For 40+ years all we have used on grouse is pellet guns and .22's... We have made a few 40-60 yard shots, always in the head... We only use guns we are confident in making ten out of ten head shots with. Our shots are generally 10-30 yards, where we hunt you can't see grouse further than that... But last year I went out to sight in a new bolt action .17 HM2... I was just setting up when three grouse walked out and started feeding at the edge of the bush... Since I had not zeroed the scope yet I just ignored them... Over the next half hour I fired over 100 rounds until I had dialed in the scope to my satisfaction... I had been keeping the grouse in view and they were 80-90 yards out at this point... I turned my shooting bench 90 degrees and settled in and took aim, I was shooting a Hawke Varmint 6-24x44mm SF and had it dialed to 24X... The eyeballs were clear, I aimed at the furthest grouse first and it went down at the shot without flapping, I guess it was just another "boom" to the other two because they kept on feeding. Another shot, and down went the second grouse, on the third shot the last grouse went down... When I inspected the birds they were all shot through the center of the head... I was pleased because that HM2 was to be my new squirrel rifle. For the gent above "Nine" who aims at the "base of the neck" hoping to hit neck or back... You need a new gun or more practice... When you learn your guns trajectory relative to your sight line there is no reason not to be confident in making head shots.
