Winchester makes both Buckshot (2 1/2in and 3in...3 #000 or 5 #000 pellet) and an 88gr (1/5oz. nominal) slug load. Remington shows only a 2 1/2 in. slug load (1/5oz. at 1800+fps) There is, of course, the S&B you mentioned, and...very interesting...Barnhaul makes a 3in. steel cased 97gr. slug load.

I would prefer a slug load in the .410, even for indoor use. The hollow lead slug at less than 100gr. and 1800 or so FPS should not be an overly extreme penetrator, and should prove far more effective than the .410 Buckshot loads, I think. I must admit, however that I have done no testing of any .410 loads since I had one as a kid. If I were in your shoes, I would do my best to grab some of those Barnhaul slugs and see what they were all about. For a Buck load, the 3in. WW 5 pellet #000 load would be my choice. I could find no velocity figures for it, however.

Good Luck

I have several boxes of the 2 1/2" Winchester buckshot but have never fired any. I have to put that on my to do list.

Mossberg sells a model 500 pump in .410 bore that has a 18" barrel with a spreader choke and a vertical foregrip for self defense. They recommend using 3" #4's in the gun for home defense. You might want to try some and see how they pattern. MIKE.

Do not shoot slugs out of the spreader choke! MIKE.

Tom, Mossberg recommends 3" #4 birdshot in the .410 500 with the spreader choke. The spreader choke spreads out the shot horizontally, much like the duckbill choke used in Viet Nam. Foster style rifled slugs can squeeze thru a standard full choke but could be dangerous in the spreader choke. MIKE.