Beginner Grouse/Partridge Gun

Lotro

Lotro

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Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Hey everyone,

I got my PAL and Ontario Hunting License in fall of last year. Because I got to it late, I didn't get a chance to do any small game hunting. After I got my license a family member gave me a nice Browning SA-22 takedown. It's a lovely rifle.

My plan is to get out Grouse/Partridge hunting near to where I live in Northeastern Ontario this season, and originally I was planning to take the .22 out and see what happens. Some of my friends around here, though, have suggested to me that unless I'm a good shot (I'm not, I need practice and probably some mentoring/instruction), that hunting grouse with a .22 will be frustrating.

They recommend a .410. I've read some articles and most are saying if you're a bad shot, a .410 isn't the answer.

So, then I'm wondering if I should go to a 20 ga... which begs the question why not a 12 ga and call it over?!

This is all very confusing... seriously.

So, people in the know, I'd love to hear your recommendation and why (or a link to some reading about why) and if you're feeling generous your recommendation as to the best novice shooter bird/small game gun (i.e. brand and model).

My limited research says I should get a Winchester 42 (which I learned is no longer made) or a BPS in a .410 which they no longer make...

HELP!
 
Ive shot plenty of grouse with a .22 If you hunt in an area where there are some birds, its easy to get 10 to 20 foot shots. And many times they don't move much if you miss. If your going out specifically for upland birds a 410 would be the ideal choice, or a 20g but not the end of the world if you don't have one.
 
My favourite grouse gun is a Savage Model 24 (not the newer model 42 which are garbage) in 22LR over 410. Best of both worlds.

410 is fine for grouse. They’re pretty dumb and it’s usually no problem getting close to them within a range that a 410 is almost impossible to miss. 22LR is ideal with a bit of practice though. Be weary of a 20 and don’t even bother with a 12 gauge. Name of the game with grouse is meat preservation since they’re so small. A head shot with a 22 is best. Use a 12 gauge and you may as well keep walking as there’s nothing left. 20 gauge are good, but you have to try for a headshot. 410 gives you a little room for error.
 
Hmmmm .... so this would be a gun for upland birds only ... a dedicated upland bird gun?
Many would probably say that a 20ga is the best upland bird caliber ... and many have a dedicated SxS or over under 20ga just for upland game hunting.

However, is there a chance that in the future you would want to hunt geese, bear or deer .....? Or that you also would like a gun for predator defence .... a bear gun?

I went the 12ga route for those reasons. A 12ga is a very versatile gun .... especially with the wide variety of ammo that is available for it!! For example, I have one 12ga pump shogun that has ghost ring sights ... and it woks nicely for hunting grouse .... but it would also work for shooting a deer or moose out to 100 meters with the right slugs.

However, a 12ga is in general a much heavier gun for carrying around.
So, if you are walking/hiking all day while grouse hunting ... you will appreciate a lighter gun in a smaller caliber.
 
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I use a 410 o/o or a 410 s/s both of which work very good on grouse. Just remember to shot just over their heads, work ever time. Good luck on the hunt.
 
I hunt small game (grouse and snowshoe hare) with either a .22 or a 12g pump. All my 12g have removable chokes, and I use barrel lengths from 12.5” up to 20” in length. I never bother with a 28”, it’s such a pain in the ass when I’m hiking or getting through the thick stuff. I don’t find a 12g to be heavy, my one 870 weighs in at 6.5 lbs.

A properly patterned 12g with chokes will do it all for grouse or other small game, I grab it 100% of the time for upland game birds and use the .22 more for hare. I do use the 12g on hare in areas where I’m up close and personal, the .22 when headshots further away are called for. Both work great.
 
Get some range time in with your 22. Hunting season hasn't started yet, so you have time to get familiar with your rifle. Maybe in the future you'll find a shotgun better suits your needs, but in the meantime, you have a good tool for the job.
I use my 22 for grouse. Its light to carry on long walks and make for clean kills
 
If you are not an excellent shot with a .22 forget head shots altogether, because you'll miss way more than you hit. My friends are relatively happy using a .22 and going for center body shots after giving up on head shots. They claim there usually is negligibly meat loss and far less missing.
Now this is all in northern Alberta where you can be attempting 30-40 yard shots. I'm a pretty good shot and have missed more head shots on grouse than i care to admit. Next time I'll try the body shot method for myself. I've had very good luck with a tightly choke 12 gauge and assuming just over the head at up to 20 yards. But one shot with a shotgun often scares away any other birds.

Just to add prospective to this discussion, i recently spoke to a well known gun shop owner in Edmonton and he loves using a browning tbolt in 17 hmr for grouse because of the excellet range, accuacy and rapid fire capability with a relatively light package.

Finally i want to point out that being a good shot with a .22 and being “accurate” with a shotgun even with a tight choke is a much lower level of difficulty.
 
