# Grouse Success, Tips on Shot Size



## ottadad (Aug 28, 2014)

While I'm not necessarily qualified to argue whether or not this grouse season has been as good as the DWR has advertised it should be, I certainly can't complain about it. I decided to target grouse for the first time this weekend and saw over 25 birds and ended up taking 4. I was surprised at how tough the shooting can be. Although our pup bumped quite a few of them, even the close flushes were challenging. Knowing that I would probably need all the help I could get, I dropped the cash on some Prairie Storm #6s, but still half the birds I shot hit the ground running. Any recommendations on shot sizes/shells for grouse? Would something a little larger be more effective? Anyone out there shoot a Citori as well and have any preference in shells? Overall I wasn't completely disappointed with Prairie Storm in how it patterns etc... but I'm not sold on it yet.

Here's a pic with the 2 birds I shot our second day hunting.


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

I shoot the cheap wal mart skeet/trap loads & never have a problem


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

Were you outside Salt Lake County, by any chance? Nice dog, btw.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

7 1/2 federals this weekend dropped all the birds- 2 schools of thought though
7 1/2- lead in your birds- 6's go thru no lead. I would never use your storms for grouse. Later season pheasants in Idaho yes. Over all for a mid priced shell that patterns well I like the Rio's. When I go to a 3" mag it's usually a Rio because they are a so much less expensive than the storms but I have a few boxes of the storms.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

I'd never shoot expensive shells at ruff/blue grouse..no need. Prairie Storm....are those not $18-20 a box? Their just not that hard to kill. Mostly shoot a 28 ga loaded with 6's and have never had issues with them getting away.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I use my 410 side by side shooting #6 shot. It has bagged more grouse than I can count. It is a great little shot gun to have while deer or elk hunting or thrown behind the seat of the truck during bird season.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

who shoots grouse on the fly anyways? wait for them to flush into the tree and a cheap trap load to the head!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

utahgolf said:


> who shoots grouse on the fly anyways? wait for them to flush into the tree and a cheap trap load to the head!


That's one nice thing about hunting them in Colorado. A .22Lr to the head while they are still on the ground. If you are careful you can limit out in a hurry.


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## brendo (Sep 10, 2013)

28 1/2 inches long 400 grain oh wait..  shot size doesn't matter to me anytime I'm toting a shotgun I can never find the dang things! I always see them while chasing deer and elk with my bow.


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## ottadad (Aug 28, 2014)

I agree 7 1/2s would work if you were plucking them from tree branches, but most of the shooting I did was with the grouse flushing through thick cover and they weren't landing in trees anywhere close to where I was. I suppose I'll lighten up, pocket some cash, and see how that works next time out. 

And Jedidiah it was down in Dixie National Forest


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

Critter said:


> That's one nice thing about hunting them in Colorado. A .22Lr to the head while they are still on the ground. If you are careful you can limit out in a hurry.


It's dumb that you can't use a .22 on grouse here. I use the Kent Fasteel in 7 1/2 12 ga. for upland game, there's a lot more chance I'm going to start a fire with that stuff than Blazer .22s out of my Ruger. I watch carefully and always have a gallon of water in my hydration pack to douse embers of course. Plus half my grouse shots end up with flappers or runners that I have to chase. Nailing rabbits with my .22 they get a kill shot every time. Is there some reason I don't know beyond wildfires and bad shots for requiring a shotgun? I suspect it's just so they can charge us more tax.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

What shotsize is a rock, about baseball size? Cuz that works pretty good at times.


-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

DallanC said:


> What shotsize is a rock, about baseball size? Cuz that works pretty good at times.
> 
> -DallanC


That is a problem with Utah's regs, technically you can't use a rock the way that they are written. And a rock is diffidently larger than #2 shot


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

I usually hunt in pretty thick stuff and the 7 1//2 doesn't seem to deter many hits- now my ability to shoot at times can certainly be questioned- how can one go so many in row with out a miss and then just stink ? 
After a bit of shooting this summer and watching some CD's I have come to the conclusion that how I mount the gun is consistent 90% of the time and then the 10% kicks in and I get a lot bad looks from the dogs.


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## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

Critter said:


> I use my 410 side by side shooting #6 shot. It has bagged more grouse than I can count. It is a great little shot gun to have while deer or elk hunting or thrown behind the seat of the truck during bird season.


2 3/4" or 3"?

Another question..

So the gun I'll be using are savage 24s. In Utah you can't use a rimfire on grouse but I won't be using the rimfire barrel. 
What would a game warden say?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

hondodawg said:


> 2 3/4" or 3"?
> 
> Another question..
> 
> ...


