[darkgael]

You are more apt to wound the quail with the .410 than with a larger gauge like a 20 or a 12.
The little .410 shotgun is, for many shooters, a much more limited gun. Limited in it's effective range and in the amount of shot it puts out and it the quality of its pattern.
Despite its small size - which would seem to recommend it to the beginner - it is a gun for experts.
If you want to insure quick, humane kills, use a larger qauge.
Pete