Ruffed Grouse over 35 yards.

Try a box of these:

Winchester Supreme Double X
(Extra Long Range Premium Copper Plated Shot )
Code X12XC6 12 ga, 2-3/4", 1-1/2 oz. # 6's

Copper-plated and Grex buffered, they pattern like a good thing ... 92 percent out of my Full choke barrel at 40 yards. The copper plated pellets seem to not only pattern better, but penetrate better as well. The only thing that's as close is Kent Impact - Tungsten Matrix, 1-1/4 oz. # 5's. A box of 25 of the Winchester XX's are about the same or just a bit more than a box of 10 Kent Impacts ! Both are dynamite loads however !

I've used them several times on flighted pheasant "European"-style simulated driven bird shoots. No problem smacking ditch-parrotts at 40 - 50+ yards. :D Back in the day, they were my favourite "diver" loads in 4's. !

By all means, pattern your gun to see where your Point of Impact is at 50 yards. A "dead-straightaway" is tough to hit ... not from "point the gun at it and shoot" perspective, but from a shot pattern (or lack of it) point of view ... not much to work with out there - pattern density can be a little sparse. I find a "crosser" or "quartering" target at 50 an easier shot than a straight away.
 
Have you patterned that gun, with those shells, at that range?

You may have a nice grouse sized hole or two to deal with.

If not, then it's likely user error :)
 
I'm no expert but I've been Grouse/Upland bird hunting for about 15 years. I find the best medicine for Grouse to be 3" Winchester Super-X High Brass #4 loads out of a full choked .410 shotgun; my father has used the same for 40+ years, and my Grandfather swore by his full choked 16 gauge with his #4 Imperials. I find any full choked shotgun with a good quality #4 shell to be the cleanest killing set-up; mind you I don't shoot birds out of the air. If you enjoy hunting and eating Grouse as much as I do you will find that the meat from a bird with it's head 'knocked' off tastes much better than one full of pellet holes.

For the longer shots with a 12 gauge I put my bead just over the top of their heads; instant bangflop.;)

First things first though see how your gun patterns and then you decide how you want to hunt.

:cheers:
 
Thanks guys - all excellent responses & food for thought. No I have not patterned at that range because, I've been satisfied & 'fairly' successful with the left/right - right/left quick flushes that are the majority, bread & butter scenerios & (as a rule) happen well inside that range - but point taken & will do so.

Ideally, in that situation & from right angle triangle math if the grouse is out 50 yrds & risen up another 8-10 yrds then I'd better pattern @ about 53 yrds or an extra 10 feet for good measure, I suppose .....
 
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Ryan j said:
mind you I don't shoot birds out of the air.:cheers:
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Please take note of this most excellent advise. And also take care to shoot your ducks on the water, it is much more efficient. And if you really want to be sure of your menu, do away with shooting altogether, buy chicken at the supermarket, no doubt of the outcome then!
 
Longwalker said:
Please take note of this most excellent advise. And also take care to shoot your ducks on the water, it is much more efficient. And if you really want to be sure of your menu, do away with shooting altogether, buy chicken at the supermarket, no doubt of the outcome then!
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Thanks for the hunting ethics lesson.

Many, many grouse are shot on the ground here and surprisingly enough, it's legal.


.
 
I grew up hunting grouse in Nova Scotia, when the only time you got a shot at one was when it was winging away at light speed. Strangely enough, in Northern Ontario where I live now, you have got to practically kick the bird in the ass to make it fly. Often, they will sit in a tree, even after you shoot the one sitting on the branch beside them. And these are ruffie's not spruce grouse. The Sprucie's are even stupider. So the amount of wing shots i have made in the last 15 years can be counted on two hands, although I average around 60 birds a season.

I found it disconcerting at first, but not anymore, I like eating them too much.
 
memaquay said:
I grew up hunting grouse in Nova Scotia, when the only time you got a shot at one was when it was winging away at light speed.
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It's the same here in NB. I use a 20ga SxS with skeet tubes for those crazy wing shots, but will still bwast on the ground if given the opportunity.

memaquay said:
Strangely enough, in Northern Ontario where I live now, you have got to practically kick the bird in the ass to make it fly. Often, they will sit in a tree, even after you shoot the one sitting on the branch beside them. And these are ruffie's not spruce grouse.
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Yup .... That where I first hunted grouse, west of Hurst in N.Ont. All we ever used was a 22lr for head shots. I sure got a rude awakening when I moved to NB.

memaquay said:
The Sprucie's are even stupider.
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"Stupider" ...... I like that word. ;) :p

.
 
Longwalker said:
I3. From extensive patterning and hunting experience, I found that there is no advantage to going bigger than #5 on grouse, and #6 patterns so much better in most guns that bigger shot is a mistake. No 4's are too large for most upland bird shooting IMHO. There is also a big difference in penetration between 6 and 7-1/2, try it on 3/8" spruce plywood at 40 - 50 yards some time. 6's will penetrate right through, 7-1/2 will stick in the first layer at that range. #5's pattern OK in many guns, but are hard to find in most stores. So #6 gets my vote for your situation, unless you have access to hand loaded #7 nickel plate, that stuff penetrates very very well because of the slick plating it does not catch on feathers, but slips between the fibers.
If you do your homework, I think you'll solve the mystery of the armour plated grouse! good hunting!
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Thanks Longwalker. I'll try the plywood for penetration gauging with different loads @ 45 yrds, 50 yrds, 55yrds and see what's doing.
 
Geez people we are talking about delicate one pound ruffed grouse here but beyond 35 yards! Magnum loads of 4 and 5 shot...must have some plenty tough ruffed grouse out your way!

