First Grouse hunting shotgun

In 4 decades of popping chickens I've used everything there is, but nothing works better than a single shot 410. Most chickens I shoot under 15 yards, how big of a canon does one need? The 410 takes their heads off and will never blow up a bird.
 
Grab yourself a 20. You can get into a Weatherby or a Mossberg semi for around $500. They both come out of the same plant in Turkey...I think. Super light, snap a sling on & good to go.
 
Grouse Man said:
These new Turkish-made semis are under 6 pounds in a 20 gauge and not too bad for price. Weatherby and Mossberg each have a model. A 20 ga. Express is cheap and handy but not 'light' but at least lighter. Same for a Mossberg 20 pump. They'll all do the job as a starter grouse gun.
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Anvil109 said:
Grab yourself a 20. You can get into a Weatherby or a Mossberg semi for around $500. They both come out of the same plant in Turkey...I think. Super light, snap a sling on & good to go.
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I like the 20ga for grouse, it's lighter, easier to carry, kicks less, etc.

I know people really harp on turkish shotguns, but i've found for the past few years i've seen some decent examples, which are most past they are very light, which is good for carrying (but can be a bit hard on the shoulder if you're shooting a lot). The other nice thing is they often come in a variety of barrel lengths. If you're planning on shooting them in the air, you might want the longer barrel, but i have been really enjoying the carrying balance of a 20ish inch barrel the past few years, but in my neck of the woods they either sit tight and let you walk by, or flush super early, so you don't get many wing shots.

For the past few years i've been using a turkish gun of one sort or another, semi, lever or pump, have even used a single shot, all have worked well for me. And for the type of hunting it is, walking a lot, shooting seldom, they've been great, and when you're beating through the thick stuff you don't mind scratching it up etc. And the best part is the price tag, specially if you can find them on sale.

So i would pick the action you like, find a decent retailer (any warranty issues are typically just a trade in at the dealer, not really a send it off and get it fixed kind of thing) and just get out into the woods.
Most of what i have has come from Corwin Arms, but what/when he has stuff available is a bit sporadic, but he's been 100% on any of the small issues i have had, but if there's somewhere local you can look at them in person, that's probably your best bet.
 
I have 22/410 combo gun, but my fruitful early evening hunts too often interuppted by a black bear or pack of wolves.
A 20 gauge or even a 28 gauge slug is better piece of mind in the thick boreal forest. Strangely I prefer the 28 inch barrel with both these guns. Maybe 12 gauge if you are in the far back country and alone while bird hunting.
BTW this is perfectly legal in almost all of Alberta for upland birds. Carry slugs birdshot and or buckshot, on same trip. Sharptails in Wainwright and turkey hunting near Pincher Creek only exceptions I can this of right now.
 
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In 4 decades of popping chickens I've used everything there is, but nothing works better than a single shot 410. Most chickens I shoot under 15 yards, how big of a canon does one need? The 410 takes their heads off and will never blow up a bird.
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Nobody has mentioned where and what you will be hunting.
For example I have hunted ruffed grouse and woodcock in Southern Ontario for decades. and the rig mentioned above would rarely get a bird.
Our birds are wary and flighty, and are shot on the wing. A lightweight 20 is the rig.
And I always hunted with Springer spaniels; no chance of seeing one on the ground.
Now if you're hunting dumb spruce grouse, the rig mentioned above will do the job.
 
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Guess it depends if you shoot them on the wing or on the ground.
If you shoot them on the ground just about any shotgun will do.
Some who hunt in front of dogs will talk about getting so many "flushes" a day.
I shoot them on the ground with either a single shot cooey or a 22LR.
I busted one molar on lead shot and don't like lead shot in the meat.
 
Any shotgun that patterns predictably will do just fine.

If you're looking for "the" optimal gun, it will highly depend on the type of hunting(walking trails, ATV, driving logging roads, etc) and terrain.
I do a lot of hiking and ATVing through trails and find a single shot break action chambered in sub-gauges (28, 410) works very well.
Larger gauges work great for longer shots but I'd personally keep them choke them tighter (IM, Full) to reduce meat damage.
 
digitalblue said:
Any shotgun that patterns predictably will do just fine.