All I purchase is 3" rounds for it.

As for what a game warden would say if you are not using a shotgun or a pistol shooting bird shot is "sign here and tell it to the judge"


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## chukarfool (Aug 25, 2015)

Prairie storms are overkill for grouse, you won't have any meat left. Plus they will break your arm. They also pattern really tight (at least from my guns). I use Kent fastlead 6 shot for everything. If you're using open chokes and leading a little, you'll be dropping grouse like a sack of bread!


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

I think 7-1/2s will do a better job for you on flushing grouse in thick cover. More pellets in the pattern increase your chance of getting some through to the grouse. I predict your cripples will go down if you go to 7-1/2s on forest birds.


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## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

I used #7 1/2 for over 20 years with good success. then got tired of spitting out so many BBs. now I use #6. also no problems.
Grouse are not hard to put down.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Prairie Storm uses the flight stopper wads, which is what Black Cloud steel shot uses. The wads are designed to hold a tight pattern to further distances. In all likelihood, you were only hitting part of the bird because your shot pattern was so small. That stuff is designed to be shot at birds out to 25-40 yards, and when a grouse flushes at that distance, you rarely see it through the trees. 

If you're shooting a 12 gauge, here's what I recommend. Stick with your number 6 shot. It will carry enough energy to blast through the trees. If you can find a 1 oz load of number 6, you're set. If not, 1 1/8 oz will work fine. Most manufacturers label a load like this as light or heavy game. Stick with the lighter stuff for Ruffs, and use the heavy game loads for blues. Put the Improved cylinder, or light modified chokes in your gun, and have at it.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

My bro got out to Hunt with his Brittany this morning...low brass 7-1/2 twenty gauge.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

nice!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

.22 long rifle 3 1/2" barrel #12 shot


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

20 gauge 26" barrel #7 1/2 shot last week:



.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

12 gauge 2 3/4" #5 shot this week

I like #5s on sage grouse and pheasants when using 12, 16 and 20 gauge, #6 for 28 and .410



Good grief, there's a lot of sage grouse this year


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

Here's a trio of 12 and 20 ga low-brass #7-1/2 grouse from yesterday...


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

We've always preferred #6 or sometimes #5 because we like the shot to pass through.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Apparently you got no cred if you don't post a grouse pict... so here are a pair from a few days ago:

Tasty!

-DallanC


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## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

Shot two this weekend with #6. Blew one almost to feathers the other, not much better. Going back to 7.5's


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

7.5# most of the time on forest birds- 6's on sharpies just for the yardage of some shots.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

goonsquad said:


> Shot two this weekend with #6. Blew one almost to feathers the other, not much better. Going back to 7.5's


Were they 3" mags? I've never had that happen with my standard load #6.


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## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

I concur with allot of these other guys. Don't waste your money shooting Prarie Storm on Grouse. Heck I never use it period. I don't see the sense in spending that kinda money on lead shot and I kill tons of birds of all game species. Open up your choke. I only shoot an IC at everything but Turkeys, Geese n Swans. I shoot Estates, Rios or Remingtons. Whatever is on sale most the time. I have shot the Kent fast lead and it's good but more than If think I need to pay. Just be a good shot and open your choke up to an improved cylinder if not all ready. At grouse I usually shoot a low brass #6 and lately I've just been using a side by side 28 Guage with no issues at all. I almost always shoot em flying through the thick brush. Helps hone your skills and makes you a quicker draw and better shot.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Plus 1 on the 2 /34 or the 3 inch mags when needed made by Rio- Really have come to like the performance and the price.


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## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

Mavis13 said:


> Were they 3" mags? I've never had that happen with my standard load #6.


Nope, 2-3/4 winchester X


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

goonsquad said:


> Nope, 2-3/4 winchester X


That's what I use mostly; Winchester or federal cheap #6. Usually runs about $6-ish a box. I've never had one do that to a bird. Granted we mostly ground pound them as we don't have a good dog at the moment so I take a lot of headshots but we still get some flyers or runners that get it through the body. My boy uses the same load in his 20ga with the same results. The problem I had with 7 and 8 shot is it leaves too much lead in the meat and makes it uncomfortable to eat. The #6 passes though for the most part.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

Another bro hunt bag from today


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

hawglips said:


> Another bro hunt bag from today


Good work. Geeze, you need to put that photo in a magazine.

.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

The bro and Brit with a couple more this morning


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