410 is the ticket . I have taken more grouse than i can count with m 410 pump action. If i get board ill take the .17 hmr for the long shots if i see a grouse way ahead on the trail and i want to take its head off. but 90% of the time the 410 is the way to go.
 
12 gauge is the answer. Shell are cheap. When you get better at shooting, you shoot the heads off. I use #4 and the occasional #2 when walking a trail that they roost on the branches beside. Some shots are 4 feet away. If wing shooting then #7.5.
Depending on where the bird is sitting, for instance high in the tree and 22 will fly for quite a ways. You don't know what is over there where the bullet lands.
A shotgun of some sort is most preferred.
Price 410, 20g and 12g shells the next time your in a gun store. I shoot a lot so price has a bearing. 10 flats at a time = 5000 rounds. Last time I did that was 2006. 6 boxes of 25 left.
 
20 gauge with mod choke does the trick for me with 7/8 oz #6 (mostly an 870 Youth 18.5" VR), a lot more margin for error than the .410, especially for novice hunters. I do have a couple of .410's and like them for what they are but they do have limitations, and while I have no empirical data on this I suspect that lots of wounded birds have escaped due to misapplication of the .410 than about anything else especially with less experienced hunters.

Most of what i do with a shotgun now gets done with the 20, including deer hunting if required. I no longer hunt waterfowl so it's pretty much upland game, rabbits and the occasional outing for pheasant south of the border. My vote is for skipping the .410 and going straight to the 20 - unless you can find a good deal on a 28 and are willing to put up with the hassle of locating ammo (pro tip - buy it by the case when you find it), but that's a whole other discussion...
 
I have used everything from a hand thrown rock to my big game rifle to take grouse. However my preference is a 20 gauge but I used a 12 gauge or .22lr for a long time with zero issues. It sounds like you want something primarily for taking birds on the ground, none of your choices are wrong for that. A 12 gauge with a suitable choke and a little practice will not destroy a bird unless you put the pattern low up close and even a .410 can make a mess in that situation.
 
mudgunner49 said:
20 gauge with mod choke does the trick for me with 7/8 oz #6 (mostly an 870 Youth 18.5" VR), a lot more margin for error than the .410, especially for novice hunters. I do have a couple of .410's and like them for what they are but they do have limitations, and while I have no empirical data on this I suspect that lots of wounded birds have escaped due to misapplication of the .410 than about anything else especially with less experienced hunters.

Most of what i do with a shotgun now gets done with the 20, including deer hunting if required. I no longer hunt waterfowl so it's pretty much upland game, rabbits and the occasional outing for pheasant south of the border. My vote is for skipping the .410 and going straight to the 20 - unless you can find a good deal on a 28 and are willing to put up with the hassle of locating ammo (pro tip - buy it by the case when you find it), but that's a whole other discussion...
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I've read all the comments so far, and this^ is probably closest to how I view things. Also, should be said...you were gifted a very nice 22 for your first...so congratulations on that! :)

For ammo cost alone, .410 and 28ga should almost be off the list of things to consider as a new hunter. To be wing shooting (flying/moving birds) successfully, allot of practice is required..and I don't know anyone (personally) willing to pay that much for ammo to bust clays. I know they're out there..I just don't know anyone. lol 12ga is fine, but my experience with that is that it's a little tough on the meat...and even a MOD choke with a 26-28" barrel will still bust-up these small birds at 30 yards. As me how I know. lol I like 20ga best, CYL or MOD choke depending on the distance you're shooting. Rimfires like the OP's 22~I've been shooting 22 very seriously for about 30 years..and where I hunt grouse, you'd be at a VERY VERY serious disadvantage trying to use a rifle. You just can't get that close to them. I've maybe seen 2 birds in almost 10 years of hunting them that I'd have felt good using a 22 for the task. The rest~shotgun, and you'd want to be a pretty decent shotgunner. I've yet to find a spot with dumb birds you can get super close to...but I keep hearing that's possible. lol In fact, just after the opener...we're heading to a spot with that reputation, so maybe I'll report back. As plentiful as they're supposed to be, I'll have a 20ga with me, not a rimfire.
 
Use your 22. Learn to shoot it and learn to hunt partridge while they are sitting still. These skills will come in handy when you progress to bigger game
 
I'd go with a Chiappa Double Badger. They are a combination o/u, available in 410/22lr, 410/22mag, and I think 20g and some other cals as well
 
Skip the .410, IMO; 20 gauge does everything it does but better, and cheaper.

.22LR is a nice option for more mid range shots that might not be ideal for the 20 gauge, but grouse are pretty dumb and you can usually close the distance

I really like using my CZ452 chambered in .17HMR with FMJ rounds for longer shots where I want to challenge myself. It's not cheap to shoot, but it's a lot of fun. I think i'm going to drag my MDI SLR out this year and go for some .223 headshots at range too
 
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