upland bird hunting

Sling shots and branches work quite well on grouse if you can get close enough. Couldn't believe it the first time I heard this. Was kind of comical.
 
.22lr check, 12ga check, slingshot check......All have put dinner on the table. If you have one to choose 12ga gives you diversity in rounds and availability. I prefer the 20 gauge on weight, recoil, and performance. It has done well on trap and skeet so I will be excited to take it out this season. My most successful hunt has been with a Maverick 88 18.5" 12ga pump using 7.5 target loads. Some pellet picking required. A side note a .22 with cb's or shorts can allow for multiple shots with out the birds flushing. Air rifles are good as well. Hope you are confused as I am now. Oh we have not even got into combo guns like the savage 42. Cheers
 
"The 12 gauge shotgun is the most versatile weapon system on the planet" Chris Costa. That said I vote for the 12. It will be more fun in the beginning. Once you age through the stages of the huntsman you can switch to a .22
 
Grouse Man said:
If you have upland and waterfowl on your list, a shotgun is the only way to go. (That said, everybody needs a .22 anyway).
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^ This.

Get a .22 for plinking/general fun, and get a 12ga for hunting.

Then you can use the .22 to hunt with as well, when your up for the challenge.

$500 gets you a cheap pump 12ga and a decent bolt action 22lr - hard to go wrong with those.
 
I hunt grouse / rabbit in Northern Alberta with a dog. I use a .22/410 combo and works great in the bush.With practice you can get pretty fast on the reload. I like the combo gun ( Savage 42, with Burris Fastfire) because it's super light, durable and is to carry for long distance through thick bush. When I hunt pheasant and upland bird in the southern part of province ( open rolling fields) I use 20 gauge. Wich is more suited to the conditions and not as heavy as a 12 to carry for long distance. But this is my preference and what works for me, just happy to be out with the dog all day :)
 
For some strange reason, this excellent thread has devolved into a discussion about all kinds of hunting and target shooting.

I would like to return to the original question. Upland hunting is my passion. I shoot international trap for something to do in the summer, but I live for the uplands.

Having said that, not all uplands are created equally. Bobwhite, ruffed grouse, and Hungarian partridge are delicate birds compared to some. Sharptail and pheasant are examples of surprisingly tough species. Some upland habitats support both delicate and tough species. In others, you're effectively hunting only one species at a time.

If an individual is hunting only what I'm calling delicate species (for the sake of this discussion), one should consider the classic British bird gun. By "classic", I'm referring to a double gun equipped with double triggers, straight stock, well balanced, and weighing appropriately to the gauge (in the 6 lb range for a 12 gauge). I would further suggest that the ideal load for this purpose would be a low pressure, light load, such as Gamebore Pure Gold from the UK (available from your local Kent Cartridge dealer in Canada).

The choke selection for this gun could be IMP. CYL/MOD for thick cover or early season hunts, and FULL/MOD for hunting more open land and late season hunts. Aside from the obvious benefits of using Gamebore loads, such as reduced recoil and compatibility with 2 1/2" chambered guns, these loads employ fibre wads - a nod to our heritage as custodians of the forest, but more importantly, leaving the chokes to do their job. (plastic shot cups - ptui!!)

I would argue that the gun to use on the tough species is a different gun. It could still be a double, and it could surely still be well balanced, but it will need to be a bit on the heavy side. The extra weight (1 to 1 1/2 lbs more in the case of 12 ga.) helps offset the heavier loads needed to cleanly dispatch these species and is mostly from the more robust lockup on the receiver. For these birds, I use 1 oz of 6-shot in the more open barrel and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 oz of 4-shot in the tighter barrel. These are typically old lead shot loads for migratory birds that we used to use in the good old days. NOTE: I recommend always double guns in the uplands, so you have a choice of chokes. Naturally, you only benefit from this choice if the barrels are individually triggered.

Regardless of what upland species I hunt, I don't use a .22. As far as I'm concerned, it's child's play to aim a full choked barrel at a stationary bird and take it's head off cleanly, without putting a single pellet in the body. This only applies out to about 25 yards. Beyond the 25 yds, I would approach the bird, ready for a wing shot; or a closer stationary shot, if the bird doesn't budge. I hunt with a dog, so I pass on ground shots, just to be safe. When presented with a ground shot, I simply turn it into a wing shot or a tree shot - it's up to the bird.

Given a choice, a wing shot on a hidden bird suddenly busting cover is what I want. I find these are the most challenging and, therefore, the most satisfying.

All of the above applies to 16 an 20 ga. equally, except that the ideal weights have to be scaled down, too. Gamebore makes low pressure, 2 1/2" shells for 16 and 20, only they brand those as "Traditional Game".
 
I've hunted all sorts of birds with a 12 gauge 870, and it's always knocked them down. I use #6 for upland game birds, they have enough energy for long shots with a modified choke later in the season, and there's less of them in the bird you shoot than if you use #7 1/2. Easier to find with their larger size, as well... Another reason to choose a 12 gauge shotgun over a .22 is that if you're hunting grouse, for instance, and a buck happens to make an appearance, you can put in a slug or buckshot and take him.
 
For this style of hunting I prefer firstly one of my 20 gauges. Mostly because they are relatively light for all day field carry.
The M37 Ithaca Featherlight circa 1971, I can mount a full choke 28" or another 26" IC pipe.
The Model 500 SKB O/U has 26" barrels with fixed chokes in Mod/IC.
#6 or 7.5 shot depending on ground cover.
The year before last I took ten grouse. And the death list for bunnies stands at 65, but this was over three seasons.

done like dinner.......
 
