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View Full Version : what .22 bullet to use for grouse..



blackford
09-24-2008, 10:34 PM
Ok.. so i have purchase myself a remmington 597 for grouse hunting.

I have been using velocitors and noticed that the bullets usually go right through and the grouse fly for 10 to 20 feet and then die. But then its a gamble on finding them through the brush.

The gun is accurate but its tough to take a head shot at 20 to 30 yards away...

i was wondering what bullets you guys use to not reck the meat and at the same time i can get away with a body shot.

thanks

todbartell
09-24-2008, 10:38 PM
I would try CCI Mini Mag hollow points

rishu_pepper
09-24-2008, 10:42 PM
Stingers! :biggrin:

But if the Velocitors are fine in your gun, I'd keep using them. Shot a grouse in the neck with a Velocitor last season, dropped dead on the spot.

blackford
09-24-2008, 10:45 PM
i have been shooting everyhting from my gun and havent had many jams.. just looking for a bullet that wont destroy the bird if i put a shot at its breast...

wolverine
09-24-2008, 10:52 PM
I would try CCI Mini Mag hollow points

I think Bartell is yankin your chain. :mrgreen: I'd use a slower moving round and put the shot just at the top of the breast where the neck joins. They'll just do the drop and flop. Hi vel./ hollow points like Yellow Jackets are just going to make a mess out of the bird if you don't shoot well enough for head shots. Shot placement is King! When we were kids we used to kill em dead with a marble and a sling shot. It doesn't take much.

blackford
09-24-2008, 10:56 PM
I figured as much.. To be honest with you i dont get the humor of misguiding someone who is asking for help... not to mention making a mess of wild life...... but hey.. i guess some people need there kicks...


anyhow. Wolverine. any round you recommend...

Mr. Dean
09-25-2008, 12:24 AM
Ok.. so i have purchase myself a remmington 597 for grouse hunting.

I have been using velocitors and noticed that the bullets usually go right through and the grouse fly for 10 to 20 feet and then die. But then its a gamble on finding them through the brush.

The gun is accurate but its tough to take a head shot at 20 to 30 yards away...

i was wondering what bullets you guys use to not reck the meat and at the same time i can get away with a body shot.

thanks

You NEED to take more time on setting up and practise more. 30 yd head shots should be pretty easy from a prone position IMHO.

That or use a 12 ga.

Ian F.
09-25-2008, 06:02 AM
What Mr. Dean said! I used to use target ammo (lead solids) simply so that if I shot low there'd be a small hole, not a wasted bird. Sight in for a close range and learn to walk em up with the cross hairs on the head, when they get twitchy, pull the trigger!

IAn

3kills
09-25-2008, 07:29 AM
get a .410 holdthe bead just a lil bit above the head squeeze bang dead.....

rishu_pepper
09-25-2008, 08:57 AM
I don't think there's anything wrong with using hi/hyper-velocity rounds in a 22 when grouse hunting. Just like any other game, shot placement is key, and if Stingers or Federal bulk junk shoot dime groups at 50 in your gun, all the better. My CZ takes Lapua Super Club (subsonic round IIRC) very well and I have complete confidence at 50 with a solid rest for a headshot. If Stingers fed that well (they don't..), I'd hunt with them just the same.

But then a shotgun is much easier on you and the bird anyway :biggrin:

Steeleco
09-25-2008, 09:01 AM
40 grn Mini mags have taken many chickens in our camp. My 10-22 only likes the 40's my buddies like the 36 's

Try to avoid body shoots if you can, but even if you hit the breast, the damage isn't that bad.

Ian F.
09-25-2008, 09:02 AM
I've seen so many road chickens missed with shotguns I can't count!

Why?

Shotguns are set up 60% high of center. Restated, if you put the bead on the target 60% of the pattern is above the point of aim.

Now raise the bead above the head and well houston, we have a problem!

If you are shooting road chickens with a shotgun, up the shot to #4, put the bead on the head, and if at all possilbe wait till the bird has it's back to you and whammoo!

Ian

MichelD
09-25-2008, 09:18 AM
Ian's right.

I really impressed my moose hunting buddy last year by missing numerous grouse at 25 feet with my single shot 410 by aiming high to avoid filling them with lead and thus not putting any into them!

But I'm getting crazy.

This year I'm gonna make 'em fly before I shoot at 'em with my 20 gauge.

Then I can claim an honest miss.

3kills
09-25-2008, 09:53 AM
i miss way more grouse shooting with my .22 then i do with my .410...mind u the last .22 i took out for grouse was one i got from my grandpa years ago and it was used in probably 10-15 years i cleaned it up shot it a couple times at the range and then took it grouse hunting...my other i got when i was a kid was a grouse sniper till i got my .410

brotherjack
09-25-2008, 10:02 AM
It's all a trade-off. You get a fast expanding hollow point bullet (Winchester PowerPoint's for example), and it will stop rabbits and chickens in their tracks, but you will loose some meat if you shoot them centre-mass instead of head/neck. If you use a 40 grain solid or other non-expanding bullet (which a Velocitor will probably be in something like a chicken), and you get a little bitty hole and a critter that makes a few tracks before it dies.

