I've not used the .410 for hunting any mammals, but I did use it with some #6 shot to shoot a recaltraint guinea hen out of a tree on butchering day. I know some guys who have gone deer hunting with a .410, they say if you are in close, it's effective, but sometimes needs a follow-on shot or two. I don't care for that.
I strive for one shot, one kill. I don't trophy hunt, I belive in eating what you kill. For that reason, I tend to use a heavy, hard hitting, fast-dropping load where I can. Around here it's all slug hunting anyway, so the 12 guage slug is king, and with good reason. Away from here, where it's legal, I tend to favor 30-06, 30-30, 7mm Magnum, and 308 for Deer. Like I said, my Winchester model 94 30-30, with it's iron sghts and top-ejecting bolt action, which was my grandfathers, has probobly been used to take more deer in the last 80 years than any gun in this county. It's still, by far, my favorite gun, anthough the Remington 700 is quickly catching up.