Lessee ......... a 3" 28 ga. is dumb, so a 3" .410 must be dumber? Reasoning(?) being ....... if you can't do it with 1/2 oz. in a .410, go to 3/4 oz. in a 28? If that won't do it go to a 7/8 oz. in a 20, and if that won't do it go to a 1 oz. load in a 16? And, again, if that won't do it go to a 1 1/8 oz. 12 ga. load. But, what about the excellent 11/16 and 3/4 oz. loads for the .410, and the excellent 1 oz. load in a 20, much less the excellent loadings for the 3" 20 ga., and the great 1 1/8 oz. 16 ga. loads, and I guess just forget about 1 1/4, 1 3/8, and 1 5/8 oz. loads for the 12s. This argument goes nowhere, IMO.
I hunted quail this afternoon that were released last August. Many covey rises were like wild birds. I shot a 3/4 oz. load of nickel plated 8s in 3" .410 handloads for awhile, then switched to my 28, again with 3/4 oz. loads. There was no difference in the way the two 3/4 oz. loads killed. None. May be dumb to use a 3/4 oz. load in a 3" .410 shell, but I like them, a lot. The quail ...... not so much.
