There's a company called AR Performance that makes really high quality barrels for under $300. He melonites them so they have a long life and actually slightly higher bullet speed.
I've had 6.8 SPC for about 10 years. There's a 6.8 forum that's pretty helpful, a guy there makes really high quality melonited barrels for about $200. There's a lot of ammo choices
for it now. I haven't been out hunting but they seem to use it effectively on deer and hogs. Probably would have...
If you shoot the FNS, you should use that one. I'm assuming it's 9mm ? Load it with some Speer Gold Dots and you will be a very formidable "not so old" woman. Unless you just want to buy a new gun and need an excuse ! I can certainly understand that.
The "spray pattern" from a 410 is indeed...
I'm also concerned about this. Also, they are people who grew up in a country without our Constitution and I don't think would really worry much about it.