doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com # 10 shot for Grouse??

I seem to recall having read that small gauges, with small charges, of #10 shot was a favorite of the old southern coastal "Rail-bird" shooters, but this is something I have never experienced firsthand. I really can't imagine why anyone would want to use #10 on birds the size of a grouse.

Larry-Regarding Zutz, who I've read and gotten relaoding recipes from in the past. And grouse...

First, I never use anything smaller than #7-1/2 shot...and am weaning myself on #7's for these birds because I love to eat them. Too much shot ruins the roast. Similarly, tighter chokes will result in similar food, at least from what I experienced grouse hunting in three states. #6 shot is pretty heavy for these thin skinned birds, but does well the little I have used it on Grouse. Mike

And of course the most obvious - your bird is pre-"peppered" all in one swoop, sorry I just had to. --- John Can.

That's O'Connor, not O'Conner. Yah you're right, Jack did shoot game with a 30/06. He also used a 375, 7mm Rem Mag, 338 Mag, 22/250, 30/40 Krag, 7mm Wby mag, 300 Wby, etc., etc. He was a gun editor for a national outdoors magazine. If he only used a 270 all the time you'd be complaining that he couldn't possibly know if any other calibers were good. "Waxing poetic" about the 270? Nope, he was just telling it the way it is. Try one, you'll like it.

Ten or finer is only fit for shooting Osei from a Campanno using 32ga.

KyJon got it right. The "sportsman" was ground swatting with head shots in the right barrel, shooting flushed birds only after the first ground swat. I swore off the use of #9 shot after finding #9 shot in strong flying doves that I shot with much larger shot. The #9s were just under the skin and did not bring the birds to ground when shot at ranges that some doves are shot. Shoot a dead grouse with #9 at 37 yards and let me know where you find the shot. I think it will be barely into the skin and first eighth of an inch of flesh. I would rather use 7 1/2 or 6 on any bird bigger than a hummer.

More than one of Jack's friends has posted the idea that were he around today, Jack would be using a .280 Remington.

I've yet to meet the 30-06 I enjoy shooting, and haven't a reason to quit using a VZ-24 chambered in .257Roberts Ackley Improved.

Try it, you'll like it better...
Best,
Ted

We didn't know of anything smaller than No. 6 in our rural areas until about 40-50 years ago, Bill. I thought No. 7 1/2 was special for shooting at clay pigeons.

Amen. The #11 and #12 shot boxes in my collection were obviously brought to the rail marshes by "experts" from the big city. Use of #9 shot on wild quail or doves is an obvious sign of a "Field and Stream" expert in my opinion. I do not use the term "expert" in a positive mode.

I've used #7-1/2 and #8 trap and skeet loads to kill grouse and woodcock for almost half a century - they're plenty lethal. But then, most of my birds have been taken at ranges under 25 yards - 37 yards is a long shot in our grouse woods.