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Shotgun Ammo

.410 Bore Ammo

In stock from $0.52 / round · 18 of 21 products available now

A tiny payload in the smallest common bore: delightful in a fitted skeet gun, hard to shoot well, and a different animal again in a .410 revolver.

In stock today

Cost per round
$0.52 to $2.81
9 Brands
Brenneke, Federal, Fiocchi, Hornady, Lightfield, NSI, Rio Ammunition, Veterans, Winchester
Bullet weights
6, 109, 164, 218, 219, 240, 301, 350, 492 grain
Pack sizes
5, 10, 20, 25, 100, 200, 250, 500, 1,000 rounds
Learn more about .410 Bore

At a glance

Also known as
.410, .410 bore; never 410 gauge
Common shell lengths
2.5in and 3in
Common loads
1/2oz to 11/16oz shot, 000 buckshot, slug
Typical use
Skeet, pest control, .45 Colt revolvers chambered for .410
Before you buy
Fired from a revolver the patterns open fast and the payload gives up a lot: it is not a short shotgun
Age to purchase
21+ (the federal licensed-dealer minimum for ammunition suitable for a handgun, applied as TAS policy)

.410 is the smallest common shotgun bore, and the only one named for its diameter in inches rather than by the old gauge system. It carries a very small payload, which makes it delightful in a well-fitted gun and genuinely difficult to shoot well: an expert's skeet gun far more than a beginner's first shotgun, whatever tradition says. It has a second life in .45 Colt revolvers chambered to accept .410 shells, where the physics work rather differently and are worth understanding before you buy.

What to know before buyingCommon questions

Before you buy

What to know about .410 Bore

What people buy it for

  • Skeet, where the small payload is the challenge
  • Pest and snake control around buildings
  • Squirrel and rabbit hunting at close range
  • Compact and youth shotguns, with realistic expectations
  • .45 Colt / .410 revolvers

It is a bore, not a gauge

Gauge is an old measure: the number of lead balls of bore diameter that make a pound. .410 breaks the pattern entirely and is simply the bore diameter in inches, which is why it is correctly called .410 bore rather than .410 gauge. The practical consequence is that it is far smaller than 20 gauge, not one step down.

A very small payload is what makes it hard

There is a persistent belief that a .410 is the right first shotgun because it is small and does not kick. The pattern it throws is thin, which means the margin for a slightly wrong lead is much smaller than with a 20 gauge, and a beginner who keeps missing learns very little. A properly fitted 20 gauge with light loads is almost always the better teacher. Skilled skeet shooters use .410 precisely because it is demanding.

2½ inch and 3 inch shells

.410 comes in 2½ inch and 3 inch, and the chamber length is stamped on the barrel. A 3 inch chamber takes both; a 2½ inch chamber takes only 2½ inch shells. The 3 inch shell carries more shot and is the usual choice for pest control and turkey loads. Skeet is traditionally shot with 2½ inch.

.410 in a revolver is a different proposition

Revolvers chambered for both .45 Colt and .410 exist and are popular, but the barrels are rifled (which is what makes them legal as handguns), and rifling spins a shot column and opens the pattern very quickly. Expect a wide, thin pattern at short distance rather than shotgun performance. Some ammunition is designed specifically for these guns. Also confirm your revolver is actually chambered for .410 before putting a shell in it; a .45 Colt-only revolver is not.

Questions

Common questions

Is .410 a good first shotgun for a young shooter?

It is the traditional answer and usually the wrong one. The payload is so small that the pattern is thin, which punishes small aiming errors and gives a new shooter very little feedback except misses. A well-fitted 20 gauge with light target loads recoils modestly, patterns generously and teaches far faster. Fit matters more than either.

Why is it called .410 bore instead of .410 gauge?

Because gauge is a different measurement: the number of bore-diameter lead balls that weigh a pound, so 12 gauge means twelve of them. .410 is simply the bore diameter expressed in inches, so the gauge terminology does not apply. It is the one common shotgun size named the other way round.

How does .410 perform out of a revolver?

Differently from a shotgun, and less well than the marketing suggests. Those revolvers have rifled barrels, and rifling imparts spin to the shot column, which spreads the pattern rapidly over a short distance. The result is a wide, thin pattern at very close range. Some manufacturers make .410 ammunition designed specifically for rifled handgun barrels; if that is your firearm, buy it rather than standard shotshells.

Can I shoot 3 inch .410 shells in my shotgun?

Only if the barrel is marked for 3 inch. Many older and lighter .410s are chambered for 2½ inch only, and a longer shell in a shorter chamber raises pressure because the crimp cannot unfold properly. The marking is on the barrel. Check it, particularly on an inherited or second-hand gun.

How much does .410 Bore cost per round?

.410 Bore runs from $0.52 to $2.81 per round in stock right now. Every price on the page carries its cost per round beside it, so the comparison is one glance rather than arithmetic.

Is it cheaper to buy .410 Bore by the case?

Usually, yes. We stock .410 Bore from 5 rounds up to 1,000, and the cost per round beside each price is what shows whether a particular case actually beats the box. It is not automatic: a discounted box sometimes wins.

Which brands of .410 Bore do you stock?

Brenneke, Federal, Fiocchi, Hornady, Lightfield, NSI, Rio Ammunition, Veterans and Winchester are in stock in .410 Bore today. Stock changes as the feed runs, so the list on the page is the current one.

What bullet weights does .410 Bore come in?

The .410 Bore in stock runs 6, 109, 164, 218, 219, 240, 301, 350, 492 grain. Weight changes how the round feels and where it prints more than most shooters expect, so it is worth matching what you already shoot.

Is .410 Bore in stock?

18 of the 21 .410 Bore products we list are in stock right now. Out of stock items stay on the page rather than disappearing, so a link you saved still works and you can see what normally sits here.

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