22lr shot grouse breast damage

[SimilkameenSlayer]

more often than not i will take 22lr grouse head shots, but on occasion i have taken some grouse body shots. i have found as long as i don't use cheap bulk ammo and use a solid bullet the damage to the breast meat has been quite minimum, about 1/2" hole in one breast.

has anyone else had the same?

[TheProvider]

I've always used head and neck shots for grouse with a 22lr. I think I took only one with a body shot. A guy once told me if you need to take a body shot with a 22lr on a grouse. Wait for a broadside shot and shoot it as close to the spine as possible. You won't really waste anything. Qquestion is how many ppl just take the breast of grouse. Its amazing how tasty their wings and legs are

[SimilkameenSlayer]

I've always used head and neck shots for grouse with a 22lr. I think I took only one with a body shot. A guy once told me if you need to take a body shot with a 22lr on a grouse. Wait for a broadside shot and shoot it as close to the spine as possible. You won't really waste anything. Qquestion is how many ppl just take the breast of grouse. Its amazing how tasty their wings and legs are

yes, i agree.

[ROEBUCK]

I take lots of body shots on grouse with low velocity rounds
the only shot that can be bad is from behind as you tend to blow out the breast meat !
side on, and frontal shots are no problem !
if the birds are less than 20 yards i take barnet shots

[Allen50]

good scope means should be only head shots, and taken all the grouse to eat, leavening any behind is waistine the bird,, you dont buy a whole chicken in the store and leave wings etc behind,, shoot it take it out with you,, yea very good eating,, happy hunting,,

[SimilkameenSlayer]

i agree about the head shots.

as i said in post 1, my experince with occasional breast shot, that there has been surprisingly minimum meat damage.
i find this interesting, as a lot of folk are saying grouse body shots destroy the breast meat, i have not found this so.

[buck nash]

Maybe they are referring to grouse shot in the body from a big game cal. I once misjudged the poi when looking at grouse through my scoped 270 win. It hit the top of his left breast. Blew half the breast right off and I couldn't find an identifiable piece of the wing on that side. Still had some good eats on him though, just cut away the blackened pulverised part.

[RJ]

more often than not i will take 22lr grouse head shots, but on occasion i have taken some grouse body shots. i have found as long as i don't use cheap bulk ammo and use a solid bullet the damage to the breast meat has been quite minimum, about 1/2" hole in one breast.

has anyone else had the same?

Using solid non expanding bullets on game? tsk tsk
(if they're plated)

[sky-gunner]

I shot a grouse with a .410 this year. Was maybe 15ft away. Well I missed the head, and put every single pellet through his chest haha. Needles to say was not much left to eat. Gonna try my trusty 10/22 next year. But I do like the .410

[sarg]

i use a .410 and take the heads off 99% of the time, when i used a .22 it allway made such a mess.
sarg

[250 sav]

A friend of mine uses standard velocity in one clip that his kids use for grouse. minimal damage even if they center the breast.

[ROEBUCK]

A friend of mine uses standard velocity in one clip that his kids use for grouse. minimal damage even if they center the breast.

X2 if you use HV,s your gona do damage ,use subsonics and theres not much damage

[Livewire322]

i use my .410 the .22lr wrecks the breast when it hits

[Gumsehwah]

W
X2 if you use HV,s your gona do damage ,use subsonics and theres not much damage

What brand of subsonics are we talking here, and what weight?

[The Dude]

I use my Ruger 10/22, but I'll be buying a .17 HMR soon. (Good all-around gun, I heard) :-) :D

[ROEBUCK]

Any brand of subsonics will do fine
i use cci subsonics

[Fisher-Dude]

My 22s are collecting a lot of dust since I bought my 410.

[Foxton Gundogs]

If I have to take a "body" shot the od time I use a 22 I go for the shoulder reagion. breaks back wings necks no breast damage.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Using solid non expanding bullets on game? tsk tsk
(if they're plated)

Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!

