Turkeys in the Snow with the .410

[Fowl Play]

Recently purchased a .410 for my daughter and quickly found out I probably need to wait at least another year before she feels comfortable with it. Bought the lightest skeet loads I could find for it, and she still didn't like it. No worries, but I figured I'd try it out myself with some TSS #9 shot for turkeys. Pattern pic is from 40 yards.... pretty impressed with this little gun.

Wound up taking it on a yearly camping trip I do... drove in to balmy conditions with the gobblers just starting to respond to calls... weather quickly changed to almost white out conditions. 10 inches of snow over a 5 day period. Never before have I hunted them like this, but made for a unique hunt.

The weather pushed them back into their winter flocks. Gobblers would not respond to calls at all. If I wasn't 1500 miles from home for a 5 day hunt, I would have waited. But... I've never tracked turkeys in the snow before either. I can say, tracking a flock of 30+ turkeys through the snow has to be about the easiest tracking job ever. But trying to get within 30-40 yards of that same flock of turkeys is extremely difficult. Very unique hunt with some good memories with friends and family. Though.... next year I'll probably go a few weeks later.

Little .410 put the hammer down on two very nice sized gobblers. Both around 30-35yards. Seriously has me considering about making it my primary turkey gun.

 

[Fatcamp]

That's cool.

 

[gerry35]

Super cool, congrats! What .410 did you end up buying? Hopefully your daughter will be ready next year.

 

[Fowl Play]

Super cool, congrats! What .410 did you end up buying? Hopefully your daughter will be ready next year.

I bought the optic ready Mossberg 500, as I have the 12 gauge 940 with similar optic cutout and love it (allows you to use the red dot or your barrel sites -- they co-locate). https://www.mossberg.com/500-turkey-50107.html Perfect in pretty much every way except the stock LOP for a youngster.

Any of the 510 or 500 stocks fit it, tried to get Mossberg to sell me just a 510 mini super bantam stock for it, but they wouldn't... wound up buying a smaller stock from Hogue for $50.

My perfect turkey .410 for a youngster would be the following, seem like everything is missing at least one thing at this time:

• Pump
• Pre-drilled for optic
• Barrel 20-24" (for the better pattern)
• Threaded for chokes
• LOP 10.5" ish

 

[gerry35]

I bought the optic ready Mossberg 500, as I have the 12 gauge 940 with similar optic cutout and love it (allows you to use the red dot or your barrel sites -- they co-locate). https://www.mossberg.com/500-turkey-50107.html Perfect in pretty much every way except the stock LOP for a youngster.

Any of the 510 or 500 stocks fit it, tried to get Mossberg to sell me just a 510 mini super bantam stock for it, but they wouldn't... wound up buying a smaller stock from Hogue for $50.

My perfect turkey .410 for a youngster would be the following, seem like everything is missing at least one thing at this time:

• Pump
• Pre-drilled for optic
• Barrel 20-24" (for the better pattern)
• Threaded for chokes
• LOP 10.5" ish

With the new Hogue stock it sounds perfect for a young hunter and as a bonus you have your full size stock for when she gets older.

 

[wesfromky]

I bought the optic ready Mossberg 500, as I have the 12 gauge 940 with similar optic cutout and love it (allows you to use the red dot or your barrel sites -- they co-locate). https://www.mossberg.com/500-turkey-50107.html Perfect in pretty much every way except the stock LOP for a youngster.

Any of the 510 or 500 stocks fit it, tried to get Mossberg to sell me just a 510 mini super bantam stock for it, but they wouldn't... wound up buying a smaller stock from Hogue for $50.

My perfect turkey .410 for a youngster would be the following, seem like everything is missing at least one thing at this time:

• Pump
• Pre-drilled for optic
• Barrel 20-24" (for the better pattern)
• Threaded for chokes
• LOP 10.5" ish

I bought the same gun this spring. I ran into an issue with Holosun optic - the screws were too long and bound up the action. Had to order shorter screws, but works great now. Using an Indian creek choke and apex 9.5 tss.