The 870 in 12 ga. is a little on the heavy side for an upland gun, to be carried for hours. There are lighter guns out there, so just be aware.
 
bigrevolver said:
For upland bird hunting, what's the best choice for a newbie? .22LR Rifle or 12G shotgun?
If 12G shotgun (with birdshot) is OK I probably can buy one for most types of hunting (upland birds, waterfowl, wolf etc)
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I like a nice light field gun, no matter the gauge.
You carry them far more than shooting them.
Cat
 
I use a 20ga H&R Pardner, very light weight and easy to carry all day.

If I could go back in time I probably would have purchased a 410/22 O/U instead. 20 is a bit too much for a grouse in open terrain and a 22 is ideal so you don't have to pick lead out of the meat.
 
bp2626 said:
I use a 20ga H&R Pardner, very light weight and easy to carry all day.

If I could go back in time I probably would have purchased a 410/22 O/U instead. 20 is a bit too much for a grouse in open terrain and a 22 is ideal so you don't have to pick lead out of the meat.
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IMO this solely depends on your local needs. For example on the Canadian prairies the 12 was king with the very odd 16 bore. And sometimes it seemed that a magnum 12 should have been the minimum.
And I disagree that the 20 is too much friend. Shoot enough ruffies and sharptails in flight and I suspect your opinion would change also. I see both up here with boreal forest near farmland. The over-under combination gun you speak of has two disadvantages for flying birds. That 410 shotload is one handicap along with those foolish rifle sights. Thses are poor wingshooting characteristics. But that`s just me.

my two bits only......
 
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Ranger Dave said:
I started out with a Lakefield 22 and a CIL singe shot 16 gauge. The 16 kicked like a mule. It was light to carry but has ridiculous recoil. I wouldn't look for a light 12...

I just find a 12 gauge is just too hard on ruffed grouse. I picked up a Citori from Clay, I wanted to take it hunting. I shot on ruffy with it and it blew it to sh!t with improved cylinder choke and light clay loads.
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Here's a headless duck that came with it's head blown off when it came into my spread and sweapt across the blind from about 20 feet a few years back - with a 20 gauge!
If you are close and you are on, a head shot is of no consequence.:>)
Cat
 
Alot of factors i use a 20 with all shots being wing shots no sitters (keep it sporting and let the dogs hold and flush on command), as the season gets later here in central ontario i up my loads as the shots get further out and birds get harder to knock down. As for waterfowl its another gun alltogether as other people have stated plus steel and other shot will bugger my thin barreled o/u (nice light gun for 5 to 6 hour walks). Grouse Mans advice is spot on you need to find a happy median if you plan to buy only 1 gun in my opinion being a shotgun, but everyone should have a 22 as well which are great for the gravel pickers up north. Go pick some up and see what feels right, hit a gun show or 2 to get a bigger selection and feel stuff out.
 
Ahsan Ahmed said:
I have to say that statement is not really based on true experience.
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A sunray statement not based on fact or experience? Surely you jest!

Some people will accuse you of heresy for using a 22LR to hunt upland birds. I've done it and my dink has yet to fall off, but the more accepted sporting manner is with a shotgun. Dog optional.
 
sunray said:
Where you are matters a great deal. You need to read the hunting regs for your Province as hunting birds with a rifle isn't legal everywhere nor during all hunting seasons. No rifles at all for waterfowl. And a .22LR isn't suitable for wolves. The hunting regs will tell you all of it.
A 18 or 20 inch, barreled 12 or 20 gauge with suitable shot and an open choke is best for upland birds. Grouse, for example, will sit, usually in pairs, until you nearly step on 'em, then will rocket off in two directions with wings thundering while you stand wondering what happened. A short barrel helps get a shot off while they fly out of range.
The laws pertaining to magazine capacities are the same no matter what you're doing. Most hunting regs tell you the FA applies.
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My sentiment (and experience) exactly. Should also be said, there is NO such thing as the perfect gun/gauge/choke for hunting and if there is~I haven't found it. No question, a 12ga. pump is about the best value, most versatile gun you can probably buy as a do-all, but, for upland...I far prefer a 20ga. I hunted with a fixed, MOD choke for a couple years and on close birds even it was a little hard on the odd one. Then, I bought a new barrel that was 22" and open choke, and it seemed almost every bird I encountered flushed about 50' out! lol Not only did the shorter (non VR) barrel not point quite as well, the shot pattern was too large in thick bush to really put many of them down. So, before every outing..I wonder what barrel the gun should be wearing. :) Another note on the gun, the fit, and the choice of an 870 Express~I bought my 870 Wingmaster as a dedicated grouse gun, so no need for it to shoot non-toxic shot for waterfowl. That opened-up the option of buying an older one, and I picked up this specimen for $300. A 1968 Wingmaster, in NIB condition. Buttery smooth action, and a pleasure to hunt with. Not a modern, "do everything" shotgun like the new models, but an awfully nice gun to carry in the bush all day.

Here it is with it's 22" barrel, and a nice plump grouse.

GROUSE102112-4.jpg


Lastly~the pellet issue. Unless the grouse I shoot are exceptional for some reason, pellets are very easy to find in the meat before you cook it. The flesh is very light in color, you can see the pellets and/or dark blood streaks through the meat...revealing where they might be. I've yet to end-up with a pellet in my mouth, or on my plate.
 
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