Today was my second grouse hunt today. I went with my brother who has a Savage M42 .22 over .410. I forgot my camera so my brother took pictures when we got back with his iPhone. Didn't have Barcha today so no dog but other than that, a very successful hunt with both of us getting a bird today.
The first one, we were walking past a Y section in the trail and my brother looks and sees a grouse standing far down the road. Was so far, that my 20ga with 3" 1 1/4oz load #6 just barely hit him. (a rooster by the way) Picked him up and he had 3 hits to the head, 1 hit to the breasts, and 2 hits to the legs. Was probably 40 yards away. Copper coated lead shot so the meat wasn't contaminated where it got hit.
The second was 100 meters up the road from the first one. It was just perfect. My brother was walking in front of me and the bird came flying out, landed in a tree about head height, directly in front of him only about 20 yards away. The bird basically said "here a I am!" He got her with a .410, 3", not sure the load, # 7.5 (a hen by the way) and the pattern of how she got hit is almost the same at my 20ga from 40 yards away. 2 hits to the neck, 1 to the breast, and 1 to the leg.
I hate hunting without Barcha but at least the day was very successful.
The first one, we were walking past a Y section in the trail and my brother looks and sees a grouse standing far down the road. Was so far, that my 20ga with 3" 1 1/4oz load #6 just barely hit him. (a rooster by the way) Picked him up and he had 3 hits to the head, 1 hit to the breasts, and 2 hits to the legs. Was probably 40 yards away. Copper coated lead shot so the meat wasn't contaminated where it got hit.
The second was 100 meters up the road from the first one. It was just perfect. My brother was walking in front of me and the bird came flying out, landed in a tree about head height, directly in front of him only about 20 yards away. The bird basically said "here a I am!" He got her with a .410, 3", not sure the load, # 7.5 (a hen by the way) and the pattern of how she got hit is almost the same at my 20ga from 40 yards away. 2 hits to the neck, 1 to the breast, and 1 to the leg.
I hate hunting without Barcha but at least the day was very successful.
