Utility of a short .410

Roger Laird said:

I have a Rossi Circuit Judge with a 16.5 in barrel that I can take small game [ rabbits,squirrel,grouse] out to 30 yards . Took a white tail at 76 yards this last season with 45 colt .So that is my truck gun.

Click to expand...

How do you like the Circuit Judge overall? How does it handle and how is the fit and finish?

Try one of these .410/45 Colt combos:
https://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/ShotgunsAndRifles/survivor.asp.html
I have one from NEF before they were bought up by H&R. You can stuff a good amount of ammo in the butt stock and fore end.

BlueHeelerFl said:

How do you like the Circuit Judge overall? How does it handle and how is the fit and finish?

Click to expand...

fit and finish are good, handling is excelent light quick to point

I like the idea of a .410 knock about gun...for fun. Maybe as a camping gun if you think squirrel is on the menu.

For emergency use, I dont see it as an effective choice for me. Actually, I don't see any long arm as viable for what I would imagine I might need. For a walk from a car broken down in a remote location, I would rather just have a handgun. I can't think of a situation where I would rather have a way to procure food over some water. Is there a place in the US where you are likely to break down and not be able to walk to cell signal within a day? Maybe the most remote of off the beaten paths, but if I were planning on traveling there, I would hope I prepared a bit with at least a couple Gatorades in the trunk to go with my old dog blanket. A massive BOB isn't needed to hole up a bit or camp out until help comes. If walking is advisable, packing a heavy long arm wouldn't be my first choice. As much water/liquid I could carry, clothes that could be used for over night warmth like a hoodie, flashlight to see/signal, good multitool, maybe some way to start a fire, and of course my cell phone. One of the best impulse buys I made was a little solar charger that rides on my pack for said phone.

Now, would I mind having the .410 shotgun for a bit of camp defense if I were forced to hole up around my car? Heck yeah. Handy to stash in the trunk and a box of shells hardly takes up any room. I would rather have a 12, but if I only had a .410 shockwave or bantam...yeah I would ok with that. I wouldn't bring it with me if I had to hike out of there, though. I can go without eating s lot longer than I can go without the water/calories it would cost me to lug it along.

Roger Laird said:

fit and finish are good, handling is excelent light quick to point

Click to expand...

Good to.know, Thanks.

I like the Circuit Judge. Hopefully I can get one someday.

It would be a shotgun I could get my elderly Mom interested to use for home defense. She likes and understands the manual of arms for revolvers, but I know she wouldn't be interested in learning a traditional shot gun.

In a BPI slug loading manual I used to have, there were a couple of one and two pellet buckshot loads (00 or 000) that were purported to produce muzzle velocities over 2,000 FPS.

I was curious about what they could do, but never got around to trying them.

Jason_W said:

In a BPI slug loading manual I used to have, there were a couple of one and two pellet buckshot loads (00 or 000) that were purported to produce muzzle velocities over 2,000 FPS.

I was curious about what they could do, but never got around to trying them.

Click to expand...

The 38 caliber LGS hits consistent. Seems to move/hit steel targets simiar to a 38 special despite the claimed high FPS. I haven't hunted anything with it but I think it is up to the task for things like groundhog, coon, and coyote. Maybe capable of more. One day i need to do some bubba balistics testing of this load and the next.
The dual OOO load where each pellet gets its own wad (stump wad) spreads two fingers apart 40 yards out. Hits generally same point of aim as a slug and LGS (different than birdshot for Double Badger).
The single OOO loads are super loud and aims/hits some where else than the other loads it seems. Hitting steel it treats steel like somewhere between a low low 38 Spl and 22lr.

BlueHeelerFl said:

Good to.know, Thanks.

I like the Circuit Judge. Hopefully I can get one someday.

It would be a shotgun I could get my elderly Mom interested to use for home defense. She likes and understands the manual of arms for revolvers, but I know she wouldn't be interested in learning a traditional shot gun.

Click to expand...

My girlfriend got the the gun for herself for home defense and she loves it and has become quite good with it.I started working with it to develope hand loads and was pleasantly surprised by it.

H3NT3 said:

The 38 caliber LGS hits consistent. Seems to move/hit steel targets simiar to a 38 special despite the claimed high FPS. I haven't hunted anything with it but I think it is up to the task for things like groundhog, coon, and coyote. Maybe capable of more. One day i need to do some bubba balistics testing of this load and the next.
The dual OOO load where each pellet gets its own wad (stump wad) spreads two fingers apart 40 yards out. Hits generally same point of aim as a slug and LGS (different than birdshot for Double Badger).
The single OOO loads are super loud and aims/hits some where else than the other loads it seems. Hitting steel it treats steel like somewhere between a low low 38 Spl and 22lr.

Click to expand...

Interesting. I had always wondered if the .410 lgs would be good for taking larger small game without excessive meat damage.

As much as I love shotguns, there’s something to be said for one hole through an animal as opposed to many pellets in it.

I have a cheap, old youth sized .410 single shot that I bought for my kids when they were 8-10ish the whole thing is about as long as an umbrella. It spends a lot of time in my truck and is great for possum, armadillos, snakes and hay field rats. Never used it for much more than that, though I do keep a slug or two around incase it’s needed to put down a cow (or possibly something else) for some reason, unfortunately that does happen.

I know a guy that turkey hunts with a .410. That always impressed me, I don’t know what range he limits himself to but he obviously knows how to call them in close.

I grew up with an Old Timer who used a post WW2 Savage shotgun in 410 to fill his deer tags for over 40 years! He also killed rest of his game with it!

I can easily see myself more than a two days walk from cell phone signal. We sometimes loose signal while on the main road! I agree basic outdoor gear and food and water (ever heard of a life straw?) are more important, but would not discard the pertinence of a firearm out in the wild. Of course, the most important piece of equipment, by far, is the pair of boots I wear; a knife is close second, a lighter is third. As for firearms, versatility wise, the twelve gauge is very, very hard to beat; but since food was the only thing OP was looking for and he did not mention protection from predators, 22 LR is also quite useful in my opinion. If hungry, we don't necessarily search for the finest game animals, beaver or porcupine will do. Would I have to choose a gun exactly for the scenario envisioned by OP, it would almost be Chiappa's M6 folding shotgun/rifle in 12 ga / .22 LR. I like the ammo in the stock. It is just too bad they screwed up and made it upside down. The Baïkal IZH-94 Sever is made right, 22 LR over 20 gauge, but it is heavier and not foldable. There might be one in my future, you never know, but right now, my pump twelve gauge comes with me when I go deep into the wild, so I don't feel naked if I get in a situation where I think I might want a gun. I bring Brenneke slugs, buckshot and 7.5 in a belt with it. I always have a knife and a lighter on me.

while a 20ga is a sweet spot compromise, goldilocks shotgun, a 410 fills a niche. both the shotgun and ammo are small and lightweight. lots of ammo choices thanks to 410 handguns. 410 recoil is nil, thus unintimidating to seniors, small statured, disabled or female shooters. unfortunately the convenient folders now on the market extract, not autoeject, spent rounds. an extractor 410 is too slow with its weaker round to be truly effective. an autoejecting rossi or h&r/nef youth or snake charmer 410 is the ideal 50 state and canada kosher trunk gun. a rossi combo model with rifle barrels or after market inserts adds versatility at little extra weight.

clang said:

Try one of these .410/45 Colt combos:
https://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/ShotgunsAndRifles/survivor.asp.html
I have one from NEF before they were bought up by H&R. You can stuff a good amount of ammo in the butt stock and fore end.

Click to expand...

I thought hr quit making singles