22 WMR for grouse

wasa

wasa

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Going grouse hunting near Parry Sound ON this fall, and instead of bringing my shotgun I'm planning on bringing my over/under 410/22WMR. Over the years about half the grouse I see are on the ground or sitting in a tree, so figured single shot rifle should help me minimize the shot I eat (recall I'm the guy who can't have an MRI due to a pellet in my digestive tract!).

Looking for other's experience with 22WMR on a grouse. My gun has iron sights so I would probably be aiming for the base of the neck in case I'm off by 1/2 inch or so. Ammo choices are 50gr hollow point Federal, or the Hornady 30-gr VMAX. I'm thinking the hollow point would be best, but pondering it might just go straight through the bird with minimal damage done (other than a 0.224" hole). Maybe the VMAX would fragment on impact and kill the bird easier? Shots would be 25 yards or less in reality.

Thoughts?
 
I’ve hit them with the Vmax at the base of the neck before and I wouldn’t suggest it as it does do a lot of damage to the breast meat I would suggest a hollow point or a soft point would b better
 
I have shot a fair amount of grouse with a CZ 452 in 22mag using Winchester 40gr FMJ. I usually made head or neck shots but liked having the option to make a base of the neck or body shot if the birds head was obscured, I picked the FMJs for that reason, there will be meat loss on a body shot but depending on where the hit is, it’s not a total waste. I don’t think a body or low neck shot would be an option in my opinion with the V-max without lead/copper frag in the meat and or excessive meat damage, the 50 gr HP might be slow enough and the bird soft enough to be okay but would also not be my choice.
Just my 2 cents.
Zaz
 
wasa said:
Going grouse hunting near Parry Sound ON this fall, and instead of bringing my shotgun I'm planning on bringing my over/under 410/22WMR. Over the years about half the grouse I see are on the ground or sitting in a tree, so figured single shot rifle should help me minimize the shot I eat (recall I'm the guy who can't have an MRI due to a pellet in my digestive tract!).

Looking for other's experience with 22WMR on a grouse. My gun has iron sights so I would probably be aiming for the base of the neck in case I'm off by 1/2 inch or so. Ammo choices are 50gr hollow point Federal, or the Hornady 30-gr VMAX. I'm thinking the hollow point would be best, but pondering it might just go straight through the bird with minimal damage done (other than a 0.224" hole). Maybe the VMAX would fragment on impact and kill the bird easier? Shots would be 25 yards or less in reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Be sure of your target and beyond.......
 
sillymike said:
Yup... don't be that guy shooting them while they're walking across the road...
Click to expand...
All good. I'm more of a "take the dog for a long walk carrying a firearm" small game hunter. Dog and I will be bushwacking on crown land mainly. No planned road hunting (although I'd say the 410 barrel would be much safer, if road hunting were legal in Ontario)
 
sillymike said:
Yup... don't be that guy shooting them while they're walking across the road...
Click to expand...
Mike, I was more concerned with the a guy shooting at them in a tree with no backstop for yards and yards....
I am sure the OP is not one of "those"guys, but it has to be said , just like yours.
There was enough of shooting across roads in BC ..as in Sylvester Rd....
OP , shoot what you got, no need to buy a dedicated ground swatter , unless you just have to.
Regards
Rob
 
Yeah, I guess some of my bias were surfacing :unsure:

When someone ask about the suitability of this or that caliber for this or that game... New hunters comes to mind. And with new hunter, I always think of target-fixation... and of some uncomfortable situations where you come across a bend (on a logging rd) only to see some guy pointing his gun at a game walking across the rds (with another bend not 50M away).

-

In this next of the wood, the times when I could use a .22 to kill a bird are kind of few and far between. They're either always running through the shrubs or flushing when you're about to step on them
 
.22 WMR on chickens.

Wanna get that prized laying hen out of the mouth of a coyote?

.22 WMR. Right out of the kitchen window.

And when the coyotes buddies come to eat him up.

.22 WMR. Out of the kitchen window.

God Bless Farm Women.

And this story ends happily ever after. Suzie the hen lived and kept laying eggs. Until....one sunday dinner.
 
wasa said:
Going grouse hunting near Parry Sound ON this fall, and instead of bringing my shotgun I'm planning on bringing my over/under 410/22WMR. Over the years about half the grouse I see are on the ground or sitting in a tree, so figured single shot rifle should help me minimize the shot I eat (recall I'm the guy who can't have an MRI due to a pellet in my digestive tract!).

Looking for other's experience with 22WMR on a grouse. My gun has iron sights so I would probably be aiming for the base of the neck in case I'm off by 1/2 inch or so. Ammo choices are 50gr hollow point Federal, or the Hornady 30-gr VMAX. I'm thinking the hollow point would be best, but pondering it might just go straight through the bird with minimal damage done (other than a 0.224" hole). Maybe the VMAX would fragment on impact and kill the bird easier? Shots would be 25 yards or less in reality.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

at 25 yards, I'd be using low-velocity 22lr or a shotgun. that wmr will obliterate the breast if you hit it there.
 
Hmm….I wouldn’t be shooting 22WMR at a grouse sitting in a tree. Come to think about it, I wouldn’t use a 22WMR on a grouse sitting on the floor either, but thats just me. I’d be more inclined to use the .410 and shoot on the wing. As mentioned, if you do use 22WMR, know whats beyond your target and shoot it in the head.
 
22wmr is too much gun for a bird and not the type you want to be shooting into the air on a tree shot. It is also a pretty expensive shot. The .410 option is perfect and about the same price per pull
 
The beauty of these guns is the shotgun backup for when you miss with the rifle. I started carrying my grandfathers 22lr over 410 on solo hunts when I was roughly 12 years old, until he traded it maybe 5-6 years later. Tons of rabbit, grouse, squirrels and blackbirds hit the frying pan thanks to that gun…

Use whatever 22wmr round shoots best in your gun as the type of bullet is irrelevant. The rifle barrel is for head/neck shots on the ground and the scattergun picks up the misses and tree shots.
 
Thanks for all the info. Y'all got me pondering if just bringing the 20g or my pump 410 is the way to go. As mentioned above, it's more taking the dog for a long walk carrying a firearm so I'm really not too worried about the few 410 shells i might use over the weekend.

As yes, I always pay attention to my backstop.
 
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