ideal shotgun round for grouse?

[ciphery]

No such thing as the ideal gauge, it depends on conditions. Full foliage, bare branches, wind, range, species (ruffed, sharptail, spruce) etc. all affect the choice of gauge and load.

The closest thing to an all around grouse gauge is the 16, with everything available from soft shooting 7/8 oz. to heavy 1 1/8th oz. loads. The 16 generally gives better patterns than a 20 gauge while retaining lighter weight than a 12 (in a properly built gun).

Nothing is carved in stone, however. I would be mortified if I had to go the whole season with just one gauge, even more so if I only had one load.

Sharptail

True but;
12ga #7 1/2, 1 1/8oz skeet/trap loads.....$5.99

What does a box of 16ga sell for? $10? $15

 

[Milsparro]

Whatever, they die easy, and you can't find 'em till yer on top of 'em anyway.

 

[popcan]

In open areas for sharptails, I usually go with the 12g. They seem to flush a little sooner than ruffed or spruce grouse, and in totally random directions, so the longer ranges make the 12g useful. In wooded areas I like my 20g o/u. I find the vast majority of ruffies will flush downhill, so knowing that, I can usually pick them up just a shade faster. My 20g is much lighter and therefore quicker to point in those conditions. I'd love to try a 16g one day!

 

[catnthehatt]

True but;
12ga #7 1/2, 1 1/8oz skeet/trap loads.....$5.99

What does a box of 16ga sell for? $10? $15

Not if you hand load, and you can get set up very cheaply as well.
My fav. gauge is the 28, and they are very expensive to buy factory but with hand loading I can shoot REAL cheap.
Cat

 

[Gagnon Sports]

Target loads for $6 a box will be more than sufficient, and it definitely wont break the bank.