.410 slug for Boar

EMcC

Well-Known Member
Has anybody ever considered using a .410 slugs for driven Boar.
A double over and under is nice to handle and puts slugs through two wet Screwfix catalogues with quite a mess at 50 yards I haven't tried it at longer ranges but was wondering if anybody had tried it.
 
Has anybody ever considered using a .410 slugs for driven Boar.
A double over and under is nice to handle and puts slugs through two wet Screwfix catalogues with quite a mess at 50 yards I haven't tried it at longer ranges but was wondering if anybody had tried it.
Two wet screw fix catalogues is really not a lot of penetration. A decent rifle bullet will penetrate a couple of feet of wet pack catalogs/ newsprint.

Boar are tough with thick hide and plenty of fat under the skin - all of which takes plenty of penetration. I suggest if you are going to use a shotgun then 16 or 12 bore slugs would be a very much better option. Whilst 410 slugs might be fine on light skinned deer or little piglets, with boar you really need ti think about that big keiler. And boar need to be killed - they have a tendency to get a wee bit grumpy if you irritate them and will attack anything that gets in their way once wounded.
 
Has anybody ever considered using a .410 slugs for driven Boar.
A double over and under is nice to handle and puts slugs through two wet Screwfix catalogues with quite a mess at 50 yards I haven't tried it at longer ranges but was wondering if anybody had tried it.
Would they even be legal in some European countries?
Perhaps I am just dreaming it but I have a very vague recollection of a shotgun minimum calibre for boar in France for instance.:-|

I have no doubt that such a gun and load would be very pleasant to shoot, but being the wuss that I am I would want something with a bit more clout for driven boar.:scared:
 
A decent rifle bullet will penetrate a couple of feet of wet pack catalogs/ newsprint.
No it won't. 35 - 40 - 45 centimeters is more like it for modern centerfire with expanding bullets. And usually on the lower end of the scale.
 
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Has anybody ever considered using a .410 slugs for driven Boar.
This chap's used them on boar. Not 'driven' though, I think. Also, he shoots from something either with proper front and rear sights, or a red-dot reflex-type.
He seems to have used these Baschieri & Pellagri .410 3 Big Thrill Shock Slug 9g
9g/139gr at a claimed MV 1870fps
 
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I can't think of any circumstances in which an O/U shotgun with slugs of any gauge would be objectively preferable to an actual rifle in .30-'06 or above. Not just because of inferior ballistics, but also as regards shot placement. A 12 gauge mounting a good red-dot sight would not doubt do the job at closer ranges, but a rifle would still be a better all-round choice.
 
I can't think of any circumstances in which an O/U shotgun with slugs of any gauge would be objectively preferable to an actual rifle in .30-'06 or above. Not just because of inferior ballistics, but also as regards shot placement. A 12 gauge mounting a good red-dot sight would not doubt do the job at closer ranges, but a rifle would still be a better all-round choice.
If you have a injured boar in cover it's a 12g with slugs every time for me that's the only reason I have slug on my license I definitely wouldnt say a bolt action 30cal is better in anyway for that. But using a 410 for driven boar is just silly see what accuracy you get at 30yards + with a smooth bore and your see why
 
Enough said. The good thing with a 12 bore is that muzzle energy of a rifle, but a relatively slow moving projectile so that it penetrates but doesn’t over penetrate.

The alternative would be a heavy for calibre bullet in a bigger bore rifle.

 
I can't think of any circumstances in which an O/U shotgun with slugs of any gauge would be objectively preferable to an actual rifle in .30-'06 or above. Not just because of inferior ballistics, but also as regards shot placement. A 12 gauge mounting a good red-dot sight would not doubt do the job at closer ranges, but a rifle would still be a better all-round choice.
I am interested where you do your driven hunting?

I shoot mainly in France, but also have shot in Germany, and O/U shotguns (mainly 12 bore, but also 16 and 20 bore) are very common. (As is availabilty of slugs in Decathlon!).

Where I would personally regard a shotgun as preferable to a rifle would be where the allees (gaps between blocks of forest) are <20 metres, and the average likely shot is under 50m. Which describes 75% of one entire shoot I attend! In effect, you are shooting at similar ranges, swing and target sizes to driven pheasant (just rather lower!)

I agree with you that a rifle is a better all-rounder, but my experience is that, on a driven grand gibier shoot in wooded country, the difference in ballistics between a 12 bore slug and 9.3mm bullet has not been worth thinking about.

To get back to the OP's question, however, simple maths suggests that a .410 slug has about one quarter the kinetic energy of a similarly-sized 9.3 x 74R bullet (.410" vs .366" bores). That, even if legal, would make the .410" slug at best marginal for driven bore, IMHO. But pretty ideal for roe.
 
I would think that in all of Europe a .410 slug would not be legal for boar. Certainly not legal in Sweden. I've don't understand why these dumb questions keep being asked. All of Europe has a minimum calibre for shooting large hoofed game and the UK has a recommendation of .270. There's a good reason why these rules are in place.
 
I am interested where you do your driven hunting?

I shoot mainly in France, but also have shot in Germany, and O/U shotguns (mainly 12 bore, but also 16 and 20 bore) are very common. (As is availabilty of slugs in Decathlon!).

Where I would personally regard a shotgun as preferable to a rifle would be where the allees (gaps between blocks of forest) are <20 metres, and the average likely shot is under 50m. Which describes 75% of one entire shoot I attend! In effect, you are shooting at similar ranges, swing and target sizes to driven pheasant (just rather lower!)

I agree with you that a rifle is a better all-rounder, but my experience is that, on a driven grand gibier shoot in wooded country, the difference in ballistics between a 12 bore slug and 9.3mm bullet has not been worth thinking about.

