New to Grouse

[Vancouver1234]

I havent really hunted or even really shot before, do you think i should start off with just a cheap used 22. rifle or buy a 12 guage shotgun?? which would be better for someone just starting to grouse hunt, thanks

[3006pg]

what ever you figure would float your boat! personally i started with a .22 when i was a kid . honestly if you havent done much shooting i would start with that calibre because it doesnt have nearly as much kick as a 12 gauge would. it will be much easier to get familiar with guns and this way you wont become gun shy just my two cents. good luck out there !

[Vancouver1234]

what ever you figure would float your boat! personally i started with a .22 when i was a kid . honestly if you havent done much shooting i would start with that calibre because it doesnt have nearly as much kick as a 12 gauge would. it will be much easier to get familiar with guns and this way you wont become gun shy just my two cents. good luck out there !

oops i meant 22. rifle, what do you think of that.

Thanks

[3006pg]

same thing!

[Vancouver1234]

same thing!

I have heard its harder to actually hit the grouse when your shooting with a 22. rifle is this true?

[3006pg]

well ya it is because its just a single projectile leaving the gun rather than 100 bb's flying at the bird. but trust me one day shooting out at the range you should be golden for a couple fool hens.

[Vancouver1234]

well ya it is because its just a single projectile leaving the gun rather than 100 bb's flying at the bird. but trust me one day shooting out at the range you should be golden for a couple fool hens.

Thanks alot for the help!

[3006pg]

yup no problem any other question if any just send email me on here

[fowlweather]

i agree with 3006 22 ammo is cheap and it is a hell of a lot of fun to shoot 22s. in my opinion i would buy a 12 gauge though, not as a ease of accuracy (because the birds just sit there) but because you can use it to start off in so many directions to hunt other game and give protection. use 8 shot for grouse, slugs for deer, 00 buck for bear protection and go waterfowling with it too! in my opinion it is more practical plus it sounds more badass. ammo is relatively cheap for 8 shot, about 8 dollars for a box of 25 shells.

buy whichever you want, both are great and fun to shoot, a 12 gauge doesnt kick that bad and i am a kid. REMEMBER YOU NEVER FEEL RECOIL WHEN YOU SHOOT AT AN ANIMAL period. (except a 50 cal) :)

the key is safety and having fun, when it comes to how more dead the bird is, they do the same thing, aim for the head with both to save meat.

[Surrey Boy]

With respect to the other posters, I'd suggest a shotgun, either 20ga or 12. They're cheap, tough, and as mentioned before you can fire shot, slugs, and anything else loaded in a shotshell. Firing a shotgun is a different game than a rifle and stationary targets take much less practice.

[solanderdog]

I'd get a 20 gauge shotgun.

[CanuckShooter]

410 shotgun 3" magnum with #4 shot....just the ticket for ditch chickens...:-D

[Spirit's Master]

I'd say buy one of each if you can afford it. Should be able to find a used .22 and a 12g 870 for less than $500 total. Then you're hittin with the best of both worlds.

You can plink away with your .22 and get the feel of having a rifle in your hands. And tag your grouse too.

With your 12g you can shoot grouse on the fly, have a little fun at the range and improve your shooting. And when you get your dog you can move into the world of waterfowling. Might as well get started on your addiction councilling now.

cwf

[Bpower]

Maybe a combination gun like a .410/.22 or a 20 gauge/.22

They are a double barreled gun that can shoot a single shotgun shell or .22 round.

[Bucks&Ducks]

Consider a .410 it is plenty capable of taking grouse on the ground and in the air with out the recoil of a 12 guage or the destruction of the bird. they also come in combos with .22

[Kyle84]

.22 is best, hit them in the head.
12g is still good but you risk putting some shot in the breasts.

[Matty_ola]

I find a 6 iron works best. It's even better on a quad, a lot like polo:)

[Kyle84]

@Matty. When my brother and I were like 8 and 10 we used to get grouse with just sticks we found on the ground. Just clubbed them. Love how grouse fly into a tree like 10ft off the ground and think they're safe. We also used to run down pheasants on foot in the forests around Surrey, grab them with our hands and let them go!

