When we speak of “new” tools for spring turkey hunters, it’s not so much a new tool, but a fine-tuned tool. Before you all jump on my back — which by the way is carrying quite a load as of late, so there isn’t much room left — hear me out on this new tool. The “new” tool is a redesigned shotgun gauge — the trusted .410. OK, now that you all have picked your jaw off floor and think that the fall I took last Sunday has affected by common sense, let’s discuss this caliber.

First the .410 is the smallest of “common” gauges that can be found in United States shotgun gauges. I was first introduced to the .410 when I was knee high to grasshopper, in the field behind my grandparent’s farm. Like most youth, it was the first shotgun I ever shot. I remember how excited I was to tell all my city friends that I fired a shotgun, albeit a 410, because to a chubby little Swedish boy it was still a gun.

It wasn’t until later in life that I had the opportunity to get in to the .410 again. It was back in the day when I was shooting registered skeet. In registered skeet, to qualify for registered shoots, one had to shoot 100 rounds and your score for the 100 would place you in a class. I don’t much remember how I shot that day, but I remember shooting .410, .28, .20 and .12 gauge to get classified. Back in the day, a shooter could have one gun/over under that offered “tubes.” There were .410-, .28- and .20-gauge tubes that actually screwed into the inside barrel of your over/under shotgun. Of course, many of us just used four different guns. In my case it was Remington 1100, each shotgun being in each gauge.

It wasn’t until recently that I started hearing rumblings from some turkey hunters across the country about customizing .410s to hunt spring turkeys. My first thought was, ‘OK, we can get the gun and choke, but what about the load that will take down a spring long beard?’ Going back to hand loading shotgun shells, the turkey freaks that were trying to make spring gobbler hunting hard, why would one purposely want to do that?

Well, I ask the question why all the time, but then it doesn’t take long to find hunters who are always pushing their personal limits. Hunters have been using versions of stick and string to chasing everything from upland game to bears for centuries. Heck, I have been hunting spring long birds with my hunting bow for some time. Having hunted behind and having taken video on many archery spring gobbler hunts, I can tell you first hand that if you really want to step up your game and see just how good a spring turkey hunter is, try killing a turkey at 20 yards with a quarter size target that doesn’t stand still very long. Experience that several times and you can see that it helps if you dial in your hunting.

I know several hunters chase spring gobbler with a .20 gauge and are very successful, season in and season out. I also know they are some of best all-around hunters I speak to every year, because they have to wait for just the right moment to pull the trigger rather than just blast one at 40 yards in a field.

Again, why would one want to give these pea-brain critters another adventure, or just give yourself a disadvantage, personal choice and challenge. After shooting both Stevens and Mossberg’s version of .410 spring turkey gun, I truly believe that a turkey can be killed within 20 yards given the proper setup.

The new loads for the .410 have changed over the years along with new pellet material. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) and Federal’s new Heavyweight TSS loads where the talk of the turkey woods for all hunters, but for those who have taken up the .410, these two have opened a new style of spring gobbler hunter. At 18 g/cc, TSS is the densest shot material available. Lead is 11.3 g/cc. One of the new loads is a 3-inch .410 with 13/16 oz. of No. 9 shot.

It seems that its common knowledge for those in the know the .410 push is really credited Tungsten Super Shot. Tight-patterning and dense enough that No. 9 shot can make lethal hits out to 30 yards in the right conditions. Ammo manufacturers Federal and Apex expected to sell plenty of 12- and 20-gauge TSS loads, but they were unprepared for the run on .410s. They sold out fast, leaving a lot of hunters unable to find out what the excitement is about.

The good news is there will be lots more .410 TSS from Federal and Apex this spring, as well as brand-new TSS loads from Browning. And there will be guns for it, too, and even choke tubes.

You can kill turkeys with a .410 and lead shot. You can also call them very close and kill them with your breath if it’s bad enough, but that’s no way to fill a gobbler tag. Loaded with any non-TSS shot, the .410 makes an extremely limited turkey gun. After seeing information regarding patterning .410 lead, steel, and Hevi-Shot loads, it’s pretty much concluded that even in the best case, 20 yards would be my maximum .410 range

TSS changes everything. Because the pellets are so dense, even 9 shot makes clean kills, equating to lead 5s in penetration. Going down to 9s allows manufacturers to fit 270 to 295 pellets in a 3-inch .410 hull, leaving room for a tough, full-length shot cup and buffering to protect the bore and improve patterns. What’s more, the hard TSS pellets aren’t prone to deformation like lead.

Trulock chokes is one of the companies that is offering .410 chokes and what they have found a real tight choke (.640) will not work for .410s. It seems the tighter the patterns get, the worse it is, but Turlock has found that a .390 tube works with TSS loads. As the .410 becomes more common and sought after, more companies will hit the market, but remember when looking for a choke keep it around the .390 number. Of course, it’s important to pattern your gun and try different loads to make sure you are totally comfortable with your equipment.

Some wouldn’t call hunting turkeys with a .410 and TSS a challenge, because you’re not giving up much of anything, but also some would say killing a turkey with a .410 is the best way to do thing. Others would be open to the challenge of getting a long into that magic 20-25 yard range. And at $5 or more per TSS shell, shooting turkeys with a .410 is a pay-to-play proposition. Not all states allow .410s or No. 9 shot for turkeys. Check regulations, because it’s a great option for young shooters, recoil-sensitive shooters, new hunters, and anyone who would enjoy taking the biggest gamebird with our smallest gauge.

From where I stand, having the option to use a different weapon, albeit more challenging, is always exciting. A quick reminder to all those who are looking to take part in the 2019 Youth Spring Turkey essay contest, the deadline is April 15 for your entry. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at corbbins60@gmail.com.