If you're looking for "the" optimal gun, it will highly depend on the type of hunting(walking trails, ATV, driving logging roads, etc) and terrain.
I do a lot of hiking and ATVing through trails and find a single shot break action chambered in sub-gauges (28, 410) works very well.
Larger gauges work great for longer shots but I'd personally keep them choke them tighter (IM, Full) to reduce meat damage.
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Sounds like a head shots set-up. What do you do for flying shots?
 
For grouse, I also use a break action single shot 410. Carries well, and cheap. I’m boots on the ground for grouse. Win 37A. Beauty little gun.
 
SuperCub said:
Sounds like a head shots set-up. What do you do for flying shots?
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I don't take flying shots; the birds where I hunt there don't spook easily and don't fly far. You can usually just pick them off after they land in a nearby tree.
Even in the rare occasion that the do completely fly off, the area is pretty well populated and there's plenty others around.
Unless I'm going for ducks or geese, I try to avoid body shots, not really a fan of spitting pellets out during a meal.
 
digitalblue said:
Any shotgun that patterns predictably will do just fine.

If you're looking for "the" optimal gun, it will highly depend on the type of hunting(walking trails, ATV, driving logging roads, etc) and terrain.
I do a lot of hiking and ATVing through trails and find a single shot break action chambered in sub-gauges (28, 410) works very well.
Larger gauges work great for longer shots but I'd personally keep them choke them tighter (IM, Full) to reduce meat damage.
Click to expand...

digitalblue said:
I don't take flying shots; the birds where I hunt there don't spook easily and don't fly far. You can usually just pick them off after they land in a nearby tree.
Even in the rare occasion that the do completely fly off, the area is pretty well populated and there's plenty others around.
Unless I'm going for ducks or geese, I try to avoid body shots, not really a fan of spitting pellets out during a meal.
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Sounds exactly like how I run into them around here, up close and personal and on the trail or road. Head shots are the norm, 10-25y max.
 
Like many here, had pretty well every configuration of grouse gun going (from low value to the higher values).

Though I have my collection down to some decent pieces, for budget conscious and practicality, I tend to gravitate towards my (we’ll shared/joint custody with my father) an early made, lightweight Ithaca 37 in 16 gauge (I wouldn’t shy away from a 12 gauge either due to fabulous shell selection). It has a Polychoke so can dial in a constriction to fit terrain and round without messing around with tubes.

Just an opinion from my experiences over the past 40 years. ;)

“Good luck with your search for the perfect Grouse gun!”
 
I find natural pointability a tad bit more important than choke myself. There is a myriad of shotshells than can give tighter or more open patterns.
For example I have a 1971 made M37 Ithaca in 20 gauge that's points and kills like a magic wand even with its full choke some would say is too tight for grouse in boreal forest, with cheap Winchester #7.5 shot. And the flip side of that I used Prairie Storm #6 in
an O/U SKB with IC-Mod and i plopped two wildly flushing sharptails at plus 35 yards no problem. Again another 20 bore.
 
If $$ is a concern, use what you've got... if you feel like you need shave some weight, get a shorter barrel.

Like you, I've got the lust for a nice SxS in 20G. But I just can't justify the $$ for a AYA #2... when I`ve already got some other shotguns to use (and I don`t feel like selling any of them)
 
Packed around a single shot baikal in 20 yesterday for the first time . Was a great handling, light little gun to take on armed walks in the Bush looking for grouse. It seems rock solid, and cost a grand total of 130 shipped to my door. Haven’t seen to many, but there must be a baikal double in 20......
 
digitalblue said:
I don't take flying shots; the birds where I hunt there don't spook easily and don't fly far. You can usually just pick them off after they land in a nearby tree.
Even in the rare occasion that the do completely fly off, the area is pretty well populated and there's plenty others around.
Unless I'm going for ducks or geese, I try to avoid body shots, not really a fan of spitting pellets out during a meal.
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Sounds like you need a 22lr, not a shotgun.
 
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