[macdaddy10]

Last year when I started hunting grouse I bought a 20 gauge S*S. It's worked out well and it's more than enough for grouse.

[Ronforca]

I like a 20 gauge.As said before you can use slugs for Deer and it is also pretty good to take Grouse on the fly,also can be used for ducks.Savage makes several over and unders that work guite well.I will get in trouble here but do not recommend a 410.I like the 30-30,20 gauge over and under myself.OK 410 shooters you can give me heck now but I have owned a bolt action 410,a double barrel and 22 over 410 and sold them all.Might be just me.

[bcbrez]

Go with a nice shotgun. You can use it for so much more. Waterfowl, upland, turkeys or shooting clays. You can even get one that you can turn into a defender if you ever need it. More bang for your buck.

[835]

Yup, I aggree with Surrey Boy.
Go 12ga. Way more versitile for hunting. And buy one that chambers 3" as well. Dont use 8's for grouse though (sorry FW) go #6 or #7... What we are talking about is The size of the shot, Small number = bigger size of pellet.

With a 12ga (my choice )
#6 for grouse
3" #2 for ducks
00 or 000 for deer or slugs where you are alloud to

Go to Canadian tire
100 rnds 7-1/2 Shot 20$
135 clays 25$
spring loaded thrower 40$
Get a friend to throw in for half and go have fun

[meat eater]

buy the shotgun and u will see that by the end of the summer you will want a .22 also cause your gunna love shooting period!!!

[MooseWhacker]

Flip a coin doesn't matter once you find out how much fun shooting is and what cheap entertainment it is you'll be buying the other one.

[luckofthedraw]

410 shotgun 3" magnum with #4 shot....just the ticket for ditch chickens...:-D

X2 :mrgreen:

[The Hermit]

My guess is most guys take grouse while hunting big game as an add-on for lunch/dinner in camp. If you want a real challenge get yourself a longbow. You get the added advantage of being virtually silent so as not to scare away the big game that you are hunting in the area.

[steelheadSABO]

Buy i good 22. a savage mkII is around 200 $ last time i checked they are extremely accurate and you should have no problems hitting a grouse with one. Me personally i like the 22 alot more for grouse because it doesn't make such a mess

[Singleshotneeded]

I agree with Surrey Boy, I'd get a 12 gauge pump shotgun, you've got the versatility of one gun you can use for grouse(I'd recommend 2 3/4" shells with #6 shot, lets you shoot grouse from any reasonable range and less pellets to pick out of the bird before cooking), geese, and with 000 buckshot or slugs, you can hunt deer or black bear. Ammo is cheap and available everywhere as well, and you can shoot them moving or stationary with little chance of missing. Have a gunsmith put a little white bead in the top centre of your shotgun, and when you line up the white bead with the brass bead at the end of the barrel, you're right on target!

[Don_Abbate]

12 Gauge Semi Auto, you don't have to spend a fortune, just get something decent and take care of it and you will have a gun for life.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Depends if you want meat or fun if you want meat only get a 22 and practise and shoot them in the head BUT if you want FUN(and meat of course) a 20 or 12 ga on the wing is the ticket to excitement.

[ROM]

I would suggest a 20 gauge. The 22 is great and you will probably end up buying one anyway BUT I find I get 50% less chickens with a 22. The 410 is also very good with 3" mags. You have to be a good shot though with the 410 and I would recommend a pump or something. The 410 is also more expensive to shoot.

I found the 12 was too much for me both in terms of weight and pellets in the breast. Yes you can hunt geese with it but a dedicated upland gun is great to have.

[buck nash]

Everyone should have at least one of each plus at least one med cal centre fire imo. But if you're only able to get one now then I'd probably go for a 22 first and get a 12g later. With that you can develop your rifle skills for when you get a bigger rifle, and ammo is way cheaper, you won't develop a flinch, and you'll do less damage to a grouse.