Grouse/Partridge Shot Size
- Thread starter Lotro
- Start date
Lgs is "local gun store" as for shooting them with a .22 a bit of practice is all you need, wont lie I did miss quite a few when I first started out and still miss em once in a while but for the most part shots are usually within 25 yards
I had a friend that for years carried a Cooey 410 on a shoulder sling while moose hunting with his rifle in his hands. He used #4 in 2 1/2" shells (hard to find), shot his birds sitting at modest range and he took a lot of grouse. His theory was fewer pellets = less meat damage and complete penetration meant less pellets left in he meat. I tried it and it worked, but carrying two guns was too cumbersome for me. Personally I prefer 20 or 28 gauge for grouse hunting ( occasionally a 16) with standard velocity #6 or 7 1/2 shot, I have found #8 to be unreliable on our bigger grouse like Blues and Sharptail so I've pretty much standardised on #6.
I run #4 in the tight stuff and 71/2 in the open. Also get real used to where your gun patterns. I have taken 7 grouse this year 5 with #4 and 2 with 71/2 and not one pellet in the breast all but one was head and neck and thats cuz he decided to take the airborne escape plan.
unstableryan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Beautiful Okanagan Valley
My favourite is #4 in a 20 gauge. I will use 5's or 6's as available at the local store. I like fewer pellets in case some hit body. Most of the time I can go 4/5 or 5/5 without meat damage.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
pattern your gun can stress that enough with any shotgun you are going to want a dense pattern with hole that aren't big enough. figure out where your gun hits the pattern hit other than where you are pointing once you figure that out try to hit the head/neck area with the edge of the pattern to get less pellets in the meat.
grouse are not hard to kill my favorite thing to use is a slingshot with 3/8 inch steel balls or 1/2 inch marbles
grouse are not hard to kill my favorite thing to use is a slingshot with 3/8 inch steel balls or 1/2 inch marbles
This is what i always stick with, usually #6 for partridge, #4 for rabbits.
7.5 and #8 shot will certainly get the job done, but i've had cases where each pellet just doesn't have enough momentum to make it all the way through in every case and it sucks biting down on pellets when you cook them up.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
that's pretty much a turkey load
I agree.
I like using subsonic 22 long rifle ammo for shooting them on the ground. I generally see them within 25 yards.
Bought 250 #8 Challenger 20 ga for this season and they work. An incredible year here so far, even though it is very wet. Went out yesterday for a quick walk and Lucy got us into four bunches on the very well used walking trail behind the cabins in a matter of 30 minutes. Good as it gets. Did not pattern test, majority of shots the gun doesn't make my shoulder anyway. Cheek welds are rarely part of the programme 
.
Truck gun is a 22/410, use 22 subsonic and three inch 7 1/2's when I can find them.
.Truck gun is a 22/410, use 22 subsonic and three inch 7 1/2's when I can find them.
badgreenbird
Regular
- Location
- Dawson Creek, BC
It doesn't take much to bring down a grouse. I typically use a 28 gauge with #7 1/2 shot; sometimes #6 or #8. A .410 is a great gun for standing or running grouse. To hit flying birds consistently, you need a lot of skill or luck. I do encourage you to stick with the .410 for stationary birds. A lot of people use .22 (I used to, many years ago) and are tempted to go for the head shot. A grouse head or neck is a small target. There are lots of good marksmen that can make that shot most of the time, depending on distance. But for all the presumed 'clean misses', there are plenty of mortally wounded grouse that fly off, seemingly healthy. Stick with the shotgun.
