having missed a number of grouse with my 22, I'm considering picking up a 20 guage-no,this isn't purist grouse shooting over dogs-just opportunist potting a grouse on the forest service roads .I saw a few guys on quads carrying a shotgun along with their rifles.I'm wondering if just a single break open would suit the bill-or would something like an older stevens 311 be a better choice
20 guage grouse gun
- Thread starter ratherbefishin
- Start date
I use a NEF single shot 20 and it works fine for a single or multiple targets. I use a sidekick carrier for extra shells (5). One shot, one bird, for a flock they usually don't fly far from each other most I've ecounter in a group is about 5-7 birds and I usually carry about 3-5 more shells in my pocket.
I've used my Win 1300XTR and my Cooey 840, both 20 Gauges for grouse but have since gone to a Ruger 10-22 with Butler Creek barrel and stock...hard to miss the heads at the range at which I shot them last weekend...10-15 yards..and most will give you a second chance if you miss and they are feeling cooperative...
a Cooey 840 in a 20 gauge is a good and cheap grouse gun....a 410 works well too...had one.
a Cooey 840 in a 20 gauge is a good and cheap grouse gun....a 410 works well too...had one.
308BAR said:
Hee Hee me too. Very nice little shotgun for grouse. plus you can carry a few slugs incase a dear appear in a short distance. Can handle 3" shell as well. Or take a look at the Cooey 840 which is made by Winchester.
Trigun
Virtually any shotgun will do. But I think you're on then right track with this approach. 20 ga. is great for grouse (28 ga., too, but both the guns and the ammo are a little more money).
I'm starting to have a few 20 guages and they're all good grouse guns. And, yes, I've carried my kids' NEF Pardner a few times. Despite being way too small for me, I haven't missed with it yet. The best part is how light it is - easy to carry on those all day hunts.
Come to think of it, that's one of the best parts about 20 gauges in general - the guns AND the ammo are nice and light.
SS
I'm starting to have a few 20 guages and they're all good grouse guns. And, yes, I've carried my kids' NEF Pardner a few times. Despite being way too small for me, I haven't missed with it yet. The best part is how light it is - easy to carry on those all day hunts.
Come to think of it, that's one of the best parts about 20 gauges in general - the guns AND the ammo are nice and light.
SS
A lot of guys seem to favour 410's but it seems to me a 20 guage might be a bit more versatile-cheaper ammunition and the possability of carrying a slug if you happened upon a deer.I'm not a shotgunner-what loads would you use for potting grouse on the roadsides at the usual 10 to 20 yard shots without blowing them to bits?
Choke is most important. If you're dealing with 10-20 yards, cut the choke completely off that cheap single barrel 20 ga. and you'll have the perfect mix for #7-1/2 or #8. 20 ga, 7/8 oz is plenty. i.e. typical trap/skeet/target load.
Funny, I just bought a Baikal 20g just for birds & wabbits. Hell ya it'll do the job!! I've always been fond of the Savage combo's like Big Guy mentioned, $75 bucks is what I paid for my USSR made single.Good going Big Guy!
ratherbefishin said:
last week I shot 7 of them with a 22LR while cruising around on the Big Bear (me not the grouse....thier feet can't reach the foot pegs and those wings catch too much wind, I guess that's what they are for).......with a shotgun you have to be careful....at 10-20 yards I aim just over the head......a couple pellets is all it takes....
Nine said:This is why I prefer to use #2 shot out of my 14" barreled shotguns for grouse. Sometimes they are found to have only a few pellet hits. I've yet to have one I've actually taken a shot at escape.
Have you yet to actually find any remnants? 
