What's your preferred caliber to hunt upland game birds?

[9.3mauser]

.22 L.R. for sitters, 12 ga. for wingshooting. The .22 mag was unnecessarily destructive at the distances I shoot, and I don't own one now.

 

[hoytcanon]

I have to apologize somewhat Hoyt as I haven’t personally used Boss Shotshells. They’re literally just now becoming available to the public down in the USA, the company is just getting going. I’ve messaged back and forth with them on Instagram and they are trying to get their products up here. In US they sell direct to consumers vs box stores to save $ on middle men. So we’ll have to see how long till they’re up here.

The impressive part to me is two fold. First is the loading available now are some of the most sensible non tox I’ve seen. They focus on pattern density and performance over high speed light charges. And they’re using appropriate sized Bismuth shot. For instance 1&1/8oz of #5’@ 1250 or 1&1/4oz of#6 @1200. They’ve even got a 20gauge 1&1/2oz load of 6.5’s @ 1150 for turkeys.
The other part which I came upon them through was some of the social media stuff on Instagram, videos and posts by guys like Ramsey Russell of getducks.com all talking about feeling like they’re back shooting lead at ducks and the impressive patterns they’re getting.

Guess I might be guilty of drinking a bit of the Kool Aid but I’m a non tox fan, and a pattern density fan also and dislike the low oz high speed shells the big manufacturers keep stuffing our way.

Sorry to get so OT

Thanks for the follow up... I talked to my local dealer and he has no idea how to get these shells in to try. Will have to wait until they figure out their Canadian distributorship...

I have to do something, because I HATE steel in 20 gauge... so anemic.

 

[manitou210]

Always had good luck with a 410

The best

 

[peterf]

My go to is a 16 gauge.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

The .22 LR has always been my go to for upland birds. I also use a 12 ga on them but no where near as much.

 

[JDMLandscaping]

I have used .22LR, .22WMR, 12G and .410 for grouse in BC and AB. For dedicated grouse gun I go .410 all the way, I have just a cheap single shot .410 that I don’t care if I drop in the swamp or hit against trees and it has taken untold amounts of grouse and a few rabbits. If I am doing a combo hunt for other small game (squirrels, rabbits, gophers etc) then it is my Henry lever .22LR. I found the .22WMR at under 50ish yards would blow holes in the birds and the cost of ammo turned me off. 12G worked but I hit a flying bird at only 12 ish feet center of mass and pretty much blew it to bits which I felt really bad about since I was not able to harvest the animal which is the whole point of pulling the trigger on it. So my vote goes to the .410 followed closely by the .22LR

 

[Rhythm & Soul]

Looks like .410, 12g, and 22lr are the most commonly used. Of course other calibers work for other people too
thanks for the info

 

[murph83]

I use a .22 most of the time.

 

[Brutus]

I prefer a shotgun 9/10.

Usually a 20ga. Nice balance of payload, gun weight and recoil.

Brutus if you or anyone else likes or would like to use a 20ga with non tox for migratory etc. You gotta check out Boss Shotshells. Their loads are as close to lead as I’ve ever seen. Hoping to see em up here soon!

Thx very much for the hint. Some places are crazy with rules non toxic on upland such as Wainwright and some outfitters in NS demanding use of non toxic for upland birds, within 200 meters of a named body of water. And for the record I would only use steel in a 20 at super short distances. Meaning I walk a lot with an unfired shotgun.

 

[leveractionjunkie]

Thx very much for the hint. Some places are crazy with rules non toxic on upland such as Wainwright and some outfitters in NS demanding use of non toxic for upland birds, within 200 meters of a named body of water. And for the record I would only use steel in a 20 at super short distances. Meaning I walk a lot with an unfired shotgun.

I hear you about the ineffectiveness of the 20ga with most steel loads. There are some exceptions but they’re few and far between. I personally wouldn’t have a problem using non tox for upland as well as waterfowl, but the shell makers have got to get on the ball with some of the alternatives to steel. Also give us sensible loads focused on pattern density instead of velocity. I think the alternative non tox loads will come down in price when more states require using them.

 

[870supermag]

.17hmr every grouse i have taken in the last 7 years. Head or neck shot and dont miss or aim at the body.

 

[SuperCub]

20ga gets the nod here. A fellow would starve if he had to feed himself grouse with a 22lr here.

 

[win94luver]

Ruger 10/22 takedown with modular stock + Bushnell 22 AR22 2-7x32 scope.
Line up vertical crosshair on head-neck.
No busting molars on bird shot.

 

[win94luver]

20ga gets the nod here. A fellow would starve if he had to feed himself grouse with a 22lr here.

Like any other kind of hunting you gotta get the bullet on target.
Some can.
Some can't.

 

[Anvil109]

Wife &I both 20's

 

[cote_b]

28ga shotgun or the good ol 22lr

 

[hoytcanon]

Like any other kind of hunting you gotta get the bullet on target.
Some can.
Some can't.

Arrogant post... you don't know what the birds are like in his neck of the woods... they don't always sit still and wait for you get your crosshairs on their motionless head.

 

[SuperCub]

Like any other kind of hunting you gotta get the bullet on target.
Some can.
Some can't.

How much grouse hunting have you done here in Southern NB? Do tell sniper boy.

And for the record, I grew up in Ontario and know all about hunting birds with a 22 there.

 

[horseman2]

Whatever I am hunting with at the time. Regardless of what I am hunting at the time when I see a grouse or coyote they become the object.
Of all the rifles I have owned caliber wise the only one that has not taken a grouse is the 22-250.
The 338 WM probably accounted for the longest shot at 38 paces. The only bird ever wasted was a spruce grouse that flushed as I pulled the trigger otherwise all have been head shots which if not available is not worth taking. 12 gauge shotgun for pheasants in the early 60's and for grouse only a couple of times in the Cariboo.
Once criticized for taking a grouse while hunting deer and five minutes later shot a buck. At the end of the day my partner did not have a grouse nor a deer.

 

[brybenn]

How much grouse hunting have you done here in Southern NB? Do tell sniper boy.

And for the record, I grew up in Ontario and know all about hunting birds with a 22 there.

Not all ontario is equally distributed with dumb birds. What few grouse we have in the real south western areas are like shooting olympic skeet. They flush at 40 to 50 yards and fly fast and hard. Ive never seen one on the ground here. You hear the wings and hope its still in range by the time you get eyes on it flying thru the trees.
Up north theyre dumb. You can miss and they stand there and look at you