410 for turkey????

[Diehard0123]

First question:  Is it legal in Washington?  The regs say 10 ga. and under

Second question: I want to take my daughters turkey hunting and I was thinking of letting them use my 410 ( don't have a 20 ga), if I can get a bird in to within 15-20 yards do you think someone could bag a gobbler with a 410?

[lokidog]

Pattern it and see what the effective range is.  This will answer your question about range.  As far as I know, a .410 is a legal shotgun to use. 

[TeacherMan]

Don't know if it legal but wouldn't recommend it. Dad shot a blue grouse with one a couple years back at 10 yds in a tree and it didn't have enough to break the wing. It was able to glide off across the mountain and we lost it. Not a 410 fan.

[Machias]

Please don't use it, very good chance of wounding the gobbler, ecspecially in the hands of an in experienced shooter.  Get a single shot 20 ga and limit your shots in close.

[Aaron bosley]

i have never had a problem with a 410. i never hunted with one but i was trap shooting and hit every one and they were not close.

[Machias]

Hitting a clay pigeon is NOTHING like cleanly killing a gobbler.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Shooting a clay target and shooting at the head of a very tough bird are two very different things.  While the .410 is legal, it's not ethical.  I wouldn't use a .243 on an elk, even though it meets the minimum.  These birds are worthy of the utmost respect and deserve as quick a kill as possible.

[yelp]

I would not choose to use a .410.  The goal here is for you and your daughter to have a great time hunting turkey.  First you got to call the bird in and get it close enough...Then she needs to kill it when you tell her to.. If she hits it and it runs away wounded that may not be the memory you want to create ..I would prefer that you use a twenty gauge..or even a 28 but a .410 in my opinion is too small to be effective on turkeys. I have missed however with 12 gauges so it can happen with anything. Also realize and remember your first hunt..how excited you were..the shakiness of the gun the excitement just to pull the trigger.  I say you stack the odds by giving your daughter more pellets and a bigger pattern to kill that turkey.  Use shooting sticks to make it comfortable for her and have her sit in front of you so you can assist with her movements.  Good luck...I suggest a Rossi youth model..great little gun, has interchangable barrels.  I hope she gets a big one.

[lokidog]

Diehard,

I have a 20 ga pump that you would be more than welcome to use.  Stocks was cut off to fit my 5'2" ex-wife.  It should work great for the kids. PM me if interested.

[boneaddict]

I'd have to agree.  Ever pattern your 410.  There just isn't the number of pellets needed to make the spread and the umph is a bit light out there.  YES you can kill with it, but I wouldn't

[lokidog]

I would not use a .410 either, but is it more effective/ethical to shoot a super full choke of 6's at 45-55 yards like you hear about or a smaller number of same size pellets at 10 yards?  Turkeys can be called to within effective range of a .410, but it is hard to have the self control to truly get them that close, especially for a new, excited hunter. 

[Intruder]

Please don't do it.  With a young hunter and such a limited shot charge it really isn't a good idea.  A 410 is only appropriate in the hands of someone who is truly an expert and capable of getting the birds within 10 yards.  From a truly practical standpoint it really shouldn't even be used. 

A 1 oz load out of a 20 gauge is a bare min IMO.

[boneaddict]

I wouldn't justify using any shotgun at 50-60 yards.  Thats jsut plain silly.  Enjoy the day and call them in closer.  Its not that difficult.  Hell I do it all the time and don't even use a call.

[popeshawnpaul]

I guess it's like using a .22 LR on a deer.  It might work but it also might not. 

I have an extra turkey choke designed for longer range Bone.  It is optimized for 40-60 yards and does well at those extended ranges.  I bought it for open country turkey in Idaho and it works great.  I put rifle type sights on my turkey shotgun and it is very lethal and accurate at range.  A lot of turkeys hang up at 50 yards...

[Pathfinder101]

I wouldn't try it either.  I saw a gobbler shot 3 times at 30 yards with a 12gauge with 3 1/2 inch turkey scuds.  Each time it fell over and got back up.  After the 3rd shot it stood up and flew off.  We never found it.  Also wiffed 2 arrows through a bird, center mass that same year.  Lost that bird too.  One turkey I killed I shot 4 times before he went down, just couldn't get a bb in his brain.  his leg and wing were broken, or I probably would have lost that one too. They are incredibly tough birds.  I won't shoot past 25 yards anymore, even with a 12.