Woodcock/Grouse - is 410 enough gun?

[Brett Trimble]

Woodcock and ruffed grouse are on my bucket list and I may give them a try this season. Question: will a 410 work for these birds in typical tight cover?

Either way, what is the ideal load for these critters?

Brett

[SXS OHIO]

It's your bucket list and sounds important to have a good time. I would think you should use a 28gauge as a minimum. I personally love to shoot clays with my 410 guns but do not hunt wild birds out of respect for them. I do not want to wing them, not find them or worse they fly away and die a slow death from one or two pellets. For me, it's just not sportsman like. SXS Ohio

[Andy]

Woodcock maybe grouse I wouldn't. I love my .410 but I don't think it's a wise game gun for grouse. When you say tight cover I assume you mean early season. You best blast through a lot of leaves and I hunt 28 or 16g only out of preference.

[Brett Trimble]

SXS,

I agree that killing cleanly is paramount.

That said, I’ve used a 410 with 11/16oz of 8 shot in a gun that patterns reasonably well on doves and it’s very effective out to about 25yds. Woodcock and especially ruffed grouse are bigger birds but are shot at close range, I’m told. That’s why I asked for others thoughts and especially experiences.

I think I’ll stick with my trusty 16ga with a once of shot. It just seems to work for birds smaller than pheasants (and pheasants too in the early season).

Best,
Brett

[Dean Romig]

28, 20 and 16 are the only guns I would use on grouse and woodcock. I have a really nice 42 that is choked MOD but IMO is somewhat unwieldily so I leave that one home… but I’m not good enough to think I wouldn’t be crippling a fair number of birds, so I won’t use a .410 for these special birds.
Even when I had that beautiful .410 IJ SKEET-ER I only took it hunting a few times. That was at a a time in my covers in VT when there were a LOT of grouse, but I wasn’t effective with it as often as I wish a d I know I crippled some birds.




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[James L. Martin]

I agree that a 410 is not a grouse gun,woodcock maybe under the right conditions with a good dog. Myself I have used a 28ga repro the last 2 plus years with excellent results. My best shells have been Winchester Super Sport 3/4-7 1/2 & Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 7/8-7 1/2 & RST 7/8 -7. I have hunted grouse and woodcock for 60 years ( hard to believe) with all gauges, the best choice in my opinion is a 20ga side by side around 6 to 6 1/2 lbs with 7/8 to 1 oz of shot. Of course the same specs in a 16ga would also be great. I use a 28ga now for the weight, mine is just under 5 1/2 lbs and is a joy to carry.

[Brett Trimble]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, gentlemen. Exactly what I was looking for!!

[Andy]

Brett you can kill a grouse with a .410 but you better be on and that's a damn fast bird. The reason for my reply is that with a lot of leaves and cover you need a good pattern and some amount of lead (and lead....) and some decent speed to blast through that detritous; they never give you a clean shot. I have a friend who got two doubles in Maine the same trip, among other dead flying grouse. He hunts with a Franchi 12g and 1 1/8oz about 1300fps #7.5. Both times the Earth was littered with leaves and branches and it sounded like the heavens were opening, but lo and behold, two grouse fell with them. Twice. There's something of a lesson there even if it's not the type of shooting we might prefer. I'm not that type of hunter but rarely is he the guy with a light game bag. I prefer to be somewhere between the .410 and him and that makes for a good day.

[Brett Trimble]

Andy, thanks so much for that! It’s the kind of context that only comes with experience. I’m even more convinced now that an ounce of 7.5 out of one of my favorite 16s would be about right.

[Mike of the Mountain]

The Old Pats Society does one day every year in their camp where everyone uses a .410. Plenty of photos of those guys with grouse.