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Q:
Best ruffed grouse gun? What do you guys think is the best types of shotgun for these birds?
Question by yooperzb. Uploaded on September 26, 2010
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Answers (21)
.410 none better
I have shot a partridge at close range with a .410 only to have it fly away in a puff of feathers.
rossi 20 gauge . the shotgun is like 2 feet long . its a single shot . and their just amazing small light shotguns
maybe its because you have a bad shot and a 12 is a little much don't you think
a 12 gauge is fine its just like pheasant hunting but in the thick woods . but i personally like the 20 gauge cause when we go grouse hunting we probably go around 5 to 6 miles . so some thing light would be nice
where i hunt them you only need a single shot because thats the only amount your going to get off before thier gone
Almost all shotguns are single shots for grouse in cover.
For the .410, 20, 12 ga debate, there is only one degree of dead bird.
A light side by double 16 with 26 inch barrels would be my perfect gun. I've used a 24 inch H&R turkey gun that was pretty sweet for the really thick stuff, very compact, didn't swing worth a darn, but that's OK. Grouse hunting for me usually involves tripping around the briars, collecting my nerves after the flush, and trying to get off one snap shot. I have actually dropped my gun from being startled while off balance once. I picked it up and fired, but believe it or not I missed. I use a s/s double 20 now.
A short barrled 22"-24" open chocked 12or20ga Auto or Pump Shot gun if you want to come Home with birds,
or shoot with 28ga or 410s and walk in the woods.
remember the first shot counts only in trap.
my delightful ithaca m37 16ga. If you can't kill a grouse with that, then you should probably go home and play a cabelas hunting game instead.
The expert who takes me along from time to time wields a Ruger Red Label 12 with deadly efficiency, but also says he'd like to find a Browning stack barrel in 16 that he could afford, that he considers that to be the ultimate. I just try to keep up with him in the brush with my old Mossberg 500 12 ga.
To this day I still use my first gun...A Remington 870 Express youth model 20ga. Is is short and compact, perfect brush gun!
Citori Superlight Feather 12 ga @61/4 pds works well for me in Western Washington thicket. Most shots are within 25-30 yards so a 20 ga Browning Ruger Red Label over/under is a good choice here in The High Sierras for our non-native Ruffed.
The quickness of these birds, no matter the State, is lightning fast. Almost like they got NOS under each wing!
Whatever you can use that gets a lot of lead in the air quickly and accurately. I prefer a SxS, though I sometimes wish for a third shot.
I spotted one grouse standing at 20 yards or so. Blinked as I brought up the gun and all I saw was tail feathers disappearing in the pines. Never got off a shot.
With early season grouse there's also woodcock - this weekend a timberdoodle went straight up over a tree, straight down, and then knuckleballed into the next aspen stand. After two shots I just stood there in awe as leaves, tree limbs, and pine needles settled to the ground.
My Ithaca Featherlite 58 16 ga works great plus super lite weight.
My wife uses a Franchi 28 auto and I use the 20 guage o/u. I use to tote my Remington 1100 Special Field 12 g. all over God's green earth to shoot grouse.
I have killed a lot of grouse in the hills of Oh and WV when there was grouse here I have found that first you have to have a gun to fit you first, practice, practice, practice. As far as ga I feel that a 16ga is the best because it has a lot less shot string than other gauges and it has a great ability to handle a lot of different shot sizes.
It
hard beat o/u or s/s in .20 gauge. Just be sure to have open chokes and light weight.
My Franchi Rennaisance o/u 20 Ga fits the bill...at 5.6 lbs w a 28 in barrel I can carry it literally all day and not feel like my arms are gonna fall off the next day..Franchi builds the lightest guns.
Mossberg 500C Pump Action .20 Gauge best Ruffed Grouse gun ever
Post an Answer
I have shot a partridge at close range with a .410 only to have it fly away in a puff of feathers.
a 12 gauge is fine its just like pheasant hunting but in the thick woods . but i personally like the 20 gauge cause when we go grouse hunting we probably go around 5 to 6 miles . so some thing light would be nice
My Ithaca Featherlite 58 16 ga works great plus super lite weight.
My wife uses a Franchi 28 auto and I use the 20 guage o/u. I use to tote my Remington 1100 Special Field 12 g. all over God's green earth to shoot grouse.
where i hunt them you only need a single shot because thats the only amount your going to get off before thier gone
A short barrled 22"-24" open chocked 12or20ga Auto or Pump Shot gun if you want to come Home with birds,
or shoot with 28ga or 410s and walk in the woods.
remember the first shot counts only in trap.
my delightful ithaca m37 16ga. If you can't kill a grouse with that, then you should probably go home and play a cabelas hunting game instead.
The expert who takes me along from time to time wields a Ruger Red Label 12 with deadly efficiency, but also says he'd like to find a Browning stack barrel in 16 that he could afford, that he considers that to be the ultimate. I just try to keep up with him in the brush with my old Mossberg 500 12 ga.
Citori Superlight Feather 12 ga @61/4 pds works well for me in Western Washington thicket. Most shots are within 25-30 yards so a 20 ga Browning Ruger Red Label over/under is a good choice here in The High Sierras for our non-native Ruffed.
The quickness of these birds, no matter the State, is lightning fast. Almost like they got NOS under each wing!
It
hard beat o/u or s/s in .20 gauge. Just be sure to have open chokes and light weight.
My Franchi Rennaisance o/u 20 Ga fits the bill...at 5.6 lbs w a 28 in barrel I can carry it literally all day and not feel like my arms are gonna fall off the next day..Franchi builds the lightest guns.
rossi 20 gauge . the shotgun is like 2 feet long . its a single shot . and their just amazing small light shotguns
maybe its because you have a bad shot and a 12 is a little much don't you think
Almost all shotguns are single shots for grouse in cover.
For the .410, 20, 12 ga debate, there is only one degree of dead bird.
A light side by double 16 with 26 inch barrels would be my perfect gun. I've used a 24 inch H&R turkey gun that was pretty sweet for the really thick stuff, very compact, didn't swing worth a darn, but that's OK. Grouse hunting for me usually involves tripping around the briars, collecting my nerves after the flush, and trying to get off one snap shot. I have actually dropped my gun from being startled while off balance once. I picked it up and fired, but believe it or not I missed. I use a s/s double 20 now.
To this day I still use my first gun...A Remington 870 Express youth model 20ga. Is is short and compact, perfect brush gun!
Whatever you can use that gets a lot of lead in the air quickly and accurately. I prefer a SxS, though I sometimes wish for a third shot.
I spotted one grouse standing at 20 yards or so. Blinked as I brought up the gun and all I saw was tail feathers disappearing in the pines. Never got off a shot.
With early season grouse there's also woodcock - this weekend a timberdoodle went straight up over a tree, straight down, and then knuckleballed into the next aspen stand. After two shots I just stood there in awe as leaves, tree limbs, and pine needles settled to the ground.
I have killed a lot of grouse in the hills of Oh and WV when there was grouse here I have found that first you have to have a gun to fit you first, practice, practice, practice. As far as ga I feel that a 16ga is the best because it has a lot less shot string than other gauges and it has a great ability to handle a lot of different shot sizes.
Mossberg 500C Pump Action .20 Gauge best Ruffed Grouse gun ever
.410 none better
Post an Answer