I hunt Grouse up there in Mr. Hoggson's country and it makes a big diffrence what time of the season it is. Early when the leaves are on the trees if you are able to get a charge in the air with a Grouse centered in the pattern it won't matter what you throw at him he is comming down. The shot will be well within 20 yds. Later when the leaves are off the trees you can get some pretty long shots. I hunt with a 28" 12ga with spreaders(1oz 7 1/2's) wich has worked out well for me. I also don't hunt with a dog. It has been my experience that some years the grouse flush far and I can put the spreaders aside. I stopped the use of 8's after losing birds that I knocked feathers off of or knocked down and could not find. 10's for Grouse in his day was probably a way to save money on shot and I don't doubt that it would kill them at the short ranges of the early season but I wouldn't try it. In fact I may start trying some non tox shot at grouse to get ahead of the lead shot bans for hunting uplands as was discussed in a previous post. I've also started to hunt with some small gauge guns to gain confidence with them before really old age sets in.
