- Now this is a .410 slug!
Honestly, I could not believe what I was reading. Hoening Big Bore South (HBBS), in collaboration with Hornady, Montana Bullet works, Forster and Lee loading (to name a few) have developed one heck of a .410 slug.
When I first contacted Jim Hoening he sent me a great e-mail response thanking me for my interest and granting permission for this article. His knowledge of the .410 bore, coupled with a great personality, are going to push this company a long ways. Check this out for a .410 deer slug! .370 grains! thats a BEAR load for sure. We are talking 45-70 range now!
But wait – I am only talking about the slug – HBBS slugs are worthless without…a FULLY RIFLED BARREL for the .410 shotgun line. These Barrels are built for the Thompson contender/G2, and Encore rifles from Thompson Center Arms. These barrels have a medium/heavy taper of .810″ and are 24″ in length with a 1/14 twist. Each barrel is delivered to you drilled and tapped for both a scope and fore-end attachment. These barrels are 10 years in the making and if you are looking for .410 slug gun that is fully rifled check out the shot group below left.
Not too shabby is it?! I didn’t think so myself. Having worked up some of my own specialty slugs for my .410 I was duly impressed with the HBBS rifled barrels.
HBBS has done something that I only dreamed of in producing this barrel configuration. Let’s face it, driving an uncrimped .375 grain slug from a cylinder bore should NOT produce adverse pressures – and it doesn’t. Hoening has the scientific data now available for these loads as evidenced by the following quote from their ballistics page:
“Prototype loads for the HBBS 410 Heavy factory load and the HBBS 410 Youth load have been laboratory tested and have been found to be within SAAMI specs for 410 bore chamber pressure. It is now a scientifically proven fact, believe it or not! These same tests show very consistent velocities from round to round, another contributing factor to the extreme accuracy.”
Great job Jim and staff – this has been a long time coming!
Check them out @ http://hoeningbigboresouth.com and please let them know you heard it first here @ smallbore.
Dedicated to the Smallbore Shotgun 
HBBS is Very interesting. Is this development alive with barrels, bullets, molds? Or dead?
It is still alive!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo9kAka_Ykk
So I’m guessing this is a no go for the Taurus judge?
The “rifled Barrel” for the .410 in a revolver?
hi jeff p here… my 410 marlin has been rifled to 422/413… needb help crimping 422 bullets i size down..ed i have been on this project when you first stsrted your venture… please call 440-315-8920.. i have many rmc 410 brass made over the years,,have volumes of data even black powder used .chamber molds barrel molds made for sizing rmc made shells..we startedb same time . just made for me
Heah Jeff,
Have been sick for quite awhilw, just now catching up on comments, can I still give you a call?
Thanks,
Brent
Anyone interested in a rifled barrel Marlin 410,need some help w seating brass shell,bullet size is sized down to 422 i guessthat maybe a die of 427-9 bullet size for the 44 mag might work??? I build this gun while ED,,,was starting jobs call leavery message 440-315-8920
I have a 45/410 TC Encore barrel, rifled to shoot .454, .45, and .410.
Would this work with your slug?
I’m wondering if the .45 rifling in my barrel is too large to engage a .410 slug.
That’s right David, the Slugs that I’m using mic at .410 and your rifling is going to be much larger .454 somewhere in there.
Thanks for stopping by,
Brent
Theres a reason Savage are made for rifled barrels.From the very first shot lead from the slug will be deposited in the rifling.That residual lead will change the timing and speed of each succeding slug and that will greatly affect accuracy.This article is a few years old so maybe there’s a sabot now.
That’s so true Dana,
Thanks for stopping by the site! Precisely why I stick with a cylinder bore Barrel and use different size 41 caliber ball end or slug. Of course you can make other loads with 38 caliber, 40 caliber, Etc., but at the end of the Day lead is your enemy when it comes to accuracy…
Hi Dana,
I’ve never tried firing any of my slugs through a full choke Barrel, so I really can’t answer your question from experience. I know that full chokes, even modified chokes in older shotguns can be fickle when it comes to bore diameter so I have always stuck with cylinder bore shotguns using heavy slugs at close range.
Thanks for stopping by, have you loaded up any of these rounds yet? I’m curious as to how you’re doing with accuracy.
Brent
Hi B rent, so are you talking about the HBBS .410 or just .410″ slugs. My HBBS slugs @ .416″ and there is a huge difference between hot loaded .410’s and an HBBS