The 410 Bore is a shotshell standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2, which lists it in 2 1/2 and 3 inch shells, at maximum average pressures of 12,500 psi (2 1/2 inch) and 13,500 psi (3 inch). This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each shot weight in each shell length, for lead and non-lead shot, then its slug and buckshot reference loads, and compares the 410 Bore with the 12 Gauge on the same basis.
410 Bore ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists shotshell reference loads by shot weight within each shell length, and publishes a nominal mean instrumental velocity for each, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. Rifle and handgun cartridges are measured at 15 feet, so a shotshell velocity is not measured on the same basis as theirs. SAAMI lists lead shot and non-lead shot loads separately and fires them in test barrels with different chokes, so the tables give them in separate columns. SAAMI publishes no energy for shot loads, so no energy is shown.
410 Bore, 2 1/2 inch shell
| Shot weight | Lead shot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|
| 1/2 oz | 1,200; 1,300 fps |
| 11/16 oz | 1,075 fps |
Lead shot load of 11/16 oz at 1,075 fps: SAAMI notes that the original load introduced at this payload and velocity was combined lead shot and lead disks.
410 Bore, 3 inch shell
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shot weight | Lead shot: velocity at 3 ft | Non-lead shot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 3/8 oz | Not listed | 1,400 fps |
| 11/16 oz | 1,135 fps | Not listed |
| 15/16 oz | 975 fps | Not listed |
Lead shot load of 15/16 oz at 975 fps: SAAMI notes that the original load introduced at this payload and velocity was 4 discs over 16 – BB pellets.
410 Bore slug ballistics: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists slug loads separately from shot loads, and for slugs it publishes velocity at both 3 feet and 15 feet from the test barrel. A slug is a single projectile, so its energy can be computed from its weight as grains × fps² ÷ 450,437, taking 1 ounce as 437.5 grains. SAAMI’s slug weights are nominal, so the computed energy is nominal too, and it is energy at the test barrel, not downrange.
410 Bore rifled slugs
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, slug weight | Velocity at 3 ft / computed energy | Velocity at 15 ft / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 1/2 inch, 1/5 oz | 1,815 fps / 640 ft-lb | 1,785 fps / 619 ft-lb |
| 2 1/2 inch, 1/4 oz | 1,830 fps / 813 ft-lb | Not established |
410 Bore buckshot: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists buckshot by buck size and number of pellets, with one velocity measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. It publishes no pellet weight, so no energy is computed for buckshot.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, buck size | Number of pellets | Lead buckshot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 2 1/2 inch, 000 buck | 3 | 1,300 fps |
| 3 inch, 000 buck | 5 | 1,080 fps |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists 2 shell lengths for the 410 Bore: 2 1/2 and 3 inch. Its lead shot loads carry from 1/2 oz to 15/16 oz of shot and its non-lead shot loads carry 3/8 oz. At 3 feet, SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities are from 975 to 1,300 fps, and its non-lead shot reference velocity is 1,400 fps.
SAAMI’s rifled slug reference velocities run from 1,815 to 1,830 fps at 3 feet. Computed from the nominal slug weight, the most energetic slug reference load is the 1/4 oz rifled slug in the 2 1/2 inch shell, at 1,830 fps at 3 feet: 813 ft-lb. Its buckshot reference loads run from 1,080 to 1,300 fps at 3 feet, with 3 to 5 pellets.
None of the shot or buckshot figures is a pattern, range or energy figure. SAAMI’s tables give shot weight rather than shot size, measure shot and buckshot velocity at 3 feet, and publish no pattern or energy data, so they cannot say how far a load is effective or how hard it hits. The slug energy figures are computed at the test barrel only: SAAMI measures no further than 15 feet, so they say nothing about energy or drop at hunting distances. Each product in our 410 Bore ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Shell length, chamber and pressure
The maximum average pressure for the 410 Bore is 12,500 psi (2 1/2 inch) and 13,500 psi (3 inch). Never fire a shell longer than the chamber of your shotgun. Check the chamber length marked on the barrel or given in the owner’s manual, and match the gauge and shell length printed on the box to it.
SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities were measured in test barrels with a choke constriction of .031 ± .005 in (0.79 mm ± 0.13 mm), and its non-lead shot velocities in test barrels with .005 ± .005 in (0.13 mm ± 0.13 mm). Those are the barrels every velocity above was measured in, not a statement about your shotgun: your own barrel and choke can give different figures. Check the barrel and choke maker’s instructions before firing non-lead shot, and check the current regulations where you hunt, because rules on which shot may be used, for waterfowl in particular, vary by location.
