Anyone do midrange rifle grouse headshots?

[New Camper]

Sorry to hijack this a bit, but you guys ever use a 12gauge for grouse? I don't have a .22 yet, just the 12gauge. Most people use a .22, but I would like to hunt some in the fall.

Use small diameter lead shot: 7 1/2 has always been my first choice, but have used other shot sizes when first choice wasn't available. Also, 20 gauge is first choice, because walking for partridge often required many miles, and a 20gauge is a bit lighter in gun and shell. Most partridge hunting is done with shotguns.

Farthest I've taken a partridge was with a 222rem: It was only 50 yards away, and I shot it's neck. Partridge colouring is one of the best camouflage's known to man, and unless you see a silhouette, movement or contrast... seeing them far away is unlikely.

 

[Slaymoar]

My Dad used to tell me when I was a kid that you could kill a grouse with a near miss from a centrefire rifle, say .270 or .30-06. I was never able to duplicate it. Anybody ever hear of this before?

Sorry for the minor hi-jack.

It pretty much has to graze it. I have heard that too from hunters in general and its something that I have never seen either, however the theory sounds plausible and I'm going with it lol.. maybe one day some guy will prove it; i'm just not interested enough to spend time doing experiments.

I don't think the bird would die, but it could cause some kind of sensory trauma which would knock it out temporarily IMO.

 

[Slaymoar]

Partridge colouring is one of the best camouflage's known to man, and unless you see a silhouette, movement or contrast... seeing them far away is unlikely.

True, but when I do see them 50-100 yards away, its not in the cover of the bushes, its down a trail or next to a clearing etc.. And about 50% of the time when I shoot from more than 25 yards its because I saw it driving on a trail and passed it - stop the truck and walk back towards it slowly.. usually by that time the shot is probably 25-40 yards before it starts looking nervous.

I guess every time is a little bit different too... In the end, I like making it a bit of a challenge and enjoy the walk in the woods.

 

[Slaymoar]

Sheesh, I don't know where you're shooting these long range grouse, but around here, yuou'd have to spot them, and then walk back 90 yards to get a 100 yard shot.

Ah yes... I use to get that too - up in Northern Ontario (Hearst) where I grew up. I never needed to shoot from any other position than regular standing or SOMETIMES I would kneel. Maybe 10 yards, 20 at most. But southern ontario grouse for some reason are alot more paranoid - or smarter.. whatever. I can't get 10 yards from a grouse down here.. no way. Most of the time you spot a grouse is because its flushing.

 

[bearkilr]

When I shoot them with 30-30, .308, and 22-250 some of them have been knocked down by just barely touching them. I've never killed one without at least a little touch though. Not sure if it's possible.

And it's illegal in MB to shoot them with centerfire. If you get pulled over by CO's with a bag limit of grouse, make sure you have a rimfire or shotgun along as an alibi.

 

[Slaymoar]

And it's illegal in MB to shoot them with centerfire. If you get pulled over by CO's with a bag limit of grouse, make sure you have a rimfire or shotgun along as an alibi.

Grouse kept flying in front of the moose!

 

[souwest_ghillie]

Sheesh, I don't know where you're shooting these long range grouse, but around here, yuo'd have to spot them, and then walk back 90 yards to get a 100 yard shot.

Yep, here too!

 

[Darky]

I also prefer to hunt grouse with a .410 its always a good clean kill.

 

[NB444]

I still remember when I was younger I shot one with a 308 at probably 10 ft. Wasn't that clear back then on ballistic trajectory and the fact that a bullet would be hitting an inch or two low depending on scope height at that range. Well to make a long story short I aimed for the head and experienced an explosion of feathers. The only recognizable grouse part left was the head.

 

[ciphery]

I have done a couple with my Marlin 336 in 30-30 and one day I got 4 out of 5 with my M14. All around 50m. You really have to make sure not to hit too low or you will end up with what my brother had. A grouse with a nice hole where the breasts used to be. At least he got to keep the legs.

Mmm grouse drum-sticks LoL......
Sounds like what happened to me one day...I was hunting grouse and rabbit with a couple of friends when a rabbit bolted from left to right at about 15yds. I pulled on him with my 870 but at the last second the bugger turned 90* to look right at me!.....ya bad shot cuz the pattern was centered on his nose.

 

[ciphery]

My Dad used to tell me when I was a kid that you could kill a grouse with a near miss from a centrefire rifle, say .270 or .30-06. I was never able to duplicate it. Anybody ever hear of this before?

Sorry for the minor hi-jack.

