Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game favorite gun for ruff' grouse?

Uh-oh..since Blues were introduced into the thread..I feel another mini-hijack coming on!

Last year's fave grouse gun...a recent build in a .222

The photo of the model 12 brings back memories. I used to regularly use one. That one got the worst abuse of any gun I have ever used. About ten years ago I and two friends were grouse hunting in Northern Mn. We were on an old logging trail riding four wheelers back to an area where we knew held grouse. I had my model 12 16 gauge in a soft case strapped on the top of the back rack.

When we started walking I had about as easy a shot at a grouse as you could ever have. I saw it before it started to fly and it was in relatively open woods/brush. It lifted off, I shot and...missed. Then my friend said "whats the matter with your gun?" I thought he was just giving me crap about my shooting skills, but he was serious. My gun barrel was bent. The end of the barrel had apparently caught on a tree as I took a tight corner around a pine tree and put a bend in it. Idiot!

A gunsmith was able to staighten it out so that you could not even see the damage it had sustained. Lesson learned, I switched to a hard case.

Beal175, I used a Bernardelli of the same model when I lived in upstate New York for 21 years, except mine was a 20 with double triggers. Nice little guns! Out here in CA we don't have ruffed grouse; I use a 12 guage O/U for most of my upland hunting (CA quail and chukars; a few blue grouse ). Ranges are sometimes pretty long, especially with chukars and blues.

I used to shoot cottontails when grouse hunting in NYS, but my hunting partners frown on that when hunting birds, so I leave them alone when hunting with a dog and only go after them when I'm alone (usually with a .410 Contender). Tasty.

I have a number of o&u and sxs , pumps and semi-autos but just love the Bernadelli for grouse hunting

These were excellent guns. They were built by Victor Sarasqueta of Spain.

I had one in my late teens that was taken in a burglary; I still miss the gun.

Favorite when hunting over dogs-Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen.

Favorite late season no dogs-Savage 220 single shot 20 gauge.

I'm a 28 gauge guy , but have been know to shoot ruffies with 20'16', and 12's with black powder ans brass cases as well as with smokeless stuff in either SXS or O/U.

However, for most of my upland - pheasants as well as grouse over a dog is with either a 28 SXS or a Damascus barreled 12 bore with black powder.

Cat

I love the 28 ga and used it for dove hunting last season and limited out with less than one box of shells. Beretta 686 O&U with matching 20 ga barrels.

My favorites are a 20 ga Franchi AL48 and a 16 ga. Ithaca 37. But then I've shot squirrels and trout with a shotgun and lotsa ruff's with a rifle too.

I love the 28 and use a old Ithaca 20 gauge w/ damascus barrels that I had sleeved by Briley to 28 gauge (maybe a touch too light though - swings REAL fast), a Merkel 280SL, a Weatherby Orion, and a Rizzini. Also have a favorite Beretta 686 onyx in 20 gauge, a Fox sterlingworth in 16 gauge, and a AH Fox 12 gauge that all have spent a few hours in the grouse woods Does'nt really matter much what I use as long as it handles well. Like the idea of shooting them in the head w/ a .22 but it will take lots of practice to be able to accomplish that feat on Pennsylvania grouse

PennDog

Cat, I love those doubles of yours. You definitely hunt with style. And that hat!

My favorite grouse killing machine is a toss up between a 20 gauge L.C.Smith or a 28 gauge Anschutz (Miroku) O/U. I'm hoping I'm improved enough health-wise to get out in the grouse coverts this year.

Years ago, I had a buddy who couldn't hit a grouse on the wing to save his soul. He kept switching guns trying to find the answer to his poor shooting ability. One day he showed up with a M1897 Winchester WWI trench gun. As we were busting our way through nigh impenetrable white pines to get to a "birdy" spot on the other side, one took off from between his legs. Shooting from the hip, he took it's head off at about 10 feet. Naturally he christened that short beast "the best dam*" grouse gun ever made, and used it as his sole grouse gun for many years. Never mind the fact he never killed another grouse with it.

I hunt grouse on the hills of Vermont. An ideal gun is a drilling as the bear season is open at the same time from Sept. on.

If it was raining I would carry the Ithaca Deerslayer for grouse and game. While it has an open choke it does hit the birds. It weighs 7 lbs with it's handy 20" barrel and the 2X Redfield on it.

12 gauge Winchester Model 12 Featherweight, 26" improved cylinder barrel.

In order of preferance.

1. Browning Superposed Lightning 20ga 28" SK 1/Imp Mod
2. Le Fevre Nitro Special custon skeet gun 28" 20ga SK 1/SK 2
3. SKB 100 12ga 26" IC/Mod
4. Berretta 300 Anniversary MZL O/U(BLK Powder)
5. Charels Daley Youth 20ga semi auto if I'm flying to a hunt

erich

I wanted to post a picture of mine with some grouse, but all the photos are just photographs, no digital stuff. My favorite grouse gun is my 12 bore Browning Superposed made in '32. She's light, has a single trigger and will be celebrating her fiftieth season with me this fall. I inherited her from my great Uncle Walt. Along with supplying a farm kid with Outdoor Life and Sports Afield in the fifties, he taught me to chew tobacco, cuss, sing dirty songs, and drink liquor. I suspect he would have introduced me to loose women, had he lived a bit longer. While I love hunting with Greatgrandad's Elsie, she's bored tight , is heavy and has that unsafe trap safety. She's only an occaisional nostalgic partner. While there are a few other shotguns in the safe, none hold a candle to my old O/U. She's scratched and scarred and is on her fourth recoil pad, but comes to my shoulder as if she has a mind of her own.
Bfly

When one says grouse gun the only thing that instantly comes to my mind is 28ga. They just go together so dammn good. Sorta like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Ithica Classic Doubles NID 4E 20ga is my go to now that I am temporarily without a 28ga.

I use my ole reliable Stevens 311c SxS 20ga 28" for all my bird hunting. The blue is still in great shape but the wood, OMG there isn't any clear coat left on it. I don't have the heart to refinish the wood cause I might put a jinx on it. When I take it out of the gun cabinet the wife says " your taking the POS gun " you must be going after some birds.

Ken

I hate to admit it but I do not have a vintage double in a small gauge for grouse, which is the classic choice. And I do not have a setter.

I "run what I brung" with an 870 12 gauge light contour 26" tube and 1oz. of #7 1/2 or #8's. Birds pointed by my old girl Shorthair.

Ruthless and efficient, nobody is going to paint our covert portrait, but it works.

Nothing wrong with your set-up including dog. You nailed the load anyways, so you get bonus points for that.