Me, I'd rater miss a mouthful or two of meat and have the critter die at the point of impact than I would chase it around in thick bush. I recommend Winchester PowerPoints or any other round that has a great big hole for a hollow point.

But heck, I shoot 90% of my grouse with reduced loads in a 308 Winchester - what do I know about shooting one with a 22. :)

rishu_pepper
09-25-2008, 10:44 AM
But heck, I shoot 90% of my grouse with reduced loads in a 308 Winchester - what do I know about eating grouse, since there is no meat left

Fixed it for ya. :biggrin:

todbartell
09-25-2008, 12:27 PM
I think Bartell is yankin your chain. :mrgreen:

no, I wasn't


I figured as much.. To be honest with you i dont get the humor of misguiding someone who is asking for help... not to mention making a mess of wild life...... but hey.. i guess some people need there kicks..

I've shot lots with American Eagle 38 gr hollowpoints, and if you hit them in the neck or head, they die very quickly. The CCI Mini mags shoot more accurate in most guns, which is a good thing when you're trying to hit something the size of a quarter from a field position. If you're aiming for the body, why bother even shooting, you will waste half the bird

wolverine
09-25-2008, 01:12 PM
Sorry Tod, didn't mean to put words in your mouth. As I said in my post, if you can make the head shots go for it. I use Yellow Jackets but hit everything in the noggin. He was asking about stopping them without head shots because he has issues with that. That's why I thought you might be having him on a bit and that's why I said slower ammo and place the shot at the base of the neck. Hell, I used to use shorts for grouse. Cheap and a head shot with one of those is just as good as more expensive ammo. Quieter too.

blackford
09-25-2008, 10:01 PM
i actually just bought some remington 22 lr birdshot. Wondering if anyone had any expierence with them...

i will let you know how it goes

Gateholio
09-25-2008, 10:21 PM
I've killed sheep, rabbits, ducks, pigs and cows with .22LR's and headshots...I think most grouse hit in the head with a .22 will die, regardless of it being a hyper velocity, hollow point, solid, lead, armour piercing, etc.:cool:

todbartell
09-25-2008, 10:52 PM
i actually just bought some remington 22 lr birdshot. Wondering if anyone had any expierence with them...

i will let you know how it goes

I think you'd better be real close. Try patterning it at 10 yards and let us know how it works

spreerider
09-26-2008, 09:28 PM
i have body shot lots of grouse with my 22, never did much damage to the meat, maybe a little hole but never have i destroyed half a bird even with stingers,
I prefer target loads in my marlin as it shoots them the best at 50 yards,
but i mostly use my 410 now just because its that much faster so i get more quick shots at road chickens when i drive up too close to them before i see them.

Schmaus
09-27-2008, 11:52 AM
i actually just bought some remington 22 lr birdshot


These are garbage, as Tod says set up some cans or something at ten yards and shoot at them before trying them on a bird, they suck bigtime. The Federal ones that I bought were crimped on the end, everyone that I shot had to be pried out with a knife cause the crimp blows outwards and sticks in the gun.

anglo-saxon
09-27-2008, 12:14 PM
i actually just bought some remington 22 lr birdshot. Wondering if anyone had any expierence with them...

i will let you know how it goes

As said above, garbage. Not even sure why they make them. Might be Ok for rats or such like, but that's about it. The only time I've used them on anything bigger, was when cleaning up gophers around a friend's milking barn and he didn't want bullets around the cows (oh yea of little faith!), so I'd sit there with my gopher whistle and squeek at them until they stuck their dumb little heads out and then popped them from just a few feet.

Head shot on a grouse, etc., should be a snip at 25-30 yds. When you think of the size of the bird's head, it's about the equiv of a 4"-5" group at 100yds. My basic 10/22 with a 4 X Bushnel Sportview and very ordinary ammo (bulk Remington) is easilly capable of that accuracy.

However, the 10/22 has nothing on my real tack driver - Savage Model 93F in .17 HMR. Alarmingly accurate! Shoots the nuts of a gnat at 50 paces!

Gateholio
09-27-2008, 02:39 PM
Thge .22 birdshot works well on mice and rats, but I'd never use it on grouse.

blacktailslayer
09-27-2008, 07:13 PM
The only thing that matters with head shooting grouse with a .22 is accuracy. Any standard or high velocity round is fine. Just make sure it shoots tight groups!

