410 defensive ammo ballistics test

[TCinVA]

Buckshot is all about physics.

If you can get multiple pellets that are big enough on target in a small enough pattern, the synergistic effect of multiple projectiles attacking the same area of tissue applies and it will likely be extremely effective.

.410 has had a dismal record as a defensive tool primarily because the loads for it have traditionally sucked. Small, light buckshot pellets that shot into wide patterns were the norm and resulted in plenty of sub-optimal performance when people used it for real. Holloway's Raiders has a particularly amusing anecdote about a shop owner who used a .410 to shoot an armed robber and was rather unimpressed with the result.

The 3" Remington load is moving enough payload fast enough to do some work assuming it patterns well in whatever gun you're using.

The consequence of pushing enough payload fast enough is going to be recoil, regardless of what size the barrel is. An ounce at 1,300 FPS is an ounce at 1,300 FPS regardless of how big the barrel is. The 5 pellet Remington load is 80% of the weight of a FFC 8 pellet load moving at pretty much the same velocity...only doing so in a much lighter gun. That will have consequences.

It can certainly be workable for home defense...but most would be much better served by a stocked shotgun that has some sort of useful sighting system in terms of delivering the payload where it's needed.

[diananike]

Other good choices that I’ve found are the other 5 pellet 000 buckshot from other manufacturers.
Herters, Winchester and my favourite Federal.
The Federal load has copper plated pellets which should help with patterns at longer distance as there would be less deformation on firing.
They all pattern extremely tight at 10yds which is the furthest I’ve patterned them. Way tighter then a 12 gauge non flitecontrol loading.
The 5 pellets in a row just seem to throw them all in the same direction.
I’ll see if I can dig up some pictures of the patterns.

[diananike]

Buckshot is all about physics.

The 3" Remington load is moving enough payload fast enough to do some work assuming it patterns well in whatever gun you're using.

The consequence of pushing enough payload fast enough is going to be recoil, regardless of what size the barrel is. An ounce at 1,300 FPS is an ounce at 1,300 FPS regardless of how big the barrel is. The 5 pellet Remington load is 80% of the weight of a FFC 8 pellet load moving at pretty much the same velocity...only doing so in a much lighter gun. That will have consequences.

It can certainly be workable for home defense...but most would be much better served by a stocked shotgun that has some sort of useful sighting system in terms of delivering the payload where it's needed.

I believe the .410 5 pellet 000 buckshot loads are listed at around 1100 fps from a shotgun barrel. They certainly don’t seem to kick near as hard as even a light 12 gauge trap load out of the 12 gauge model.