Has anyone taken a turkey with their Marlin model 410? I'm toying with the idea. The farm I've been hunting the last few years is loaded with birds and I always manage to call in a couple close enough to see the pupil of their eye. I've taken several with my front loading shotguns out to 30 yrds, most being within 15yrds. I've patterned my shooter and feel confident it will do the job with #4's out to 15yrds. I'm just curious if any of you have an opinion fore or against.
Thanks, John
Model .410 experience
Moderators: Regnier (gunrunner), JohnK, Sure-Shot
Maybe if it's legal to use slugs in your state. Given the low shot capacity of the 2 1/2" 410, there just isn't a lot of lead going downrange. Perhaps if there was a good load for 2 or 3 balls.
When I bought mine at a farm sale, wifey & I went out in the sand hills looking for grouse. As it had snowed heavily, we soon found some sitting on a fence line. So I plugged one from the range of about 20'.
The chicken looked around like it didn't know what could possibly be going on and departed with several of its friends. It was flying strong as far as I could see it.
I cleaned the 410 and have never shot it since. I sold the rest of the Rem paper 6 shot shells to a shotshell collector and am not a big fan of the 410 in general now. SW
When I bought mine at a farm sale, wifey & I went out in the sand hills looking for grouse. As it had snowed heavily, we soon found some sitting on a fence line. So I plugged one from the range of about 20'.
The chicken looked around like it didn't know what could possibly be going on and departed with several of its friends. It was flying strong as far as I could see it.
I cleaned the 410 and have never shot it since. I sold the rest of the Rem paper 6 shot shells to a shotshell collector and am not a big fan of the 410 in general now. SW
I am really not an expert - distinguished or otherwise!!
Steve,
I've been shooting 410's since I was 7yrs old and have taken rabbit, squirrel, quail and pheasant with this little round. I live in Missouri and they restrict us to shot NO LARGER than #4 and no smaller than #6's. This Marlin throws a great pattern out to 15 yards. I will do a penetration test this weekend between my 12, 20 and 410. I know the limits of my 12 and 20 as far as clean kill ranges. So if I test them at their limit and compare the penetrations to the 410, I should be able to determine if it will indeed do the job. I've hunted turkeys for 26 yrs and I know how tough they can be to kill. I've watched birds strut out of range more times than I want to count because I was carrying a front stuffer or 20 ga.!
Rest assured if it's not up to the task I will not risk wounding a bird!
Thanks, John
I've been shooting 410's since I was 7yrs old and have taken rabbit, squirrel, quail and pheasant with this little round. I live in Missouri and they restrict us to shot NO LARGER than #4 and no smaller than #6's. This Marlin throws a great pattern out to 15 yards. I will do a penetration test this weekend between my 12, 20 and 410. I know the limits of my 12 and 20 as far as clean kill ranges. So if I test them at their limit and compare the penetrations to the 410, I should be able to determine if it will indeed do the job. I've hunted turkeys for 26 yrs and I know how tough they can be to kill. I've watched birds strut out of range more times than I want to count because I was carrying a front stuffer or 20 ga.!
Rest assured if it's not up to the task I will not risk wounding a bird!
Thanks, John
Just an up date on the results of my testing the 410. I shot 3 rds into 3/4" straight grain pine at 20 yards. These were Rem. express long range #4's, with an average depth of 0.52" and 13 pellets in the head/neck turkey target. I shot my 20 ga. at 30 yards loaded with 3" Win. supreme #5 mags. to an average depth of 0.38" and a average 27 pellets. All the pieces of wood were cut from the same board. The penetration surprised me! 
I reluctantly took my 12 ga. monster out yesterday. The first 2 birds I called in were good birds with 10" or better beards. One was close enough to spit on! I watched them strut for over 30 min. before they got bored and moved on. I relocated and called in another to less than 20 yards. It sported a 10" & 7" beards, weighed 22 lbs. with 1" spurs. Double beards were just too tempting!
I even had an audience! A game warden seen my truck and watched me call in and shoot the turkey. I didn't ask if he watched as mother nature forced me to take a break, I would just as soon not know! 
I WILL be packing my .410 next week and with any luck I will post some pics of the results if I can remember how to post 'em.
Thanks, John
I reluctantly took my 12 ga. monster out yesterday. The first 2 birds I called in were good birds with 10" or better beards. One was close enough to spit on! I watched them strut for over 30 min. before they got bored and moved on. I relocated and called in another to less than 20 yards. It sported a 10" & 7" beards, weighed 22 lbs. with 1" spurs. Double beards were just too tempting!
I even had an audience! A game warden seen my truck and watched me call in and shoot the turkey. I didn't ask if he watched as mother nature forced me to take a break, I would just as soon not know! I WILL be packing my .410 next week and with any luck I will post some pics of the results if I can remember how to post 'em.
Thanks, John