Two-gun solutions for taking partridge during a deer hunt

Cb longs or cci quiets in a Chiapa little badger. Sights are ok, but a bushnell trs-25 makes them much much more capable. Clip on a simple single point sling and use a strong elastic band to keep it folded. About a ~$300 project. Figure out how many grouse that’s worth.
 
I was pretty excited with that Hammond Game Getter deal, until I read the Sask regs and seen that you can't hunt grouse with a centerfire rifle. I know it uses a rimfire blank, but technically you are shooting it from a centerfire rifle.
 
FLYBYU44 said:
I was pretty excited with that Hammond Game Getter deal, until I read the Sask regs and seen that you can't hunt grouse with a centerfire rifle. I know it uses a rimfire blank, but technically you are shooting it from a centerfire rifle.
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Not advising you to run afoul of the law... but I have to wonder what the chances are of actually getting in trouble for something like that??

Reminds me the how many Albertans kill gophers from the truck. Blatantly flouting the law of the land!

Seems that there was some sort of political address about people shooting from their vehicles, and someone asked how many have shot a gopher from the truck, and the crowd put their hands up!
 
FLYBYU44 said:
I was pretty excited with that Hammond Game Getter deal, until I read the Sask regs and seen that you can't hunt grouse with a centerfire rifle. I know it uses a rimfire blank, but technically you are shooting it from a centerfire rifle.
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I would pose the question “what’s the spirit of the law?”.

If the law is efficacy based, then I would toe the line completely. For example, the three shot limit for waterfowl. The limit is in place as a tool to help regulate the number of birds harvested. It’s there to support the conservation framework.

But with rule you’re speaking of, it has nothing to do with efficacy. A centerfire rifle is LESS suited to the task. Switching to a shotgun would increase your efficacy. So the rule is instead rooted in public and hunter safety. (The fear that a heavy, fast, bullet will travel to an unintended location). But this fear is mitigated by using a game getter or mouse fart, as these have less range than a 22lr.

Not that I’m trying to talk you into flaunting the rules of course. Just a point of consideration.
 
steelgray said:
Where I deer hunt, you see a lot more ruffed grouse (otherwise known as partridge) than deer – in any given day – during your deer hunt. People still shoot them with their centerfire rifle – aiming at the head to preserve the meat but, needless to say, it makes a lot of noise and waste a perfectly good, expensive cartridge. I think it is also, theoretically, against the hunting rules.

Obviously, an option for hunting both partridge and deer in the same outing could include some sort of a combination rifle, but the bad news there is you are limited to basically one shot from each of your shotgun and rifle barrels. This is not a great solution where I hunt – as the deer are normally flying through the bush – so good luck with a single shot of centerfire ammo from a combo gun, with compromised sights.

Time comes into this a bit, inasmuch as you are way more likely to see partridge during the midday and deer in the morning and evening. This means that, if you are carrying two guns – such as a light 22 and a deer rifle – you can have your centerfire gun ready mornings and evenings, with your 22 in a scabbard or on a sling – and reverse the arrangement midday; so that your main gun is your 22 (maybe a 22 Magnum …).

In a tight bush, any kind of an extra gun tends to get hung-up on the brush. I have thought of carrying a scoped CO2 pistol in a holster – so that I could take the occasional partridge while always carrying my centerfire rifle at-the-ready. I imagine that might be a good solution – but I have never tested this out.

One of those ultra-short 410 single shot shotguns might also be a workable solution – and I imagine you could probably rig-up some sort of holster-type arrangement for those.

The final, possible answer might be to have some sort of centerfire rifle which allows you to push a subsonic round (say, with a lead bullet and Trail Boss powder) into the top of the box magazine (ejecting the full power cartridge first); thereby allowing you to shoot the partridge with a light load without damaging the partridge meat and/ or scaring every deer out of the county. This is probably still against the rules, but not by much. I doubt a game warden would care, either way.

In places where you can use a 223 on deer, the light cartridge you sub-in could even be a 22LR - in one of those .223-to-22 LR case adapters from MCA Sp*rts. However, I mostly hunt in Quebec so that’s not an option

Does anybody have any thoughts for the best solution for this shooting scenario?
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I carry a .22 CO2 pellet pistol in a shoulder holster under my jacket for popping the heads off them. No noise,no fuss,no muss and 100% legal in Ontario.
 
I just scooped a Savage 24 in 30-30 over 20 ga. I hunted birds for the last 50+ years with a 22/20ga 24H-DL. I've always wanted to try the 30-30 over 20ga., so now I can get with it. I have never shot a bird with a deer rifle. Did try valiantly many years ago. Two of us blazed away at some spruce hens and missed the whole works. Must have sounded like the last few minutes of The Wild Bunch!! :)
 
I use a Valmet .308 over 12 gauge. .308 for big game, 12 gauge for small game. The OP's objection to a combo gun is that it limits you to 1 shot at a running deer. Not necessarily true with a combination gun; you can load the 12 gauge with a slug or buckshot in case you miss with the .308. See a grouse, replace buckshot for birdshot.
 