If you hit the branch they are sitting on you can "Bark" them same as a squirrel.
But a near miss is a miss. I've tried shooting a pigeon on the ground (invaded the barn) with a Mosin Nagant and a 180gr soft point. Just clipped its wing and it flew off with a broken wing tip and short a few feathers. Later it was dispatched with a 22shot shell.
As for hunting them I have tried in the past but as someone else has said you can hardly ever find them at distance in my area. Always flushing so the shot gun is your best friend....or a savage combo gun.

 

[Chas]

Killed most of them with Savage .22/20 gauge with a red dot sight. Most killed with the .22. My favourite is on sunny days at last light picking them off out of the top of birch trees while they are budding.

I like red dots for grouse as there is no magnification. When they are moving through thick alders and poplar thickets, keep both eyes open and the red dot just appears and you can line up on the bird. With a scope with magnification, its hard to see them because of all the brush.

A buddy uses a bushnell scope with the circle x rectical - as long as the head of the bird is somewhere in the larger circle, he pulls the trigger.

 

[Slaymoar]

Killed most of them with Savage .22/20 gauge with a red dot sight. Most killed with the .22. My favourite is on sunny days at last light picking them off out of the top of birch trees while they are budding.

I like red dots for grouse as there is no magnification. When they are moving through thick alders and poplar thickets, keep both eyes open and the red dot just appears and you can line up on the bird. With a scope with magnification, its hard to see them because of all the brush.

A buddy uses a bushnell scope with the circle x rectical - as long as the head of the bird is somewhere in the larger circle, he pulls the trigger.

Interesting.. how do you figure the backstop with tree picking? Do you use the tree trunk?

 

[Sbarkowski]

Savage .17hmr. Light, accurate and never waste any breast meat.

 

[kjohn]

I used to shoot them when I was a kid and only had a 22. I used standard 22LR solids and they did little damage to meat regardless of where they hit. I'd be walking after them through the bush, hoping for a clean shot, and they would be walking away even faster. Shots from around 20 feet or less but always dodging being obsured by trees. I was happy to hit them anywhere so I just aimed for the body. The bullet hole if it hit a breast was very small.

That is what I did as a kid, with my Model 39. My Dad shot chicken and bush partridge with his old Tobin 12. I still hunt chicken and both kinds of partridge, over a half a century later, but I mostly use my old Savage 24DL in .22/20. I shoot for the body, using solids. I would need a machine gun to do a head shot at 50 yards.

 

[DougPeach]

I've never even seen a grouse at 20yds... they flush when I'm practically on top of them to about 10yds away..

 

[hometownhero]

I used a 22lr last time I shot some. Farthest shot was around 15 feet. I did take one out with a 30-06 at 20-25 yards ish aim for the head and make sure you hit it.

 

[stuckon308]

And it's illegal in MB to shoot them with centerfire. If you get pulled over by CO's with a bag limit of grouse, make sure you have a rimfire or shotgun along as an alibi.

Well son of a gun. I could have sworn that rule was only for migratory game birds. Now that I think about it I have hit one with my .50 muzzleloader as well. Would I be correct in assuming that it was legal of me to do so?

 

[Brutus]

Sorry to hijack this a bit, but you guys ever use a 12gauge for grouse? I don't have a .22 yet, just the 12gauge. Most people use a .22, but I would like to hunt some in the fall.

A 20 gauge here, choice between the O/U in IC/Mod or the pump action with a full choke barrel and another IC barrel.

 

[Slaymoar]

Went back to the range yesterday and shot at grouse-head sized targets at 50 yards.

Standing position: took forever to get enough stability to even shoot - quite challenging and not realistic. Not sure if practice could really accomplish a grouse head sized accuracy from standing position.. Possible, but really difficult. 0/5, two of them were grazes.

Kneeling: More stability, but still shaky enough not to make it any more useful than standing for a grouse head. Again, possible, but I wouldn't choose this. 1/5, but the one that hit almost classified as a graze.

Sitting: Much better because many muscle groups are removed from that equation. In theory. I got 2 out of 5, but again, one was a beak shot, the other was at the edge of the neck. Note, I took a long time posturing and re-posturing and breathing and setting into the stance here.

Prone: This is more of a 3/5 solid hits. Much more stable and the missed shots were more like grazes.

Prone with bipod: 5/5. Almost all in the eye except for one. I must say that even though I did get 5/5 -> I took a good 30 seconds to set up. A moving target would be very difficult.


Then I went to the 25 yard range.. Story was MUCH different here, working with half the magnification (x4). Headshot from standing is much more possible, but still challenging. No real need for prone, but if the bird isn't moving then I guess there is time for it.. I'd say a calculated standing shot with an adjusted rifle sling would be sufficient. But I would probably kneel at this point, or find a tree to lean on and stabilize.

10-15 yards was perfect for standing. At 3x magnification was probably a bit too much - 1-1.5x would have been plenty - or a red dot.


Lesson learned: way harder than I remembered lol..