A full choked 12 gauge with 7 1/2's is more then enough...but for each bird shot at longer range with a full you'll miss way more at 20-25 yards with a pie plate sized pattern.

Maybe some guys are confusing ruffies with sharptail which after the opening week need a good ounce and a quarter of 5's or 6's IMO.
 
Longwalker said:
Please take note of this most excellent advise. And also take care to shoot your ducks on the water, it is much more efficient. And if you really want to be sure of your menu, do away with shooting altogether, buy chicken at the supermarket, no doubt of the outcome then!
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Hey Longwalker,

I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers; I just thought I would share my thoughts on the subject; didn't mean to imply that shooting a bird on the ground or from a perch is the only way it should be done. I fully agree that shooting on the wing is much more sporting/challenging; I just find killing Grouse on the ground to be more efficient/cleaner. I have hunted birds all across our country and have guided here at home. I love Upland hunting but when I hunt now I hunt more-so for the time spent outdoors and food not for sport. If I want to kill something for sport it will be a clay pigeon or a paper target; but that's just me so maybe I will just keep my opinions to myself from now on....;)

Regards

Ryan
 
Longwalker said:
One other suggestion - shoot some trap. If you cant hit handicap trap targets you won't hit "logging road straightaways" either. many shooters forget that the birds are rising and shoot under them. You need to keep your gun moving up through the bird or use a gun with a naturally high point of impact. Learning to swing through is generally better!
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I think this is the best answer to your problem. "Straight away" shots are seldom that and many hunters (including myself) have a tendency to shoot without swinging up through the bird, resulting in shooting low. It may not seem like it at all, but that straight away bird is likely rising as it flies away. Unless your gun shoots a bit high you will need to cover the bird with the barrel to hit it, in other words you should not be able to see the bird when the shot is fired.

Missed 8 "straight aways" last year with a tight choked heirloom single shot that hits where you point it. Picked up my beretta for the rest of the season (which I used to shoot trap with and hits about 6" high so I hold the bead on the centre of the target) and never missed another.
 
Ryan j said:
Hey Longwalker,

I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers; I just thought I would share my thoughts on the subject; didn't mean to imply that shooting a bird on the ground or from a perch is the only way it should be done. I fully agree that shooting on the wing is much more sporting/challenging; I just find killing Grouse on the ground to be more efficient/cleaner. I have hunted birds all across our country and have guided here at home. I love Upland hunting but when I hunt now I hunt more-so for the time spent outdoors and food not for sport. If I want to kill something for sport it will be a clay pigeon or a paper target; but that's just me so maybe I will just keep my opinions to myself from now on....;)

Regards

Ryan
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Ya, I was a little "sensitive" 'cuz wingshooting upland birds is one of my great enthusiasms, but ... I really should know better. There is nothing ethically wrong with collecting food by shooting ruffies on the ground. I've done it myself years ago when I really wanted to be sure of a meal. But the original poster was asking advice about wingshooting, so your suggestion to use a .410 and #4's while they sit seemed very odd to me. Grouse hunting is many things to many people, so it's good that we learn about another perspective.
 
Longwalker said:
Ya, I was a little "sensitive" 'cuz wingshooting upland birds is one of my great enthusiasms, but ... I really should know better. There is nothing ethically wrong with collecting food by shooting ruffies on the ground. I've done it myself years ago when I really wanted to be sure of a meal. But the original poster was asking advice about wingshooting, so your suggestion to use a .410 and #4's while they sit seemed very odd to me. Grouse hunting is many things to many people, so it's good that we learn about another perspective.
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No sweat man,

I should have read the OP a little better before offering my 'expertise':p..... I just get so horny to talk about guns/hunting sometimes my mind wanders off.

Whatever way any of us decides to hunt; as long as it's safe and ethical is fine with me:).

:cheers:
 
M12shooter said:
Geez people we are talking about delicate one pound ruffed grouse here but beyond 35 yards! Magnum loads of 4 and 5 shot...must have some plenty tough ruffed grouse out your way!

A full choked 12 gauge with 7 1/2's is more then enough...but for each bird shot at longer range with a full you'll miss way more at 20-25 yards with a pie plate sized pattern.

Maybe some guys are confusing ruffies with sharptail which after the opening week need a good ounce and a quarter of 5's or 6's IMO.
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i use those cheap federal shells you get from CTC or walmart in 100 round boxes in 5 or 6's. i usually see grouse and rabbit during the same outing so the heavier shot works better.

7 1/2's put too many pellets in the meat for my liking ;)
 
Shells

PeakXV said:
It certainly could be the shells, I've been using some older imperial lead pellet shells that although have proven deadly 35 yards & under ... may be losing appropriate punch in that 45 - 50 yard range.
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I have a bunch of C I L 20 gauge Imperials, older lot I picked up at an auction. Stuff kills as well as when it was new. My guess is you are shooting over top of them. FS
 
If you wanna GET EM for SURE. I have found the Winchester Xpert Hi-Velocity steel shot at 1550 FPS in #4 shot at 1 1/8 ounces to work real well. I know some will say WOW why so much power for a Grouse, well. I do a lot of my hunting near lakes so I need to use steel, and secondly, I find with this #4 shot that when you aim for the head, all of it goes there. I too use a 28" barrel but I use an Imp Mod choke in my 870, always works, never miss a bird. It is fun taking them on the wing with this shot as well.

This is mainly a duck load but for early season grouse, it works very well! give it a try, you will most definately improve your odds on shots with a bit of distance. And no, if you aim properly "bead just above the head" then you will get ZERO pellets in your breast meat.

Good luck and happy hunting :)
 
Ah. I never took your shotgun into consideration. You might want to look more into that. What is it a B-125? If so Browning does not recommend steel. Hmm, could always use a lead load in those specs if all else fails..
 
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