To get back to the OP's question, however, simple maths suggests that a .410 slug has about one quarter the kinetic energy of a similarly-sized 9.3 x 74R bullet (.410" vs .366" bores). That, even if legal, would make the .410" slug at best marginal for driven bore, IMHO. But pretty ideal for roe.
Thanks, I know shotguns are commonly used in a variety of countries outside the UK, but had assumed -perhaps wrongly- that this choice was skewed by licensing conditions rather than being a matter of choice. Or is not opting for a rifle a matter of expense?
 
If you have a injured boar in cover it's a 12g with slugs every time for me that's the only reason I have slug on my license I definitely wouldnt say a bolt action 30cal is better in anyway for that. But using a 410 for driven boar is just silly see what accuracy you get at 30yards + with a smooth bore and your see why
"A bolt action" rifle vs. what? Action type wasn't mentioned, but like-for-like, is there still a good reason to choose a 12ga over a rifle, especially as a shotgun will typically have a longer barrel than a rifle and so be potentially less agile in close cover?
 
I would think that in all of Europe a .410 slug would not be legal for boar. Certainly not legal in Sweden. I've don't understand why these dumb questions keep being asked. All of Europe has a minimum calibre for shooting large hoofed game and the UK has a recommendation of .270. There's a good reason why these rules are in place.
I had imagined it that it might not be lawful to use .410 slugs in Germany: the UK I think allows only 12bore guns for deer.
The article I posted, however, is written by a German discussing Germany. It seems that although there are minimum energy limits for rifles and HD pistols, the law seems, without reference to the calibre, to allow shotgun slugs on ungulates. Perhaps they just thought people would make sensible choices so as to avoid breaking animal welfare laws?
It's worth repeating the point about his .410 having proper sights. It's likely to be a single-barrel (or perhaps a .22WMR/.410 combo), rather than the o/u suggested by the OP - the lack of sights on which, as well as the regulation might be things to ponder.
Additionally, 'driven boar' might well not offer the same opportunity for carefully-taken shots at shortish range on properly-chosen (i.e. smallish) boar.
 
"A bolt action" rifle vs. what? Action type wasn't mentioned, but like-for-like, is there still a good reason to choose a 12ga over a rifle, especially as a shotgun will typically have a longer barrel than a rifle and so be potentially less agile in
 
"A bolt action" rifle vs. what? Action type wasn't mentioned, but like-for-like, is there still a good reason to choose a 12ga over a rifle, especially as a shotgun will typically have a longer barrel than a rifle and so be potentially less agile in close cover?
Have you ever used a shotgun I've never had someone claim a shotgun is less agile then a rifle ? shotguns that are literally made for moving game ? My semi auto is definitely sorter then my .308 but that depends on what rifle you have as dose the action I take it you also have no experience in shooting wounded boar in close cover ?
 
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I had imagined it that it might not be lawful to use .410 slugs in Germany: the UK I think allows only 12bore guns for deer.
The article I posted, however, is written by a German discussing Germany. It seems that although there are minimum energy limits for rifles and HD pistols, the law seems, without reference to the calibre, to allow shotgun slugs on ungulates. Perhaps they just thought people would make sensible choices so as to avoid breaking animal welfare laws?
It's worth repeating the point about his .410 having proper sights. It's likely to be a single-barrel (or perhaps a .22WMR/.410 combo), rather than the o/u suggested by the OP - the lack of sights on which, as well as the regulation might be things to ponder.
Additionally, 'driven boar' might well not offer the same opportunity for carefully-taken shots at shortish range on properly-chosen (i.e. smallish) boar.
We can shoot fallow and boar with slug but only from a single barrel shotgun..
I was out a couple of weekends ago on our first driven boar day and I was using my double rifle in 8x57jrs. I shot a brown pig that weighed perhaps 25 kg max. Could I have killed it with a .243? Most probably. There was also a very large keiler shot, not by me. Why would any one want to be under gunned on a driven day? Whilst it only happens occasionally I want to be ready and suitably armed when that 150kg+ keiler runs by my stand.
I would not rely on people making sensible decisions when there are those that would even consider a .410 suitable for driven boar. I've heard it said that there is no such thing as a stupid question but .410 for driven boar is certainly a borderline stupid question.
 
Have you ever used a shotgun I've never had someone claim a shotgun is less agile then a rifle ? shotguns that are literally made for moving game ? My semi auto is definitely sorter then my .308 but that depends on what rifle you have as dose the action I take it you also have no experience in shooting wounded boar in close cover ?
I had a Remington 870 ringmaster with a 20" barrel it had a saddle mount and Aimpoint micro mounted on it. 2" groups at 50 mtrs. Easily as good as a rifle at 50 mtrs on a driven day. Traded it in when I bought the double rifle as the double rifle is more versatile if your shooting other species than boar and fallow plus the rifle will reach out further.
 
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Have you ever used a shotgun I've never had someone claim a shotgun is less agile then a rifle ? shotguns that are literally made for moving game ? My semi auto is definitely sorter then my .308 but that depends on what rifle you have as dose the action I take it you also have no experience in shooting wounded boar in close cover ?
Have you never used a rifle designed for moving game? (Touché?) And no, I've never shot wounded boar in close cover. I have been fortunate enough to shoot a few on the run, but they died right there. (I'm sure that's just beginner's luck.)
The shortest smooth bores I own are combinations and drillings (24" barrels), but the shortest rifle I own has an 18" barrel. Admittedly the action makes good the 6" difference, so they come out pretty much even. I have no true shotguns with barrels under 26", and the 26-incher is the exception because it was formerly a double rifle.
 
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