I spent my first 25 years hunting everything, including lots of grouse with my full choke, 30" Wingmaster. Still love that gun. Just have a lot of others to choose from now.
Defining the attributes of the perfect ruffed grouse gun over generations of grouse hunters and authors from weight to barrel length
- Thread starter Big Bad
- Start date
I spent my first 25 years hunting everything, including lots of grouse with my full choke, 30" Wingmaster. Still love that gun. Just have a lot of others to choose from now.
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Nice Tikka!
The problem as you get older (at least in my case) is that you have a pretty good idea of what you want, and are less inclined to compromise. As in, I've tinkered with the idea of doing up a Savage 24 with nicer wood and some engraving... But what I'm really after (but don't really need) is a MTs-05
Anyway, got the day off... so lets see if I can find some wood
I'd never look down on a hunter for using a lower end or budget friendly gun. I own and use such guns as well. I have guns ranging from lowly Baikals to Scottish best. They all get used. As for rifles I have Stevens 200 and rem 783 as well full customs. I enjoy hunting with finer guns and I enjoy having a selection to choose from.
I'd never tell the wife but sometimes I'm jealous of the guy with only 1 gun. He never had the difficult choice of which gun to choose lol
I grew up shooting an old Ithaca 37 for everything
Seven Lakes
CGN Regular
- Location
- Kitchener/Waterloo, ON
Great choice for upland but for road hunting āditch chickensā the Savage Model 24 in 22/410 or 22/20 is the perfect gun, to me.
As others have said, gauge does not matter (for me anyway) near so much as weight.
An upland gun get carried way more than it gets shot, and as I get older I can really appreciate my lightweight guns AND slings.
Slings on a shotgun may seem like a federal crime to some, but the Europeans enjoy them and so do I .
That being said, my favorite Westley Richard hammer double 12 is not slung......
Cat
An upland gun get carried way more than it gets shot, and as I get older I can really appreciate my lightweight guns AND slings.
Slings on a shotgun may seem like a federal crime to some, but the Europeans enjoy them and so do I .
That being said, my favorite Westley Richard hammer double 12 is not slung......
Cat
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Agree, a 6lb double shooting 7/8oz load is pleasant to carry and shoot.
The day started cold and miserable (drizzle and quite windy) but unlike yesterday afternoon when I seemingly couldn't it the broadside of a barn... got to knock two birds today.
I don't think anyone is looking down on any gun, as long as you're out there having fun is all that matters.
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
5.25 to 5.9 lbs
I really enjoyed reading this topic. I am a little embarrassed to say that my father swore by his old basic single shot Cooey 20 gauge. He said that it shot an egg shaped pattern...? which he felt was a positive attribute....Unsure if that was true or if it even made a difference. He loved that shotgun. Light to carry and easy to shoot and maintain.
tactical lever
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Fox Creek, Alberta
Thanks! Not a good picture of it, but seems to be fairly well made. Fairly well loved I think too, and one stock or the other was replaced at one time. Different colour, and one of these days I'll make them match a little better.Nice Tikka!
The problem as you get older (at least in my case) is that you have a pretty good idea of what you want, and are less inclined to compromise. As in, I've tinkered with the idea of doing up a Savage 24 with nicer wood and some engraving... But what I'm really after (but don't really need) is a MTs-05
Anyway, got the day off... so lets see if I can find some wood
I don't mind compromising a bit myself, as it keeps me looking for different/better all the time, and every now and then I go, nope, I had it right the first time!
I would kind of rather have the shotgun barrel in 20 gauge myself.
The .222 is a fairly decent all around cartridge for smaller stuff. I hand load, so I could turn it into a .22 Mag also. My .22 Mag coincidentally is the grouse champ of all my rifles.
Killed most I think with .22 LR, but probably just about as many with a deer/big game rifle. All the same with head, and neck shots. Have a .243 that's starting to rack em up pretty good, too!
I've been shooting most of my grouse of late, with a 28ga Huglu SXS, Fantastic gun for the price, I am shooting extremely well, at the skeet range, and the seasons prior with a 20ga Fair SXS, The 20ga has double triggers the 28 single, like the single trigger better, as i have damaged finger, that get bit, once in a while, on double trigger guns.
Both are at about 6lbs, the 28ga has 26" barrels the fair 28", i like Sxs as they cup, carry nicley in the hand,
I have a Fair combo gun in 20ga by 7x57R, that I take out for exploring a new area, pretty useful hunting gun.
little dog is great on grouse, just started bring them back,
Both are at about 6lbs, the 28ga has 26" barrels the fair 28", i like Sxs as they cup, carry nicley in the hand,
I have a Fair combo gun in 20ga by 7x57R, that I take out for exploring a new area, pretty useful hunting gun.
little dog is great on grouse, just started bring them back,
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I have the same gun in 410 and 12. 12 has ejectors. I enjoy both
I started out years ago with an old 12ga single shot champion shotgun that I found in an old guys trash barrel out by the road. It had no firing pin in it. I turned one from a piece of drill stock and that guns still in use to this day in someone elseās hands. I killed lots of grouse, rabbits and pheasant with it over the years. Itās been passed along to someone else now whoās been taking grouse with it right steady. And Iāve been hunting with either an LC Smith or a Cogswell & Harrison Avant Toute.
This one is a 16x16/9.3X72R, a great handling little rig. right around 6.5 pounds. Haven't had the chance to soot a deer wit it yet, but have killed all kinds of upland from ruffed grouse to pheasants with it
Cat
Attachments
Have no experience with the 9.3x72r but have read it's a fairly light chambering far below what the 9.3x74r cartridge is capable of.
Before I got into doubles I turned down a mint drilling in 16/16/7x57r. Thought to my self why would I want that? Looking back I truely regret it
Nowadays I do enjoy my 16ga sxs but much prefer a 20ga
Before I got into doubles I turned down a mint drilling in 16/16/7x57r. Thought to my self why would I want that? Looking back I truely regret it
Nowadays I do enjoy my 16ga sxs but much prefer a 20ga
First post in four years but enjoyed reading the above discussion about grouse guns. In reading the comments one point was missed. I am 5'7" and longer barrels can be an issue while dragging my sorry butt through the bush. I really prefer shorter barrels for that reason, all other shooting dynamics aside. Currently using a Darne sixteen circa 1914 and having a ball. Feels right. Pretty much snap shooting where I hunt, really wonder if longer barrels would help any. Took a heavy 12 sxs Ugaretcha with long barrels out a couple seasons ago as all my regulars were waiting parts. Buddy gave me that gun years ago. Beautiful but not an upland type, the opposite end of the spectrum for the purposes of this discussion. Total disaster. Somewhere in that spectrum is a person's grouse gun.
