410 Gauge

410 Gauge Shells 

 The .410 shotgun shell is not an effective weapon for personal protection. The pellets in 410 shot shells, commonly known as birdshot, tend to spread out quickly and do not penetrate deeply enough to reliably stop a threat.  

Recoil from a 410 shot will be roughly half to one-third that of a 20 gauge shot because of the smaller payload and powder charge. A 20 gauge has free recoil of approximately 20-30 ft pounds, but a 410 has only 7-10 ft lbs. The .410 bore is commonly found in compact concealed weapons because of its manageable size.