First time hunting small birds / partridge

Rivalen

Rivalen

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Hi, long term rpal owner here, I recently did my hunting certificate and bought my first shotgun. I bought a 28" Benelli Nova 20ga. I plan to go hunt with some friends, we hunt partridge. I'm currently looking to get bulk ammunition and I'm a bit lost here. I was recommended 2 3/4 #7.5 20ga (#6 would also be good?) ammunition but there are so many kinds, Game load, target load, high brass, magnum?!

Usually the "target" stuff is cheaper; does it really matter? Thanks for the tips!
 
I'd recommend #5 shot and the imp cyl choke if you're going to be shooting them off the ground. I use a 28 gauge, and if I hit the breast I find #5 always passes right through - no wasted meat. 6 is fine too if you can get it cheaper. I like 6 for early season when you're flushing them out and shooting them in the air. For me, 7.5 is a bit too small.

As for brand, etc. I'd say just buy the cheapest ammo you can find. I've had good luck with challenger. It's grouse hunting in eastern Canada. Very short shots, and you'll always be sending 90% of the pattern over the birds head anyway.

Have fun this fall.
 
Like Canuck65 stated, #5 or #6 is always a good bet.:)

If you are going to ground sloosh ruffed grouse, a full choke on your 20 gauge should almost take their head clean off. One will have to practice this, otherwise you can vaporize your tenderloins. :ROFLMAO:

Practice on a paper turkey target for head shots. Once you get the hang of it, head shots with no pellets in the breast will be a real treat.:D
 
So most of my grouse hunting has been in Northern Ontario. And most of them have been shot on the ground. So my advice will be from that experience. About 25 to 30 years of it. I bet your area of Quebec will be similar. Some folks will frown on that behavior as being uncivilized. And no one gives a ####. So, if anyone has that type of comment lined up, they can kindly #### off. Because.. well...as I stated earlier. No one gives a ####.

We always drove logging roads to get birds. And we predominantly used shotguns, trying for head shots. It didn't matter the gauge we were shooting unless it was .410 (hard to get the pattern you would like at any distance because of lack of pellets available) We always shot full choke shotguns. Because we always shot lead shot and wanted the tightest patterns we could get. We were primarily looking for head shots, as a previous poster said.

#4 was ideal. Good for on the road and for in the tight bush. #5 or #6 coming in second. They'd do the same, but limit the range by a few or 10 yards.

If I were you, I'd try to get #4 lead loads. If they're listed as target loads, they'll do just fine. If they're high brass, they'll likely be marketed as hotter and might extend your range a bit.

At the end of the day, it all depends on the type of hunting that you're planning on doing. Pick your choke and your shot size depending on that. But stick with lead for anything that doesn't require non-toxic by law. It'll make your life easier.
 
Rivalen said:
Hi, long term rpal owner here, I recently did my hunting certificate and bought my first shotgun. I bought a 28" Benelli Nova 20ga. I plan to go hunt with some friends, we hunt partridge. I'm currently looking to get bulk ammunition and I'm a bit lost here. I was recommended 2 3/4 #7.5 20ga (#6 would also be good?) ammunition but there are so many kinds, Game load, target load, high brass, magnum?!

Usually the "target" stuff is cheaper; does it really matter? Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...
Buy a couple of boxes of No.6's or a couple of boxes of 7.5's trap loads .
Either ones will kill them stone cold dead.
One is not likely to be overrun with them where one would need to speed reload on the run ;)
They are a fragile bird and a couple of pellets will tcb and then it will be up to you to retrieve the game.
These are just my humble opinion and if the season progresses and the birds take flight sooner some No.5's might be in order in the 1oz loads.
I also subscribe to DG and C65 and their plan of action, while TS3 and his recommendation of the .22 working well I have never tried to snipe them that way.
The .300WM and the .257 Wby Mag sniped a few heads off at 20 or 30 yrds and only because that was what I was carrying at the time.
(yes overkill , but it had to be done in the moment).
Have fun and remember to mark your birds if you shoot more than one in the moment, they like to flutter away and crawl under some bramble.
Good Hunting.
Rob
 
don't buy the cheap crap it will be trouble some
2 3/4 " no 6 1oz if you are shooting on the wing out to 40 yds
choke mod or full of hunting ruffed grouse in cover imp cyl 7.5 shot
spending a extra 5$ a box for quality ammo is worth it after all the time and money you have invested in the hunt
by the way you bought a quality shot gun
i just don't get the cheap ammo thing when it comes to hunting
if your shooting clays in a gravel pit or barn yard pigeons then fine
ducks of geese with your gun 3" no 4 would be a good load for both you need pattern density to kill big birds
 
Grouse aren't particularly hard to kill. I usually use 5 or 6 shot with the 12 gauge and drop to #4 if using the 20 gauge. Their behaviour depends on where you're hunting, further north you can pop them with a .22 because they tend to just stand there.

In eastern ontario where I do most of my grouse hunting they're skittish and generally take flight around 10-15 yards away for the most part. Some will wait until you almost step on them but that's the exception out here.

You can use 7.5 target loads just fine but when your shooting them in flight they're often flying away from you so you're shooting them in the back, that's there the benefit of having a little big bigger shot size comes in.
 
Rivalen said:
Hi, long term rpal owner here, I recently did my hunting certificate and bought my first shotgun. I bought a 28" Benelli Nova 20ga. I plan to go hunt with some friends, we hunt partridge. I'm currently looking to get bulk ammunition and I'm a bit lost here. I was recommended 2 3/4 #7.5 20ga (#6 would also be good?) ammunition but there are so many kinds, Game load, target load, high brass, magnum?!

Usually the "target" stuff is cheaper; does it really matter? Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...
I hunt in the Monteregie. Short answer, don't sweat it. I use non-toxic because there are a lot of doves where I shoot, too. I'll switch from no. 8 early season (when you can't even see more than 10 yards) to 6 once the leaves come off. I've never even seen one "on the ground" down here - very skittish.
 
Licensed to kill said:
Why do you increase shot size when switching from 12ga to 20ga?
Click to expand...
Bit smaller payload and about 100 fps less muzzle velocity. Probly doesn't make much of a difference but my logic is the little bit of extra mass per pellet helps retain a bit of energy longer/farther out vs. smaller shot. They flush quick here so shots are often on the long side.

Crow hunting I've found 7.5 shot in the 12 gauge runs out of steam pretty quick, the switch from 7.5 to 6 makes a bit of difference but the 7.5 to 5 switch is where you really see a markable change. Started experimenting because many say to use 7.5, and if you're shooting high volume that makes sense from a financial perspective I guess, but I've found it doesn't get them to fold like 5 shot will. Especially not the high flying ones.
 
Two fabulous grouse experts, the late Burton Spiller and myself, recommend smaller shot, 7.5 or 8. But we're talking about wing shooting, if your grouse aren't in the air when shot at then it doesn't much matter. Shot size 6 is considered by the makers to be good for most anything in the small game department, half of the shells I carry with me in the field are #6, in case a non grouse food item is spotted.
 
I've killed ruffies, Sharptails, and Spruce grouse with everything from .410's with 6's to 12 gauge muzzle loaders with 6's.
I also use light skeet loads a lot , but my main gun is a Westely Richards hammer 12 with black powder and nickle plated 7's
It doesn't take a lot of gun to kill them, what it takes is hard concentration on the bird's head!
The gun I used on the right with the limit of birds was a Tikka 412s , tubed up with Briley Companion 28 gauge tubes using light skeet loads of 9's
:)
Cat
 

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