What's your go-to grouse hunting setup?

Thanks Pete. No, not related. And a big age difference between them. The one on the right, Wind’em, was effectively retired when that pic was taken. The one on the left, Scout, was just hitting her stride.

Now Scout is retired and there is a young one, a blue belton named Daly, who has stepped into her shoes. I used that pic because of all the dog pics I’ve ever taken, that one is my favourite. That setter drive is so evident in Scout’s eyes.
 
Been a while since I have hunted anything but my typical set up depended on the time of year. My hunts were always economically based on least cost per pound of meat so used the lowest cost shells. In the early season when grass was high and still leaves hanging around it was a single shot 12 ga as sometimes a bit of brush had to be cleared with the shot. I would get the cheapest 2 1/2 inch #6-#7.5 shot shells i could find. I think we used to get Polish made paper shells for $1.99 a box of 25. You had to keep them dry because sometimes the heat of the shot would make them paper jackets swell up and you had a hell of a time getting them out.

As the weather got cooler and the grass was suppressed by early snows they it was a bolt action, open sight, single shot or tube fed .22 and usually used .22 shorts. They were about $.40-.50 cents a box of 50 shells for imperials or other top brand.
 
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My sh1t-kicker shotgun is a Benelli Supernova, massive overkill I know, but it seems to shoot target loads out of IC choke beautifully so I tried it and it most definitely worked.

I'd really like to get a 20ga O/U at some point but my wife has pointed out that my safe no longer closes so something has to go :(
 
If the birds are not skittish, I prefer a SxS 20ga with steel shot. Nothing beats walking a bushed-in-road in search of grouse with my dog.

In reality, many areas in BC have skittish birds, prone to flushing at 50m or more, so I take headshots with a .22
 
coleman1495 said:
22lr to the head is my go to. Its not the most effective method but I enjoy the challenge and can’t stand having pellets in the meat.
Also sometimes there’s opportunities for longer range shots which are a lot of fun.
Biggest downside is you can’t shoot them out of trees.
Click to expand...

First time grouse hunting : 12 Gauge

Every time since then : 22LR
 
Assuming the head is 1" across... that's the equivalent of the 9-ring on a ISSF 50M rifle target
- Sure, I'll do it... prone, with a match rifle... but on a skittish bird, in the wood?

target-50-m-rifle-500x500.jpg
 
sillymike said:
Assuming the head is 1" across... that's the equivalent of the 9-ring on a ISSF 50M rifle target
- Sure, I'll do it... prone, with a match rifle... but on a skittish bird, in the wood?
Click to expand...

don't be silly mike :)
the trick is to use special grouse ammo that's attracted to their eyes
 
I have never shot a grouse with a shotgun. I have CARRIED a shotgun couple times but never shot one. The closest I came was having one flush out of range and light in a tree. Walked up to the tree but the damn thing wouldn't budge. It wasn't;t a vert big tree so I kicked it but the bird held tight so I left it and carried on. I have head shot them with my hunting rifles though, .45 cal flintlock and .338 Ruger No1. I think I shot one with my Model 71 .348 once as well. Wanting to get into grouse hunting with a shotgun though. My son shot a grouse with an old 12ga sxs loaded with light BP shells. It was quite comical as we were walking a fence line with clover and came up to 2 ruffles. I told my son that was not allowed to shoot one unless it was flying so he walked up to them and they just ran away, staying maybe 15 yards ahead. Billy would stop and look at me and I would say "not until they are flying". He would walk some more and they just stayed ahead of him but would not take flight. Finally, one ran into heavy cover so there was only the one left. Several time, Billy stopped and looked at me when the bird would not fly but I insisted, "not until it flies". Finally the grouse took flight and Billy threw the gun to his shoulder firing just as it hit his shoulder and smoked that grouse. I was a proud papa. He was about 10 years old. Pretty comical though when the bird kept running and Billy would stop and look to see if he had my approval to ground sluice it.
 
Licensed to kill,

Great stories! the No1 in 338 reminds me of an older acquaintance who would reload for 375 H&H with lead round ball... to take on mini-safari (chasing hare/grouse/groundhog)
- It was as good an excuse as any, to spend some time hunting with that rifle
 
sillymike said:
Licensed to kill,

Great stories! the No1 in 338 reminds me of an older acquaintance who would reload for 375 H&H with lead round ball... to take on mini-safari (chasing hare/grouse/groundhog)
- It was as good an excuse as any, to spend some time hunting with that rifle
Click to expand...
I had bought an adaptor MANY years ago to shoot little round balls (00 buck is the right size for .338 IIRC) and uses little .22 blanks for propulsion. Thought I would carry it when hunting so if I see a grouse I could load that and shoot the grouse quietly without expending a 220Grain Hornady to dispatch a grouse. Never used it. It is still in the box.
 
Belgian Neumann Bro’s sxs 24ga. Brass loaded with 50gr ffg with nitro card and fibre wad, even measure of shot to powder and another card and some white carpenters glue. Perfect little grouse setup.
 
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