Ruffed Grouse, shot size?
- Thread starter fivehundredlimited
- Start date
This is something you should work on. Trust your swing. It is an 'instinct' shot if you will. You have perhaps two seconds to find your target, bring your gun to bear and decide to pull the trigger as you swing. Even if the bird is behind cover you have a shot and keep the gun moving as you pull the trigger. Strong temptation to stop the movement as you pull the trigger. Watch the dog, when they get 'birdy' (every dog has their own way in this regard), get ready. Spruce grouse tend to land in trees after a flush and ruffies like to put cover between you and them and keep moving for a bit. Trust your dog and trust your swing. Lots of fun.
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
I shoot them in the bush, fairly close range and not on the wing... I use 4 shot out of a 14" cylinder bore 12 gauge. (works for rabbits too)
go to the skeet range and practice station 8 with the gun down, then you will be ready. Oh yeah, almost forgot, 7 1/2 s most of the time. Interesting info on the steel shot, maybe I'll try some if I can find it, probably start with # 6
lol! They're not all stupid! The black Spruce Grouse are the more stupid ones. They seem to have thinned out quite considerably in recent times. When one of my son's misses a shot, the rest of us razz him about being out smarted by the grouse. We finally used up all of my Dad's old Imperial purple paper 410's.
I actually hit one on my bicycle at the cottage a couple of years ago. My wife still laughs about it.
Try hunting them in southern Ontario and you won't find them too stupid... damned skittish at times. Usually a roar of wings, a blur, and you have about two seconds to mount your gun and get a shot off before they disappear behind the foliage. If they've really been pressured they'll take off from 40 yards out.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
