.410, 12G, or .22 for Ruffed Grouse ?

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glasschicken

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Pretty simple. My game this year is going to be ruffed grouse, or whatever unfortunate cousin species is legal in my WMU (59 (Ontario, Petawawa area)), and I've been pondering whether I should find a .410, go with my .22, or go full tilt with the 12G.

Only restriction on shot is: "shot larger than No.2 shot (or if using non-toxic shot, you may not use steel shot larger than triple BBB steel shot, or bismuth shot that is larger than double BB bismuth shot"

I might keep one as a trophy, but the rest are going onto the BBQ
What do you guys think ?
 
if thats all your gonna hunt i would probably go with a 16 or 20ga sxs as you will loose to many birds if your trying to shoot em on the ground

or maybe a 22lr/.410 or .22lr/20ga
 
.410 is perfect for ruffies, it removes their heads. 20 gauge is pretty good too if you use a light load. These are not tough birds and don't need big shot like mallards and such. I use 6 or 7 shot in my 410. If your field hunting with dogs, then a 12 gauge works well as you won't get too close to the birds and the dogs flush them fast.
 
Thanks for the responses so far guys. I was trying to stick with those, because my local ammo stores keep mostly .22, 12g, and .410 in stock. Driving past the hunting grounds to pick up ammo(an extra 12 km) doesn't seem attractive. Just trying to be practical, thats all.
 
A bit off topic but, this past fall I was deer hunting and I had a 12 gauge with slugs. Long story short, I shot Mr Ruffy @45 yards with 00 buck. (legal in Alberta) R:d:
I lucked out in the flush, & broke only both his wings and his neck, and he crashed doing a 180 into the ground, like a Russian Mig at a Paris Airshow.
 
Shotgun for grouse? PFFFFT


.22 LR for grouse... for those who can shoot ;) I can get headshots all day long at 20m with my $50 Cooey :)
 
All three....:redface:

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I hunted grouse with a .410 for years with no real problems, except that the Grouse around my cottage are pretty wary with a tenedency to flush a ways out. I switched to a 12 gauge and 1 1/4 oz loads with either 7 1/2 or 6 lead shot, for steel shot I use number 6 or number 4's. The 12 gauge is also handy for jump shooting ducks around any of the several beaver ponds around, and also more than once I have run into a Snowshoe Hare. My vote goes to the 12 gauge.
 
I hunted with a .410 for years. Good for grouse, but watch the range. Not much knock down further out. After hitting a grouse 3 times and taking feathers each time, then wathing it fly away, I traded it for a .22.
 
If you are going to own more than one shotgun go with a .410 if you are always going to be walking and it the brush is thick enough to limit your range...it is nice and light.

If you are planning on doing different types of hunting go with a 12 gauge as it will give you more options on what to hunt...(wild turkeys , ducks, geese )and you could hunt deer with it too if you wanted.

Guns are like golf clubs...you need a bunch to get the job done...and it always seems like you need to get that SPECIAL club...lol
 
It should be noted that there IS a difference between Huntsmanship and Marksmanship. Just because you can hit a groundhog peeking out of his hill from 450 meters away doesn't mean you are a good hunter, just a good shot.

But I digress; Is there a recommendation for a decent combo gun (.410/.22) out there ? I bet none with magazines.
 
Of what you listed I'd vote for the 12. It's versatile, and can be pressed into service for most hunting situations. If you open your horizons a little a 20 is perfect for grouse, and will fit the bill for waterfowl and deer as well. You can always stock up on shells so you don't need to go out of your way to pick them up. I typically stock up on hunting ammunition only once a year, and sometimes buy enough to get through a couple of years. You never know when Armageddon will arrive.

If you're an experienced uplander, a .410 is a fine choice, but it's not always the best choice for a wingshooter to learn on birds with. Just my $0.02
 
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