headhunter257
09-27-2008, 11:59 PM
i was grouse hunting not 3 days a go with my 597 and i use blazer ammo with a 39gr ammo and never jams and works great aim at the neck and i use my 30rnd clip too so if i miss't i got lots off ammo. i also used a .410 shot gun lever action in cold weather ur hands take the beating but the .410 does great things works great at 20 yards with a small group but i took lots of birds tho my first time hunting grouse this year and i had a blast and my 597 and the .410 worked great so i would try head shots with the 22 or neck shots right below the neck

moosinaround
09-28-2008, 08:43 AM
Buy a few box's of federals,or cci, or remington. Go to the gravel pit and shoot off 100-200 shots! You will get it dialed in after that many rounds. You will know if they jam then, and it won't break the bank! The more you shoot any rifle the better shot you will be! The better shot you are the more confidence you have at shooting the head off the chicken at 50yrds in a standing position! This equates to more chickens in the freezer!! Moosin

Wildfoot
09-29-2008, 01:52 PM
ive been using the cci quick-shok. 1600 fps segmenting round. aim for the head and take it right off. dont take body shots. bodies are for eating.

or take a 12ga with full choke and #6 shot. put the edge of the pattern inline iwth the head. rarely do the pellets hit the breast meat. I have a .410, but I prefer the 12 by a long shot. the .410 is the least used gun i have. shells are 2-3x the price of 12ga, you cant take deer-sized game with a .410.. and a .410 will not stop a bear if you need to defend yourself.

the 22rf shot shells are a joke. they wont extract from my rifle, they dont pack enough punch to take down a grouse. Ive used them for shooting mice inside the house.. thats about all I would use them for.

practice more if you cant hit a grouse head from 20 yards. its not that hard of a shot.

steelheadSABO
09-29-2008, 08:24 PM
308 150 grain partitioner works fine for me

dukester
09-30-2008, 06:56 PM
Remington Cyclone hollow points. aim at the lower neck where it meets the wing.. That bird 's not going anywhere. $26.00 a brick. my ruger 10/22 loves this round.

eaglesnester
12-19-2008, 10:47 AM
I do not think I would use 22 skeet rounds out of a rifled barrel for anything. The lands and groves in the barrel will make your shot go south on you. 22 skeet rounds were developed for 22 style smoothbores.

bearhunter338-06
12-19-2008, 11:07 AM
I have used the remington viper rounds for years on grouse with no problems at all, just hit them in the base of the neck and thats all she wroght. If ya do hit a little low you still have a kill shot.

Rock Doctor
12-19-2008, 12:18 PM
Use whatever your gun likes,
I can usually get American Eagles cheep, and they work fine. Don't jam in my 10/22 and I rarely seem to have a misfire. (My gun is modified a bit though)


RD

stanway
12-19-2008, 02:23 PM
Find the round that your 22 likes the best and practice. Practice shooting off hand, kneeling, whatever you might encounter while grouse hunting.

My Ruger likes Mini-Mags as well as the American Eagle 38gr HP's. These were shot with the American Eagle in October. I aim for the head or at the base of the neck and don't usually loose too much meat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/bubbajones1/002.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/bubbajones1/002.jpg)

Lot's of fun!

:-P


James

Mr. Dean
12-19-2008, 02:37 PM
Some nicely sized birds there stanway. Good work!

stanway
12-19-2008, 04:02 PM
Some nicely sized birds there stanway. Good work!

Thanks. But as it goes with hunting, luck had a lot to do with it - being in the right place at the right time. Especially for region 2.

kennyj
12-19-2008, 04:15 PM
I use what ever is the cheapest,and always go for a head shot.If you miss a few ,no big deal.And its great practice.
kenny

Mr. Dean
12-19-2008, 04:21 PM
Thanks. But as it goes with hunting, luck had a lot to do with it - being in the right place at the right time. Especially for region 2.

BS.

I can tell by the pebbles yer standing on that this is near Clearwater.


I know it.

Bowzone_Mikey
12-19-2008, 06:09 PM
CCi Stingers is all i use nowadays in my .22 .. zeroed to 75 yrds (from Prairie dog shootin days)
head shots ..nothing but ... One shot ...one kill (possibly more with Gophers ... (personal best is 54 dogs with 50 rounds :) )

stanway
12-19-2008, 09:38 PM
BS.

I can tell by the pebbles yer standing on that this is near Clearwater.


I know it.



:lol::lol::lol:

Jagermeister
12-19-2008, 09:45 PM
If you can't shoot them in the head with the .22, then you need to take more target practice! Body shots are for people that are bad shots!

Hotwheels81
12-20-2008, 04:46 PM
i shot alot of chicken and gopher's with dynapoint but you may as well be shooting FMJ's, remmy sub sonic's work good and i have had decent luck with CCI CB long's... i put a CB thru the left side of a chickens breast and it stopped short of its tail feathers turning everything insides into jello...

i dont use a rimfire rifle to shoot chicken very often anymore tho, i have found my crossman .22 air rifle from crappy tire with field points and peep sight make things much more sporting... that little pellet at 20yrd's still packs enough punch to go thru the breast and out the arse if you hit low with no meat damage.

slingshot's are alot of fun on a chicken hunt... i have used golf ball sized rock's with some lethal results as well in my younger days... :D


Body shots are for people that are bad shots!

any shot that kill's an animal quickly is a good shot IMHO.