I use .22 almost exclusively (cause I hate findingg a shot ball with my teeth) .... I have found IME that Remmy Yellow jackets and CCI Stingers produce the least amount of damage to the breasts if hit broadside center mass .... that said I try for head shots each and every time ... sometimes it doesnt turn out that way

[kjohn]

I've used solid lead .22 long rifle on Prairie Chicken and Ruffed Grouse for 50 years. Couldn't begin to count how many I've shot in the body. Just makes a little round hole. Subsonic or CB would work good in the bush for partridge. I almost exclusively use my Savage 24 22/20 ga. With Prairie Chicken, I can find some fairly long shots, thus the long rifle. I still have a supply of the old Imperials in the slide-off clear plastic box!

[uraarchr]

Ive used Remyellowjacket HP's ;not pretty.Inside out and mincemeat pieces.I sure had fun with the bow this last season though.

[spreerider]

i use cheap 22 whatever is sold by the brick cheapest, and never really had a problem with breast damage, a couple shot in the back and exit on the front have lost 1/4-1/2 breast but thats few and far between, 90% head or neck shots, some upper body and a few where no good shot was available through the breast front facing and it just leaves a little pinky sized hole but a big hole in the back.

[Good Old Outdoors]

90% of the time i shoot for the head, but if its at a longer range or moving i yend to shoot for the body. My 10/22 has a 3x9x32 on it and is dialed, 50 yards plus is never a problem lol. As for rounds, i use the cheap solid federals i think. Very minimal damage to the breast. I dont like to use shotguns for grouse, cant stand biting down on a missed pellet even though i aim for the head.

[BearStump]

i agree about the head shots.

as i said in post 1, my experince with occasional breast shot, that there has been surprisingly minimum meat damage.
i find this interesting, as a lot of folk are saying grouse body shots destroy the breast meat, i have not found this so.

I tried body shots with my 22 when I first started hunting. shot like 10 of the little ****ers in one day. and all flew away. So I went back to the cabin and cut x's in the bullets with my knife and the next day all I did was blow them up. Since then .....head shots only.

Live and learn.

[quartz]

I use 22 shorts, obviously less damage. Makes sense doesnt it.

[Pioneerman]

Not much less damage with a short to a long rifle, and if you head shot no loss. I never eat the cheek meat of the grouse, not enough to make it worth while :-D

[huntingmom]

I shot a grouse with a .410 this year. Was maybe 15ft away. Well I missed the head, and put every single pellet through his chest haha. Needles to say was not much left to eat. Gonna try my trusty 10/22 next year. But I do like the .410


Heh..heh.....me too.
I shot a grouse right from the top (the grouse was in the ditch). Every darn pellet went into its chest....needless to say....I hamburgerized that poor bird.
The real pain about it...was ruining the rest of the meat looking for the pellets.
Next year...I'll try my 10/22 again at least I don't have to damage the meat looking for pellets

[huntingmom]

I tried body shots with my 22 when I first started hunting. shot like 10 of the little ****ers in one day. and all flew away. So I went back to the cabin and cut x's in the bullets with my knife and the next day all I did was blow them up. Since then .....head shots only.

Live and learn.

This is what my husband and I got frusterated about....everytime we shot a bird with our 22's they just flew off and became coyote dinner. Last two years we've acquired couple of low gauge shotguns like the 410, 28 and 20. The birds never got away after the use of a shotgun....but searching for pellets in the meat was a real pain in the behind.

[Sofa King]

i always do headshots on grouse.
i'd hate to mess their innerds and make it harder to clean.
they've gotta be the easiest, cleanest thing there is to clean.
is there anything that beats them?

[keoke]

i always do headshots on grouse.
i'd hate to mess their innerds and make it harder to clean.
they've gotta be the easiest, cleanest thing there is to clean.
is there anything that beats them?

a store bought cornish game hen lol

[Spy]

Crazyest shot i took was with the 7mm hit the grouse in the crop seperated the grouse from the breasts ! Picked up the breast & removed one or two feathers ! Still smile when I think about that shot !

[spreerider]

i have started using steel shot on grouse, #6 as i find the shot goes right through and i dont get any pellets in the meat, also not as much feathers get forced into the meat and less blood shot meat around the pellet holes.

[fireguy]

I have always taken head shots. Switched to 17 hmr this year and do the same thing, it's deadly to 75 yards on them. (only because I haven't lined up a 100 yard shot yet)