SAAMI’s rifled slug data for the 410 Bore is for loads intended to be fired from smooth-bore firearms. Check the choke maker’s instructions before firing any slug through a choke tube.
410 Bore vs 12 Gauge: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, choke and payload. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every shotshell it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 410 Bore | 12 Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Shell lengths SAAMI lists | 2 1/2 and 3 inch | 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 inch |
| Maximum average pressure, 2 1/2 inch shell | 12,500 psi | Not listed |
| Maximum average pressure, 2 3/4 inch shell | Not listed | 11,500 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, 3 inch shell | 13,500 psi | 11,500 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, 3 1/2 inch shell | Not listed | 14,000 psi |
| Lead shot, 3 inch shell | 11/16 oz to 15/16 oz; 975–1,135 fps | 1 1/4 oz to 2 oz; 1,050–1,450 fps |
| Non-lead shot, 3 inch shell | 3/8 oz; 1,400 fps | 1 1/16 oz to 1 5/8 oz; 1,225–1,700 fps |
| Rifled slug, 3 inch shell | Not listed | 7/8 oz to 1 1/8 oz; 1,690–1,875 fps |
| Saboted slug, 3 inch shell | Not listed | 300 gr to 1 3/8 oz; 1,300–2,330 fps |
| Lead buckshot, 3 inch shell | 000 buck; 1,080 fps | 000, 00, 1 and 4 buck; 1,040–1,225 fps |
In the 3 inch shell, SAAMI standardises the 410 Bore at 13,500 psi and the 12 Gauge at 11,500 psi, so the 410 Bore runs 2,000 psi higher. The heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists in that shell is 15/16 oz for the 410 Bore and 2 oz for the 12 Gauge. A higher pressure limit is a ceiling on the load, not a measure of its power.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no pattern, shot size or downrange data, so it cannot say which gauge is more effective at a given distance; that depends on the load and the choke. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 12 Gauge ammo.
410 Bore ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 410 Bore?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2 sets the maximum average pressure for the 410 Bore at 12,500 psi (2 1/2 inch) and 13,500 psi (3 inch).
How fast is a 410 Bore shotshell?
SAAMI’s reference velocities for the 410 Bore, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel, are from 975 to 1,300 fps for lead shot and 1,400 fps for non-lead shot.
How fast is a 410 Bore slug, and how much energy does it carry?
SAAMI’s rifled slug reference velocities run from 1,815 to 1,830 fps at 3 feet. Computed from the nominal slug weight, the most energetic slug reference load is the 1/4 oz rifled slug in the 2 1/2 inch shell, at 1,830 fps at 3 feet: 813 ft-lb. SAAMI publishes velocity only, so the energy figure is computed, not published.
What buckshot loads does SAAMI list for the 410 Bore?
SAAMI lists 2 buckshot reference loads for the 410 Bore, in buck size 000, carrying 3 to 5 pellets, with reference velocities from 1,080 to 1,300 fps measured at 3 feet. It publishes no pellet weight, so no buckshot energy can be computed from it.
What is the difference between 2 1/2 and 3 inch 410 Bore shells?
SAAMI standardises the 2 1/2 inch shell at 12,500 psi and the 3 inch shell at 13,500 psi. SAAMI lists lead shot loads carrying from 1/2 oz to 11/16 oz in the 2 1/2 inch shell and from 11/16 oz to 15/16 oz in the 3 inch shell. A shell must never be longer than the chamber of the shotgun it is fired in.
Is the 410 Bore more powerful than the 12 Gauge?
Power is not a SAAMI measure. What SAAMI publishes is a maximum average pressure and the shot weights and velocities of its reference loads. In the 3 inch shell, which both list, the heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists is 15/16 oz for the 410 Bore and 2 oz for the 12 Gauge, at maximum average pressures of 13,500 psi and 11,500 psi.
What shot weights does SAAMI list for the 410 Bore?
SAAMI lists lead shot loads carrying from 1/2 oz to 15/16 oz and non-lead shot loads carrying 3/8 oz.
What is the effective range of a 410 Bore?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification. SAAMI measures velocity at 3 feet and publishes no pattern or energy data, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the load, the shot size and the choke.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 410 Bore ammunition from Winchester, Federal, Remington, Apex Ammunition, Browning Ammunition and Fiocchi. Browse the full 410 Bore ammo range.
