"I don't miss"

Yesterday I was at my local Sail store just looking at stuff as I usually like to do. While looking at firearms I came across a gentleman looking to buy an all around shotgun. The salesman who I know know's his guns suggested a browning 20 gauge. He advised in detail that its good for birds and rabbits and when loaded with slugs is good for larger game like deer. At this point the buyer looked and said I don't like the price and would be more interested in a 410 because I read online that's its good for birds and rabbits and deer. I put my 2 cents worth in then and said it was way to light for larger game. Now I don't know my ballistics and so forth but a 410 is simply to small for deer imho. I advised him that perhaps at 5 to 10 yrds a 410 would be adequate but no further. He looked at me and said "what would you know about this" in a cocky fashion. Well now the BP is starting to boil and I suggest to him politely that being at least 20 yrs older than him I may have learned a thing or two. I said would you rather wound something than make sure of having enough fire power to kill. He said "what does it matter I don't miss anyway" My wife having been there with me noted my growing anger suggested we leave. It certainly troubles me that people absorb whats online rather than taking advise from people who actually may know a thing or two. Maybe I'm to sensitive and I don't know what he bought in the end if anything, but I personally just can't believe the attitude

i feel like a .410 slug is probably the same size or bigger than the projectile shot from most “deer” rifles. The main difference there would be the powder to push it and the style of projectile. Range/ distance and accuracy are the arguments here.

Chances are if jingles at sail is looking for one gun to rule them all then he is dumb because it doesn’t really exist. Why try and be amazing with a .410 slug combo so you can maybe shoot a deer at 80 meters when you can be average with a rifle and iron sights and shoot one at 100.
Jingles ain’t worth the frustration. Sometimes people know everything and it’s easiest to let them think that.

You can't fix stupid.
I find the more facts you supply stupid will hold fast to their stupidity than admit they might be wrong.
A do all shotgun at a minimum is a 20g as can't hunt turkeys with anything smaller.
A basic 12 is the way to go as its the cheapest to run just check the shell prices 12 vs 20 vs .410

You have to love the internet. If you search enough you will find the answer you want to hear, although it's not always the correct one. Your right "you can't fix stupid" regardless of academics.

Even here you'll get the guy who asks a question and when you respond with one that goes against what he wanted to hear you'll get nothing but grief.

Here is a ballistic chart for a .410 one quarter ounce slug. It only starts out with 762 foot pounds of energy and it drops off rapidly from there. There are so many better choices!!!

I have similiar conversations with my one friend who recently started hunting and over the last deer season he has had to put his foot in his mouth. We live in an area that allows rifle hunting but in his mind he wanted to purchase an "all purpose" gun so he can use it for both rifle and shotgun area's for deer and for any other type of hunting he wishes to try. He bought a bolt action savage 12 gauge I believe it gas a rifled barrell so now that deer season us over he wants to try Goose and Duck hunting and he is going to have to purchase another gun and he doesnt understand why he cant use the one he just purchased , I bird, small and large game hunt and have a mixture of non restricted firearms majority have been passed down and only used for specific types of hunting I have tried to educate him and explain why they are used in the manner they are but it goes in one ear and out the other. He is more interested in graphite stocks, camo patterns, and price.

Your wife was right to suggest leaving.... because I found stupidity is contagious. With internet it is spreading at an alarming rate! Don’t even try to fix it... just get the heck away from it!

Is it not against the law to use anything smaller than a 20 gauge for big game ?

TD

No, it isnt.
The regulations only require it to be a center fire round.

No, it isnt.
The regulations only require it to be a center fire round.

Well sort of.
Yes, but no person shall use a shotgun smaller than 20 gauge when loaded with shot or any shotgun loaded with shot smaller than SG (No. 1 buck) to hunt moose.

So if using a slug any shotgun will do however if using shot you are restricted to 20 g

I didn't know anyone used a 410 for big game.
Like splitting wood with a hatchet.

I ran into a guy years ago that used a single shot .410 with slugs for deer. He explained that the slug was so much faster than a 12 gauge and that's why he used it.
I told him I have never seen a deer outrun a slug or do any kind of "Matrix" type move when I was shooting at them?
Wished him luck and carried on my way.
Personally I wouldn't use one but if that was the only shotgun I had and could get a broad side shot at 30 yards or less?
It is legal and at close range with a well aimed shot, probably fairly lethal.

I'm sure a 410 slug will knock down a deer at what distance I don't know. I have a couple of 410's and a 44mag. the 44 shell will fit in the 410, I put it in just to see if it would fit not to shoot. I did fire a 410 slug out of the 410 put a nice hole in a piece of plywood, but again at what distance will it still have the energy to pass through a deer.

Best all round gun would be a Mossberg combo 12ga, that has a rifled barrel. If looking for 1 gun to do it all and on a low budget this is the way to go.

I personally like the idea of a couple guns for each thing I hunt, better safe than sorry.

Agree better to walk away from stupid.

funny coincidence this weeks episode Yamaha whitetail diaries featured a stud of a buck taken down at 22 yards with a 44 smith & Wesson handgun.
Than again them americans are a crazy bunch.