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Post by 10point on Jul 17, 2007 8:13:41 GMT -5
I bought some of these little skeeters: www.littleskeeters.com/products.htmMy hope was that I could get my 8 year old boy shooting 410 shells out of his 20 gauge for squirrel season. They do not recommend anything bigger than 7 1/2 shot out of these. I am concerned that this isn't enough for squirrel. Thoughts?
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 17, 2007 8:35:55 GMT -5
I'm not sure if they shoot 2 1/2" or 3" but shoot 3" for hunting and you should be alright. if you are hunting in woods with high trees and the gun has removable choke tubes then use a turkey choke other wise use a full and 7 1/2 shot should bring them down with ease. Ive killed a lot of squirrel with 3" #6 .410. h.h.
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Post by huxbux on Jul 17, 2007 9:32:13 GMT -5
After reading through the instructions, I see the .410 tubes are for 2 1/2" shells only. My guess is 7 1/2" shot out of that load would be pretty weak for squirrel. If you could get close enough though....... Have you considered a very light load in .20 gauge?
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Post by 10point on Jul 17, 2007 9:35:18 GMT -5
After reading through the instructions, I see the .410 tubes are for 2 1/2" shells only. My guess is 7 1/2" shot out of that load would be pretty weak for squirrel. If you could get close enough though....... Have you considered a very light load in .20 gauge? The instructions on the web site are not correct for the .410 shells. The instuctions that came with them say you can use 3 inch in the .410 but 2 3/4 max in all others.
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Post by huxbux on Jul 17, 2007 9:38:10 GMT -5
Should be O.K. then
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Post by drs on Jul 17, 2007 9:54:20 GMT -5
I've found that #5 shot works the best, for me, when using my S/S .410 3" shells for Squirrels.
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Post by 10point on Jul 17, 2007 12:53:39 GMT -5
Based on what the company said below I think I might try some 6 shot.
Dear Sir: We recommend using target ammo in the Little Skeeters but I think it is ok to use heavier shot in the 410. Usually the hunting ammo is a hotter load and will swell the brass and the sheeter will be hard coming out. But again try the 410 and it might be a little hard for the hull to get out of the skeeter.
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Post by drs on Jul 17, 2007 13:30:29 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this; and believe the best thing to do is buy your son a single shot .410 youth model. That are not expensive, and this is something he can pass on to his son or a younger brother or sister. While those "Little Skeeters" might be okay for shooting close range skeet or Clays; I would think the size of a 20 gauge choke would cause the shot to spread out too much to be effective, on Squirrels, at normal .410 ranges.
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Post by 10point on Jul 17, 2007 13:50:17 GMT -5
I would think the size of a 20 gauge choke would cause the shot to spread out too much to be effective, on Squirrels, at normal .410 ranges. We will see. They claim it doesn't effect it much at all. This a single shot rossi 20 gauge/.22 I bought a few months ago. My plan was for him to hunt with the .22 but I am nervous about the safety of him shooting a rifle. I have shot the 20 and I am afraid it will scare him. I am also going to add some weight to it.
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 17, 2007 15:06:44 GMT -5
I think you will be happy with the 410 shells. You might have to take along a three piece shotgun cleaning rod so a stuck shell can be removed. h.h.
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Post by Hood on Jul 17, 2007 15:19:55 GMT -5
I agree with drs, if you can afford it, I would get him a .410 if you can afford it. They are relatively inexpensive and a single shot is a pretty safe gun to start with. I still have mine, shot a bunch of squirrels with it (and you can use it for more than just squirrels). I always like 5 shot the best.
Good luck! The season is coming up fast!
Robert
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Post by drs on Jul 18, 2007 7:21:22 GMT -5
"10point", I agree with you on your son's use of a .22 LR for Squirrel Hunting. He is much too young to use a rifle, and he'd have better luck using a shotgun like the .410 gauge or a light load 20 gauge.
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Post by hunter7x on Jul 18, 2007 9:59:51 GMT -5
.410 is what my boys cut their hunting teeth on. It's was my first gun and I refinished it and passed it on to them. Montgomery Wards .410 single shot break open.
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 18, 2007 10:17:09 GMT -5
.410 is what my boys cut their hunting teeth on. It's was my first gun and I refinished it and passed it on to them. Montgomery Wards .410 single shot break open. A "Monkey Ward's"? Wow...that goes back aways. Wasn't it nice that we could buy guns at such stores? Even mail ordered them..
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 18, 2007 11:10:29 GMT -5
When I was a kid we bought most of our guns and shells at the local Gambles Hardware. They carried their own brand called "Hiawatha". If I look i still might have a few. h.h.
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Post by drs on Jul 18, 2007 13:21:05 GMT -5
.410 is what my boys cut their hunting teeth on. It's was my first gun and I refinished it and passed it on to them. Montgomery Wards .410 single shot break open. I've never owned a gun from Montgomery, but have bought several boxes of their shotgun shells and .22 LR ammo. Remember when shotgun shells were paper and not plastic? I lived and grew up in Washington, IN; we had several stores inwhich to buy guns and ammo. Greenwoods Hardware, Montgomery Wards, Sears, Western Auto, The Sports Mart, and The Sportsman's Haven. Remembered once, at age 7; I went with my Grandfather to Greenwood's Hardware Store to look at a Winchester Model 43 in .22 Hornet. My Granddad had a few problems with Groundhogs and wanted something a little more powerful than a .22 LR. He looked at the rifle, with listed for about $70, but decided he didn't want to put that much money in on a varmint rifle. So he just stuck with his Pump Action Winchester .22, and head shot the Groundhogs out his upstairs window.
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Post by esshup on Jul 18, 2007 16:14:46 GMT -5
One thing to remember, although it sounds different to us, no matter what the gauge, it still puts out the same amount of noise. I think I read that it's in the 150 db range.
A reasonably inexpensive set of electronic ear muffs will help mitigate some of the perceived recoil, and save his ears at the same time.
I think the set that I bought my nephew cost around $30.00 and he is still wearing them 2 years later.
Good luck on your hunt!
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Post by kevin1 on Aug 9, 2007 12:50:16 GMT -5
I use #7.5 @ 2.75" almost exclusively in my 20 gage for tree rats, I use a modified choke and it drops them cleanly at 30 yards, anything past that I use a standard full choke(not a turkey choke) with the same result. They're usually stone dead when they hit the ground and have few pellets in the meat, usually just into the surface, very easy to pick out. Pattern the gun with the shells you're considering and see how it does at a reasonable range, #7.5s are pretty cheap and you can always use them for practice rounds if they don't suit you.
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Post by schoolmaster on Aug 10, 2007 21:17:07 GMT -5
Walmart has 2 1/2 inch winchester #6 half oz. loads for the .410. This load will kill them as well as any 3 inch shell at the range you should shoot squirrels with a .410 I know someone has killed squirrels at long range with the .410 and may take exception to this but get them as close as possible and then get 5 yards closer. My boys used to argue over who got to shoot the .410 on squirrels and they killed a lot of them with it. But the range was very close. Pattern the gun with the loads you are going to use and draw a circle about the size of a squirrels head on the paper and shoot it to see what the effective range is.
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Post by 10point on Aug 13, 2007 7:51:35 GMT -5
I ended up getting some 3 inch #6 shells this weekend. I am not going to have him shot the 6's until we go hunting. I am hoping he will not notice the extra kick when shooting while hunting. Found the squirrels this weekend. We are ready to go. May wait till Sat morning with these temps.
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