Derringers
defined as sawed off shotguns? Oh wait-you did say California...some people that make decisions just ain't wired right.
A bunch of folks started spouting off about the buckshot being the Holy Grail for the .410. You know the type, they don't shoot, but arm chair Q'back real well.
We had a bunch of new guys join the club and for the most part a good group 'cept a few had some real misconceptions-about everthing. I mean the guy that took all the trophies was doing it all wrong and the current Senior World Champion --well he's an old fogie.
I was testing some new buckshot loads for an LEO friend to see what they would do in his new issue pump gun. Being undercover and working with the feebs , he was using a shotty so with the 'white collar" types it appeard to be just a bird gun. Sidearm, was an engraved 1911, had to play the part with high rollers.
Anyway since i was pattern testing one of the better shooters brought his contender pistol to see what/how .410's patterned , fun deal to squirrel hunt with a pistol. and being as he had money he bought the derringer you mentioned as novelty. Then everybody got into the act of testing .410's. New powders were tested, # 8.5 size shot...I mean things really were rung out.
When a guy runs a straight in the little feller, he's 'done good'.
Then since we had just had a bunch of kids out to shoot sponsored by Duck Unlimited, all the 410's were around we let the real little kids shoots stationary clays. Everybody won something, even a 4 yr old got a trophy. We just never told the kids we had more fun than they did.
So we proved and dispelled some myths about 410's. Yes the pattern is the same as a 12 bore--dang sure not as dense, and taking a clay one can see the 'holes' in the pattern. Do the same with a 28 bore <click, light bulb on> oh
that's why the 28 does what it does.
Yes I missed a whole pattern board with a load of buckshot with a sxs--I still don't know where the pellets went. After the laughter I had some others 'miss also'. even the guy whom beat me a 398/400 (yep 410 2 misses) I just ran a 392/400 (410 kicked my butt, my only misses), missed the pattern board.
We then attempted to shoot skeet with the 410 pistol stocked contender. Had to shoot singles, I made it to station 4-dropped the low bird. Stupid yes, Funner as hell tho'
The old boy got rid of the the derringer, Just a novelty to him with his money. The newbies started to figure either -we truly were crazy or knew somethng about pattern/load testing. Stopped the arm chair stuff and started listening to gun fit, how to mount the gun, hold points , stance...danged old basics...beats out the hardware evertime...he he he