Grouse hunting with a .22lr advice.

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misguid3d

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I bought myself a .22lr that I'm anxious to try out for Grouse this year. I usually hunt with a .410 and the odd time with a 12G.

My question is this. For those of you who hunt grouse exclusively with a .22, where are you placing your shots? Head, neck, body??
Looking for some opinions.
 
Grouse die pretty easily in my experience, and if you can manage a neck shot, that's great. If not, and you shoot the body with a solid 22LR bullet, they die as well and the hole is tiny. Don't use 36gr HP bullets, not needed and make more wastage if you shoot the body.
 
Head or neck!

I have missed 1 time, and it was a hollowpoint to the body straight on, just low of the neck.

That damn bird managed to fly 25m into the bush before dropping and was a pain in the ass to find!

When I did find it it had a golf ball sized hole in it's back, and I am still left in awe of how it flew after that, but it did!

So I try very hard to hit em in the head or neck.....;)
 
Crappieguy said:
All of the above.
Click to expand...

This. I have to admit, I'm not a good enough shot to get 'em in the head from a standing, unsupported position most of the time which results in a miss. If I don't feel I have the headshot locked up, I try to wait until they are broadside and shoot through the "armpit" to avoid the hole in the breast.

I have seen them fly away after being shot with a .22 in the body too many times myself making them tough to find. I, personally, like the way my 12ga anchors them on the spot...

And I also agree with the other poster, HP are not required or recommended. They can make a nasty mess.
 
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From the time I was 12 years old I have shot groude in the head or neck.
If you or your rifle lack the qualities of making a head or neck shot, by all means use shorts. Shorts in the body actually stops the grouse quicker than a LR. With a long rifle body hit it is common for the grouse to fly, then drop fifty yards in the bush.
Hit in the body with a short and they almost always just keel over. Needless to say, there is much less meat damage.
All the old timers, homesteaders, trappers, prospectors, who shot grouse and such as an important part of their meat supply, used shorts 100% of the time.
 
Shoot for the base of the neck. Just don't shoot low. Last year at moose camp I brought CB 22 shells. They are quiet and they kill a grouse just as good when hit in the head or neck.
 
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