be fair, those beagles were worthless whether it was snowy or not.


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## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

Howland 937 said:


> I've found a couple of boxes of .410's here and there in the last couple months, but haven't squirrel hunted with one since I was a kid. Last time I rabbit hunted about 15 years ago, we had 5" of fresh snow and 2 completely worthless beagles. I took my old Savage 24 .22 over .410.
> 
> My dad, brother, and I all 3 limited out...after we gave up and took the dogs back to the truck. To be fair, those beagles were worthless whether it was snowy or not.


Nice gun, Howl. I had a bud who picked up a bird dog back in the 70s and swore it had a nose for pheasant. As soon as we got out of the truck and let the dog out, it ran back home. I asked my bud what was wrong with the dog and he admitted that it happened a lot. Dumb dog. lol


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I prefer a .22 over a shotgun for rabbits and squirrels. I like to head shoot them so that the meat is as clean as possible. If I was going to use a shotgun I would use a 20 over a 410 due to the cost of shells. 410 shells are harder to find and over 2 times the cost of 20 gauge shells. 410’s make a great starter gun for kids. It’s too bad that the 410 shells have gotten so expensive. It gets expensive fast when you are dove hunting with a 410.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I was given a used a 410double from Montgomery Ward when I was ten years old. That is all had to hunt with. for all my upland game including pheasants until I was sixteen. The gun was lethal if you respected it's range limitations. For squirrels I used fives and six's for all other game.


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## Howland 937 (10 mo ago)

I couldn't wait to upgrade from .410 to 20 gauge when I was younger. My model 24 was my first gun and I still have it, but always felt undergunned. I got older and came to appreciate the quick swing of the lighter gun and that I didn't need a lot of range or heavier load...just needed better rabbit hounds. Good dogs will put rabbits right in your lap.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

Its funny how you come full circle. Like most I started out young with small bores and eagerly graduated to 16 ga and 12 ga guns, but once I learned to effectively handle a shotgun I gradually turned the other direction where 90% of my shooting and bird hunting is with 20 ga, 28 ga, and .410 and my finest, and favorite, most often hunted shotguns are .410's. The only thing I drag a 16 ga out for these days is wild pheasants in the prairie states, and 12 ga are for shooting trap and bad guys.


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## Drm50 (Dec 26, 2014)

What kind of infidel shots squirrel with a shotgun? There is a reason they call it bird shot. Nothing more disgusting than chomping down on a shot. Makes me shudder to think of it. Get any run of the mill 22 rifle and put a cheap 4x 1” tube scope on it and sight in at 40yds.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

X 2 I've never shot a squirrel with a shotgun in my life


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

It was a pretty simple and good question. How did a couple of you manage to turn it into an "I'm too good for that" type of thread?


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

That's not what I meant at all


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## the weav (Mar 22, 2007)

I do both but love the blast of 12 gauge through the leaves in early season.
Then a nice thud.
Never really had a shot in the meat problem


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## CFIden (Oct 9, 2014)

I use one


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## bad luck (Apr 9, 2009)

The humblebrag on gun use always seems to show up.....


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## Softshellcrab (Aug 31, 2016)

Howland 937 said:


> I couldn't wait to upgrade from .410 to 20 gauge when I was younger. My model 24 was my first gun and I still have it, but always felt undergunned. I got older and came to appreciate the quick swing of the lighter gun and that I didn't need a lot of range or heavier load...just needed better rabbit hounds. Good dogs will put rabbits right in your lap.


Many years ago I had one of those Savage over-under models. Mine was .22 and 20 gauge. I sold it when I was young and poor for $75.00, in the mid-80's. That sale was just one more example of what I later came to learn: Never sell a gun. At least almost never. I have only sold 2-3 guns over the years, and in all cases I have regretted it as the money I got nowhere near made up for the gun I lost. And the best example of that is when I sold that Savage .22/20 ga.


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## Softshellcrab (Aug 31, 2016)

Drm50 said:


> What kind of infidel shots squirrel with a shotgun? There is a reason they call it bird shot. Nothing more disgusting than chomping down on a shot. Makes me shudder to think of it. Get any run of the mill 22 rifle and put a cheap 4x 1” tube scope on it and sight in at 40yds.


I disagree. Like you, I always hunt squirrels with a .22. I sighted mine at 25 yards. But many people hunt them with a shotgun and there is nothing wrong with that. Your comment seemed unduly harsh.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Drm50 said:


> What kind of infidel shots squirrel with a shotgun? There is a reason they call it bird shot. Nothing more disgusting than chomping down on a shot. Makes me shudder to think of it. Get any run of the mill 22 rifle and put a cheap 4x 1” tube scope on it and sight in at 40yds.


While I agree that shooting tree rats on the ground with a .22 lr is preferred, my friend had a dog that we use for squirrel. He trees em, you circle the tree until you have a clear shot...I'd much rather shoot UP with a 410 or 20 gauge than a .22 lr from a saftey perspective.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk


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## noahdoak (Nov 26, 2019)

Winchester makes a tight spraying shot for .410 that's intended for rabbits and squirrels. If you hunt with a .410, I'd use that. I use a .22 personally and go for a head shot. Not a big fan of picking shot out of meat lol. But last I checked there's only 6 BBs in those Winchester rounds, so that should take a lot of the trouble out of picking shots out of the carcass.


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## buck16on (Feb 10, 2014)

I've always hunted squirrels with a 22 rifle. I do use a 12-gauge shot gun for turkeys, but I use heavy shot to avoid putting lead pellets in the environment and to avoid them in the meat I eat.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

As a kid my uncle in WV had the greatest mutt squirrel dog, my cousin and I had a single shot .410 that we'd take turns with, we only went home when we were hungry. Those are some of the best memories of my childhood! I can still smell that old dog when you'd have to get your head right next to his to see where he was looking up in the tree.

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## basslovers (Apr 26, 2016)

stormfront said:


> I haven't hunted squirrels in 20 years and don't own a .410 so I'm not looking to buy. There seems to be a rush to hunt turkeys with a .410 and I just wondered if anyone still uses them for squirrels. Back in the day when I did hunt them, it was with a .22 or a 20 gauge. (I do miss sitting in the fall woods with a gun across my lap and a hot cup of coffee in my hands).


Yes a Mossberg .410 we use for squirrel hunting.


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

Took my 1st squirrel with a 410. Dad gave me a 22 & 410 over & under. Wish I still had it.


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