Shot size for mid season Grouse

[Tom Flanigan]

For Sharptails I use 6's because shots can be relatively long. I never use my 28 bore on them since I don't use anything larger than 7 1/2 in this gun. It doesn't handle 6's all that well. Because of the potential for longer range shots, I always considered sharptails and huns as 16 or 12 bore birds.

For ruffed grouse with the 28 bore, I use 3/4 oz loads of #9 early in the season and #8's later in the season. In my coverts, which are very thick even in the winter, long shots rarely occur and when they do, I don't shoot.

Ruffed grouse can be successfully hunted without a dog, but I would quit bird hunting if I didn't have a well trained (professionally) bird dog. It just wouldn't be the same for me without a canine companion.

[mobirdhunter]

Like Dean and Tom, for ruffed grouse I like smaller shot in the early season, especially in the right barrel, and 7 1/2s in the left. Later, I'll use 7 1/2s in both barrels. If I go after late January Iowa river bluff birds or Appalachian ruffs in February, I may slip a number 7 in the left barrel (and make sure it's copper plated). My go-to grouse 28s have open (right) and tight (left) chokes.