410 Reloading!!! 3 inch 5/8oz Bismuth loads. Duck, Upland Smasher!!! 410 Patterning 

You definitely cover the bases. Good video

I have been shooting a .410 for 60+ years and finally started reloading (2 1/2”) this winter do to the cost and availability. I have been saving my AA’s for years and decided to count my empty hulls before I started reloading, 2,000+ 😂 I was flabbergasted! When I was a boy, my buddy and I shared a Stevens single shot .410. We slayed many a pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, and crow with that little gun. I generally shoot .410, 28, and a little bit of 20 gauge. I am seeing more and more people starting to shoot .410. I always said that when I retired I was going to get a really good .410 because I liked them so much. The week I retired I ordered a Beretta EELL Diamond Pigeon (been subsisting on hot dogs since then) and I really love that little gun. I have two of every extended choke Briley makes for the .410 and am always experimenting with chokes/shot. My shots while hunting are close since I shoot over two great GSP’s. I also have stakes in the water at 30yards from my duck blind. This isa great channel, I enjoy watching the .410/ 28ga videos. Why don’t you use the shot/powder bar on your MEC? Every time I want to be humbled I watch the little 10 rear old girl shoot skeet on RU-vid. “10 year old girl shoots perfect round of skeet, Clay Target Life youtube”

Keep the sub gauges coming 👍 not many people doing it with the same in depth pattern work that you are posting up .looks more like a 30yrd setup to me and would probably go with 6 shot if I was starting from scratch but as you have mentioned all this non toxic shot costs allot of $ . Keep up the great work 💪👍 all the best from the UK

Nice video.👍. Back in the '60's they did a lot of testing on 410 chokes. The end result was that open and full were the two chokes that made a measurable and consistent change in pattern. While other chokes do make a difference, there was more difference between guns than there was between the chokes. However, with time and technology things can change, so thank you for visiting this subject again. Personally, whenever the subject comes up, I tell people "Whatever your maximum range is with a 12 or 20, reduce that by 10 yards when shooting 410. Your pattern testing reinforces that. I also tell people that the best sizes for 410 are #6 and smaller. There is a gradually reduced efficiency with larger sizes until you get into buckshot where the 410 picks up again (close in defense). I keep thinking about bismuth. I believe you have stimulated me into actually doing something about that. 👍. Factoid - the 410 was developed by skeet shooters who wanted a greater challenge. So, yes, it's an experts gun.

Great and interesting video!!!!!!!! You’re 100% correct on each gun patterning different. I have seven different makes of .410’s. From used hunting guns$110, to new o/u sporting clays model at $2,600! If I load a new load and pattern the load in all my guns, it’s like a draw poker hand. You never know what you’re going to get on the pattern board. Actually only one gun shoots 100% patterns at 35 yards. It a High Standard pump plain barreled full choke (0.024” constriction) gun. Paid $175 at my local shop. Most of my guns have screw in chokes. I have over 30 choke tubes to choose from when testing loads. The tubes run from +.009” to -.038”. Very very rarely do the tighter chokes shoot good patterns compared to a more open choke, especially when the velocity is over 1,300 FPS. With the $175 gun I’ve broken 50-65 yard sporting clays too many times to my amazement! They were loaded at 1,225 fps using alliant 300-MP powder with 11/16oz of #7 1/2’s. My latest project is to load a vintage found in an old Lyman #2 manual, 1,500 fps 1/2oz into a Winchester 3” CF hull using 4198 rifle powder! I’ve also found the actual bore diameters vary from gun to gun and sometimes vary from the same maker. That old $175 Special has a .404” bore diameter and an unusually long forcing cone for a factory hunting gun. One of my fun’s has a bore diameter of .413 diameter, it also shoots some great patterns with certain handloads. Thanks for all your small gauge videos, especially your .410 videos!!!!!!!!!!

I'm shooting the same load with 6s. I'm shooting .263 and 10 grains of buffer. Patterns very nice with the stock mod choke in the Stevens 555. Less shot but way better patterns and don't over choke it full choke blew out patterns

You did a great job , there are several of you on you tube that really get the point across. I own a H and R Topper full choke a Mossberg Over and under Silver Reserve II (not sure on those fixed barrels what they are) and a 410/45 Colt 10 inch TC Contender. I know I am old school, love those Contenders. I would assume 15 to 20 yards on that handgun, but good enough for close in ground squirrels or rabbits. You just cannot help but love the 410. grew up on a 183B Mossberg 3 shot bolt action loved that gun.

Neat video, the results are about what I expected. Those 30 yard patterns with #5 Bis will kill any duck or goose that isn’t shot in the butt though. If you keep experimenting with bismuth some things that I’ve learned is it really likes buffer, fairly tight extended chokes, and a felt under the shot seems to help. There also comes a point where the pattern just completely falls apart rapidly and the smaller the bismuth the closer that point is. 40 yards is about the farthest I can get #5 to stay patterned well in my favorite 20 ga load for that specific size in bismuth. Good luck with load development, and good luck in the blind.

A 410 is a great gun if you only use full or extra full chokes in it. Briley makes great chokes for a 410. Believe me we REALLY appreciate the work that you’re doing with the 410. If you get a chance check out Casa Rizzini and his videos. He probably knows more about shooting a 410 than anyone. Lots of ammo reviews he does I know that you’ll like his videos. I’m subscribed to your channel as of today !! Keep them coming !!

Excellent video and advice. I’ve got a mossberg 500 ,410 pump , with full choke, so I will eventually have to use Bismuth or something like it as they don’t recommend using steel through a full choke 🤠👍

I am in the progress of reloading 3-inch, 11/16 load of #6 Bismuth shot. Mostly I use it for partridge and pheasants. I have read many forums that its ok to use 2.5 wads in a 3-inch hull. All my instructions are for 3-inch is to use 11/16 load.

Love all the work you are doing with the .410 shells, especially 3" length. There is lots of information on 2.5" but not 3". Perhaps you could do a video on where you find fired hulls. They are hard to come by.

Also 410 powder works real good

Would like for you to show the loading of Win HS 2 1/2” tss duplex 410. I saw the patterns but the actual loading would be helpful. Thanks!

My single shot 410 full choke I received as a 12th birthday present with #4 Winchester Super X lead drops a turkey at 40 yards better than my 12 gauge

I have played the Bismuth 410 reloading game. I could get it to pattern very well. But putting it into practice in the field. I was not happy with the results. To me 410 is a TSS gun turns it into a mini 12ga. Love your videos sir hope you keep them up.

Not sure if you are a member of Buck and Slug reloaders on fb. I posted a picture of how I salvage the 410 hulls that have been roll crimped and they wind up with the burned ends common with a 410 , Not sure how to post a picture here to show you I think you are a member of that group but no sure. I only take off .020 thousands to clean them up.

Mod choke Try 15 grains of H110. Better patterns

Been reading that others prefer 8 shot in bismuth .

Can you show us how to load a 410 cf 3” hull with a cb wad or do you think the wad fit is a problem

What unicorn pooped out .410 hulls and wads? I need to go extort that sucker!lol

25 yards max for a clean kill with 410 !thats why its for exsperienced shooters

Have you tried adding buffer to this load?

try that load with a tps wad