A standard 12 ga. load of 1 1/8 of any size shot can be a bit much for early season grouse hunting. The birds are young, cover is heavy. Close, fast shots are the norm.
Fortunately there are many factory loads available in 12 ga. that allow us to adjust shot load and speed to accommodate many shooting situations. The 12 ga. shotgun with choke tubes is the most versatile shotgun on the market and shells are available for game, from woodcock to white tail deer.
My favorite Grouse gun is a 12 gauge S x S and I adjust loads as the season changes. A few years ago Winchester introduced a 12 ga. load with 7/8 oz. of #8 shot. I loved it for early birds. It was designated a Super Speed load and was much faster than necessary but the light shot load and skeet choke worked well together. You could smack a young grouse at 20 ft. and still have enough left for dinner.
The Speed loads are now in a 1 oz. load and they do a great job too. They have 50 more pellets and are still inexpensive!
My favorite grouse load is a recipe I used for 16 yd trap. 1 oz. of #8 shot in a Win. AA hull, Windjammer wad with enough Red Dot to kick it out the muzzel at a very slow 1100 fps. I have tumbled a bunch of Ruffed Grouse with that load. I had a couple of cases of Win. Xtra Lite AA trap loads left over from a seminar and the 1 oz. of #8's pattern a bit tighter but still very usable.
I basically shoot a 16 gauge load through a 12 gauge gun and it's a fantastic combination for Ruffed Grouse. Try it, You'll like it!!! DWT
They all sound like great loads. I was just loading up some shells with the same thing in mind. I'm using the Dispersor X wad from Balistics Products. WAA hull, 7/8 oz #9 with 18.5 of 700x. If the snow ever melts, I'm going to try it out on some of those close clays shots and see how it measures up for early season birds. Great supplier, I highly recommend them. if you reload.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way to go!
ReplyDeleteLight loads in a Twelve!
I've lately been enamored with thoughts of a 2 1/2, and even a 2" Twelve. Relics from the past in Jolly old England, but great for light loads for grouse gunning!
I'm with you in liking the 1 oz. grouse loads. I'll be shooting Remington's STS1218 load through my BUL 12 when I use it for grouse or woodcock this Fall.
ReplyDeleteI was a reloading nut at one time. On night shift, I made 4ft x 4 ft paper targets and different load combinations. I had a frame set up at the local gravel pit and I tested umpteen trap loads for 16 yd. line to shoot offs from the parking lot. I tried post wads and X wads for grouse loads and I found them to shoot donut patterns. They moved the pattern outwards at the expense of the center. All guns handle loads differently, but Art, I think you should shoot some paper at 20 yds. to see what the pattern looks like. You can get 12 ga. 7/8 oz. wads for international trap loads. I'm not a fan of #9 shot except for skeet. Not enough down range energy to penetrate to vital parts or break bones. Sure does smoke a clay pigeon at 16 yds. but at 35 yds it just knocks paint off. DWT
ReplyDeleteBlack and Tan, I used to get all the shotgun magazines and remember a revival of short chambered guns. By all means get one, or two.... but get a lifetimes worth of shells at the same time. I encourage everyone to purchase all the nice guns they can get away with. My weakness is guitars and even though I have a room full of them......I'm always looking .....DWT
ReplyDeleteLooks like someone struck a nerve here. I fully intend to pattern these loads in my different guns. I shoot mostly doubles in 12g and 20g. With all the snow here in the mid atlantic, I've been driven to the reloading bench with a vengence. Ballistic Products sells a tool for neatly cutting down hulls and a tool to make your own roll crimps. You can make all the short shells you need or roll crimp your favorite load. With a clear overshot card you can see the shot size or you can mark the top with the specs. It takes a little more time to make them but the roll crip gives a more uniform pressue from load to load. The nine shot in the spreader load is to hopefully give me an edge on a rabbit shot that gives me more trouble than it should.
ReplyDeleteMichael, Would that be a Browning Ultra Light you're speaking of? If so, how long are the barrels for that?
ReplyDeleteNo nerve struck. I tried the spreader wads when I had an O/U with fixed chokes. I hope they pattern better for you. I did not know there is a process for making 2 1/2 inch shells. I just suggested buying a bunch of shells when you buy a short chambered gun because things change. A good gun can last 100 yrs. My partner shoots an L.C. Smith that was made in the early 1900's. I have another friend with a 32 ga shotgun. Cute little SxS but no shells available. Good luck hitting that rabbit target. How do they know just when to hop?
ReplyDeleteI did some research and I guess you can get 32 gauge ammunition and reloading components. I'll have to let my friend know.
ReplyDelete