was test firing a choked 410 and open 20 at around 40 yds with 6 shot , was getting enuf pellets with both guns to hit a grouse size target at that range which is farther than ive probly ever shot one.
used to hunt grouse 20 yrs ago, but there is very few where i live now but i plan on going where there are a bunch
so heres the question which would be better 6's or 7- 1/2's
or would i notice a difference
on the big blue grouse
im leaning to 6's and the 410

40 yards with a shotgun irrespective of gauge/bore is long distance shooting. So lets look at it couple of ways.

CHOKED .410 ???
I am going to assume it is a full choke. Well 40 yards is really pushing that bore. Pattern testing on a stationary object will only give you a 2-dimensional view of the results. Shotgun patterns go out in the form of a cloud and the cloud may be thin or fat, narrow or wide, it may have holes through which a bird can fly through unhurt (or worse hurt only to die later on) .410 is a 20 to 30 yard gun...adding another 5 yards...so pushing it to 35 yards may be ok for a very experienced wing shooter. So 40 yards with a .410 no matter what choke or shot size on a stationary object...not a good idea. Keep the shots under 30 yards and you will be good.

Having said that...it is quite possible that this particular gun that you are shooting with the choke/shot combination can probably kill a grouse with ease at long distances. So how do you check the effectiveness ??? Here is something you can do to check the 3-dimensional effectiveness of your gun/choke/shot combination. (Must use the hunting loads you are planning on using in the field)

1) Shoot a round of skeet with 6 shot
2) Shoot a round of skeet with 7.5 shot

Then
1) Shoot a round of trap from 16 yard line with 6 shot
2) Shoot a round of trap from 16 yard line with 7.5 shot

Look at both scores (Skeet 6 + Trap 6) then (Skeet 7.5 and Trap 7.5) and you will know exactly what is working for you.


OPEN 20 GAUGE
40 yards with a 20 gauge with open chokes is again kind of pushing it. There will be too many holes in the 3-dimensional shot cloud pattern at 40 yards. You will get totally different results when shooting at flying objects VS shooting at stationary targets.

I would suggest repeating the same test (skeet/trap) for your 20 gauge and then evaluating the results.

My guess is that you will do real good on the Skeet field and will probably have some issues on the Trap field. Now if you can choke the 20 gauge to say a Modified constriction then you are golden for Trap however, close skeet shots will take a bit more focus.

P.S. Some shooting ranges do not permit shot size larger than #7.5 so please check with them before you try the #6 shot.

im not too worried about shooting a flying bird these are ground birds and are usually see them on low branches or running around on ground not flying far when they fly just to the nearest tree then, they set there for the next 15 min, just curoius what most people would use
and there is always a problem getting ammo where i live you cant just expect to find what you want

Blue and ruffed grouse in the west are not very wary compared to eastern or mid-western ruffs. In the kind of habitat you will find them they will be close and as you say they either walk away from you or fly up into a tree. In either case you should be able to get within 10 yards or even closer. I would and do use 7/1/2 shot for that. Head shoot them to save the eating parts.

465H&H

OK so if shots are going to be within 20 yards then either .410 or 20 should be fine. 7.5 shot size will work nicely at that distance.

And as 465H&H said....with the .410 full choke you can probably head shoot them at 10 yards and save the meat.

Here are my Ruffed Grouse and Blue Grouse mounts. Ruffed Grouse is in Grey Phase, I also shot a Red Phase Ruffed Grouse from the same mountain and the colors are so very different.

quote:

Originally posted by anukpuk:
was test firing a choked 410 and open 20 at around 40 yds with 6 shot , was getting enuf pellets with both guns to hit a grouse size target at that range..........which would be better 6's or 7- 1/2's

You have chosen to put yourself into a less than desirable situation. The #6 shot would be the better choice at long range. Hitting the birds in the proper place with enough pellets will be the challenge. Because of that, #7-1/2 would be a better choice if you could restrain yourself to closer shots. Whatever you decide, it is important that you use a premium game cartridge with hard, well formed shot. Cheap, soft shot, especially when pounded by a heavy load, will not pattern well and will loose considerable velocity and energy by the time it reaches the distance you are talking about. A magnum charge cannot make up for poor pellets. You will actually get tighter groups and better long range performance from premium pellets in a standard load then you will from a heavy charge of the soft, cheap pellets.

both guns are savage 24 o/u
410-22mag 20 -22lr
so close gets th rifle in the noggin
way up on a branch gets sg
was just wanting a little input as most shots arnt that far both guns pattern real good out to 30 with 6's and i wasnt sure if 7-1/2 was a good load

anukpuk

I don't care what anyone says - ruffed grouse are not shot in open country (to put it mildly) To get back to basics - there has to be a lot of pellets hitting the birds (without annoying obstacles like tree trunks, branches or high bushes blocking the pellets) The 410 (beloved of my youth)doesn't have all that many pellets to start out with -so end of lesson. I also have to say that the ruff is not that easy to kill -or why did I and and a very good English Cocker,my Lucky, spend so much time finding the ruffs I shot at? Bigger is really better.