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Which .410 shotgun for varmints and such?

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532 views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  Old Bloke  
#1 ·
My GF has a side by side double barrel .410 shotgun, which she is able to use with effect. She's just over 5' tall, so the .410 is just right for her, recoil-wise. Problem is, it only holds two rounds, and has to be broken open to reload.

This limitation became an issue when some domestic dogs got into our goat herd near the barn. They killed two baby goats (kids) and severely wounded a doe.

I wasn't there at the time, so couldn't be of any assistance. No matter; when she heard the commotion, she grabbed her .410 and waded into the chaos. She had a clear shot and managed to take out one of the dogs, but heard at least one more around the corner in the barn. She was reluctant to go in there after it because she wasn't sure just how many there were, and she had one round left. Things were happening pretty quickly, so she didn't stop to reload. Fortunately it turned out there were only two dogs. Ultimately, one escaped, and the other didn't. And it was a lesson learned.

My thought is to buy her a .410 with more capacity.

The main question is the action: pump or semi auto? Secondarily, barrel length. She doesn't hunt; it's mainly for varmints and protection of the herd. Any thoughts on this?
 
#2 · (Edited)
My 1st choice to recommend would be this Mossberg 590. It has the capacity and is an Extremely reliable & proven platform. And accessories are plentiful. Such as maybe a youth stock to shorten up the length of pull a little for your GF to help it fit her properly if needed. Sorry about the goats ! Glad your GF is ok. A friend just lost 9 chickens (all of them) to some Racoons. He wasn’t there when it happened and had to watch it happen on a security camera from his phone. Little Rat Bastards!!!!!🤬
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#3 ·
I like pump action shotguns, and I like Mossbergs.

However, I made the mistake of buying her a pump 20ga in a youth size, and she dislikes the recoil to the point that she doesn't want to practice with it.

Not sure about the pump action vs semi auto. She might prefer the simplicity of running a semi auto.

Is one platform inherently more reliable than the other?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Semi Autos can be reliable for sure. Especially as you go up in price. I have a Beretta A300 Ultima that has done quite well so far. And I trust it. But I keep my 590 closer. A pump will generally be significantly more reliable in varying conditions. Especially in .410. But recoil is recoil. And with a pump; making sure to not short stroke it in a stressful situation is always a concern. I don’t imagine a pump would kick much more than your SxS. Maybe a little. 590 7-Shot
 
#7 ·
Blink II said:
Semi Autos can be reliable for sure. Especially as you go up in price. I have a Beretta A300 Ultima that has done quite well so far. And I trust it. But I keep my 590 closer. A pump will generally be significantly more reliable in varying conditions. But recoil is recoil. And with a pump; making sure to not short stroke it in a situation is always a concern. I don’t imagine a pump would kick much more than your SxS. Maybe a little.
Click to expand...
Good to know. And I hear you about short stroking. It's definitely something to consider.

A pump action is going to be less expensive. As for recoil, I'd think the semi auto would have less of a kick than her SxS or a pump.
 
#8 ·
Another vote for the Mossberg pump ! I brought a 500 pump for my DIL in . 410! Recoil isn't an issue as she was in the Army for 20 years! What is an issue is snakes around our place! I have always liked the 410 and know for a fact that many farm houses have one behind the kitchen door! Mostly single barrels though! Personally I have only ever liked one auto loader and that is the A5 Browning!
 
#12 ·
This one seems to check quite a few box’s. But is a bit pricy. And only takes 2 1/2” shells. And the short barrel version looks to have a fixed Cyl choke; while the longer one has changeable chokes. Now that I’ve had some coffee, I read a few reviews and they seem to function & cycle quite well. And the Lever action may be a + for eliminating short cycle issues as the lever being up all the way when fully chambered would seem to lessen the chance of a short stroke. And at its weight I bet it’s a soft shooter……🤔
 
#18 · (Edited)
A semi auto 20ga is probably worth looking at; she'd need to try one out first, though. Her pump 20ga kicks surprisingly hard, but 20ga offers a wider selection of ammo. And, as you say, the recoil in a semi auto will be lower.

We have ARs, which she also knows how to shoot. However, this would be more for close up work, say 30 yards and under.
 
#19 ·
Got to get a single barrel 410 for my Grand daughter! She's in the process of getting her licence at the moment! I killed a King Brown snake a little while ago! It's bloody early for them to be coming out of hibernation! The survival rate of a king brown bite is very low and they're very aggressive! My daughter in law has a Mossberg 410 pump! My Son carries a Redhawk and is going to load it up with snake shot!
 
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#21 ·
Rang my gun guy today to see what he had in the way of single barrel 410s for my grand daughter and was rewarded with... My son have I got a deal for you!!!! At this point I knew it was what I wanted and that I was going to pay too much for it! ( This is a running gag between us! He always looks after me price wise) His just got a side by side,' Boito' in ! For $200 it's mine and it's at cost ! I asked what condition it's in and apparently it's good to very good 😊 I transferred the funds and have got him to lodge the paperwork!
 
#22 ·
Managed to get down to port Augusta today! The.410 will suit the grand daughter down to the ground! Her licence has just come through and so we changed the paperwork over so she will register it in her name!
 
G
#23 ·
When I was in high school (a loooogn time ago) I had a 5 shot Mosburg bolt action that i carried to school on the bus and then hunted my way home. It was full choke 3in and accounted for many rabbits and a few ringnecks. It was useful for deer or predators that required slugs also. Don't recall the model? You could probably find one.
 
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