Rob Speed proved his marksmanship by shooting over 100 crows in one sitting using his trusty Mossberg Wood .410 Hushpower pump action shotgun.
Describing the Mossberg as “the best shotgun I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting,” experienced covid shooter Rob made a last minute decision to head out for some crows one hot afternoon. With the Hushpower’s impressive sound moderation, the “pesky corvids” were not match for Rob’s marksmanship.
The Mossberg .410 Hushpower
While not a top-of-the-line blaster, the .410 Hushpower pump action is a powerful, versatile and frankly addictive all-purpose shotgun based on the uber-successful American Mossberg 500 pump design. It’s modified in the UK and features a dedicated sound moderator crafted and fitted by the Hushpower company in Kent.
With its 24” barrel, the Hushpower is available in full choke as standard (like Rob’s), or open for slug. The gun measures 31” total with the Hushpower moderator fitted.
If you choose one of these beauties, it’s a good idea to purchase a second barrel to use it as a standard shotgun – swapping barrels is super quick and easy.
Its two-shot magazine provides three-shot capability with a chambered round. Rob’s shotgun featured a wooden pump slide and butt with a Mossberg-typical ventilated recoil pad, adding nice aesthetics to this workhorse firearm.
Mossberg’s sighting design certainly enhanced Rob’s accuracy: with a bead halfway down the rib, there’s another at the end of the muzzle plus an extra bead at the end of the Hushpower moderator, allowing you to line up your quarry with full precision.
Ultra-quiet shooting
Novice shooters might not appreciate how quiet a shotgun can be with a suppressor fitted – but the .410 Hushpower offers incredible noise reduction, made even quieter when using subsonic ammunition.
For the crow shoot, Rob used Eley Magnum 6 18g subsonic cartridges, which made decoying a doddle. With such a sonic advantage, it was almost like shooting fish in a barrel – or crows in a field.
Shooting conditions
Despite the day being incredibly hot, a good breeze made things bearable – and importantly, kept the birds moving.
“It completely depends on the direction of the wind in relation to the flightline of birds,” Rob explained. “If you can shoot away from where the birds are coming from, they will generally keep coming for longer.”
Nestled in his hide, Rob rested the Mossberg on a set of shooting cradles he’d purchased online. He used 24 crow decoys to create the illusion of safety, which certainly did the job with corvids appearing regularly.
“And because I was using a Hushpower .410 gauge, they kept on coming!” Rob laughed, reflecting on his advantage. “I’ll invest in more decoys, as a few more will make them more confident.”
Watching Rob’s performance, you can see how his smooth pulls and unerring accuracy help him take down bags of birds per sitting – with the added help of a little discretion courtesy of his Hushpower.
Gun performance on the day
Mossberg 500 shotguns characteristically point very naturally in your intended shot direction when you’ve got the stock at the right length.
“The dimensions of the Mossberg pumps are incredibly low in the comb, so they shoot really low,” Rob confirmed. “If you pack out the top of the stock like I did so that you can see the top of the moderator down to the bead, it should shoot where you are looking, in a 60/40 pattern.”
Because the .410 Hushpower is a smaller shotgun, Rob used it at full choke, shooting over a range of up to approximately 35 yards. Most of his kills were taken at around 20 yards. “I miss as much as the next person, but misses are boring to watch!” he chuckled. “I really liked shooting that little Hushpower – it certainly sharpens your shooting.”
Conclusion
What to do with 106 crow kills? Make sure the foxes and badgers enjoy a free meal and contribute to the circle of life, according to Rob.
The tough, super-quiet and cost-effective Mossberg .410 Hushpower remains one of the best tools for sports shooting and vermin control.