I'm reading page 16 of the BC hunting and trapping synopsis and, the "legal hunting methods" for grouse are rimfire, centerfire, shotgun, bow (no crossbow)
No mention of airgun, slingshot, spear, fishing rod or boomerang
Hmmmmm

what do I do with my slingshot that shoots fencing staples now?
 
legi0n said:
I'm reading page 16 of the BC hunting and trapping synopsis and, the "legal hunting methods" for grouse are rimfire, centerfire, shotgun, bow (no crossbow)
No mention of airgun, slingshot, spear, fishing rod or boomerang
Hmmmmm

what do I do with my slingshot that shoots fencing staples now?
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All of those weapons you list are completely legal for hunting in BC, as long as none of them fall into the BC Wildlife Act definition of "handgun." So no pellet pistols or pistol crossbows (which I think are already prohibited weapons)

Thrown rocks and sticks are also legal.
 
gunnut870 said:
I use a Valmet .308 over 12 gauge. .308 for big game, 12 gauge for small game. The OP's objection to a combo gun is that it limits you to 1 shot at a running deer. Not necessarily true with a combination gun; you can load the 12 gauge with a slug or buckshot in case you miss with the .308. See a grouse, replace buckshot for birdshot.
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Actually, for a few deer seasons I used a Valmet 412 over and under with twin 30-06 barrels. In one, I used one of those MCA Sp*rts 30-06 to 32 ACP chamber adapters. When I saw a partridge I took it with my 32ACP barrel - and a 32 ACP coming out of a 24" barrel is as quiet as a mouse fart. I probably got nearly a dozen birds that way. Mornings and evenings - when you expect to see moving deer - I'd pull out the adapter to have an extra available round of 30-06. I got one deer and one bear that way. The bear was full of worms.

Anyway, that was a good solution. IMO, better than your combo gun. BUT ... I sold that gun. Dumb a*s me...
 
Just got back from deer camp, and in addition to venison l, we were able to rack up a bunch of Grouse and Hares too, thanks to mouse farts. I’ve gotta change their name though...


I made a box of mouse farts for each of the guys in camp in their go-to chamberings. My oldest uncle was skeptical at first, but once he saw them pulling in game, he changed his tune. But then he questioned the name:



Him: So... you call these “Mouse Farts?”

Me: Yep.

Him: Mouse Fart Cartridges...

Me: Yep.

Him: Mouse Fart Cartridges for Partridges...

Me: ...Uh, yep.

Him: So why didn’t you just call them Fartridges?

Me: <Immediately questions every decision I’ve ever made>



The mouse fart is dead. Long live “The Fartridge”.
 
steelgray said:
Where I deer hunt, you see a lot more ruffed grouse (otherwise known as partridge) than deer – in any given day – during your deer hunt. People still shoot them with their centerfire rifle – aiming at the head to preserve the meat but, needless to say, it makes a lot of noise and waste a perfectly good, expensive cartridge. I think it is also, theoretically, against the hunting rules.

Obviously, an option for hunting both partridge and deer in the same outing could include some sort of a combination rifle, but the bad news there is you are limited to basically one shot from each of your shotgun and rifle barrels. This is not a great solution where I hunt – as the deer are normally flying through the bush – so good luck with a single shot of centerfire ammo from a combo gun, with compromised sights.

Time comes into this a bit, inasmuch as you are way more likely to see partridge during the midday and deer in the morning and evening. This means that, if you are carrying two guns – such as a light 22 and a deer rifle – you can have your centerfire gun ready mornings and evenings, with your 22 in a scabbard or on a sling – and reverse the arrangement midday; so that your main gun is your 22 (maybe a 22 Magnum …).

In a tight bush, any kind of an extra gun tends to get hung-up on the brush. I have thought of carrying a scoped CO2 pistol in a holster – so that I could take the occasional partridge while always carrying my centerfire rifle at-the-ready. I imagine that might be a good solution – but I have never tested this out.

One of those ultra-short 410 single shot shotguns might also be a workable solution – and I imagine you could probably rig-up some sort of holster-type arrangement for those.

The final, possible answer might be to have some sort of centerfire rifle which allows you to push a subsonic round (say, with a lead bullet and Trail Boss powder) into the top of the box magazine (ejecting the full power cartridge first); thereby allowing you to shoot the partridge with a light load without damaging the partridge meat and/ or scaring every deer out of the county. This is probably still against the rules, but not by much. I doubt a game warden would care, either way.

In places where you can use a 223 on deer, the light cartridge you sub-in could even be a 22LR - in one of those .223-to-22 LR case adapters from MCA Sp*rts. However, I mostly hunt in Quebec so that’s not an option

Does anybody have any thoughts for the best solution for this shooting scenario?
Click to expand...

There is a one rifle solution, a drilling, two rifle barrels over one shotgun barrel. That way you have your follow up shot.

Are you using a semi auto for deer currently? If they are "flying" you would be hard pressed to get off more than a single shot otherwise before the deer takes cover. A drilling will give you the fastest follow up.
 
steelgray, there are thousands of ptarmigan up here, so if I head out for late season caribou after the rut, this is what I'll be carrying.

fPZN34kl.jpg



BRNO 7X57R over 12 GA with a 2-7X28 Leupold. Two guns in one: 7/8 ounce target loads for the birds, and 140-175 gr ammo for big game to past 300 yards.

Much easier than packing two firearms, and I'm sure it will work for your deer/grouse hunting.

Ted
 
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