Grouse with a 22

[Billy74]

Still new to hunting but wanted to take advantage of my time in the woods scouting in sept.  I’m going to take along my boys 22 and know there’ll be opportunity to take some grouse.  Any tips for grouse with a 22.  I’m planning on just walking roads and being opportunistic to and from my truck.  I took the cheap (but reasonably accurate) scope off earlier and never put it back on thinking I would be plenty close. 


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[Stein]

I usually carry a 22 revolver for grouse.  Take your time and try to avoid the broadside body shot.


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[hunter399]

Neck,head,nick them very top of the back.Go for it,i used 22 many times.

[jrebel]

We kill most of our grouse with .22's  Wait till they turn their back to you and shoot them between the wings at the base of the neck.  If they are broadside hit them right where the wing attaches to the body.  If I have my 10-22 I will head shot them with the scope but do miss more often than when I use the pistol as mentioned above. 

Obviously no flying shots and I will not shoot when they are in a tree unless I have the trunk of the tree as a backstop. If they are out on a branch and there is no backstop I will not shoot them.  Safety first.   

[jstone]

I bow hunt in September have taken some with my bow but the arrows are getting expensive. I was thinking on getting a sling shot to be quiet and cheaper 

[Buckmark]

Grouse with an open sighted .22, can't be done 
Sometimes i get lucky and they hang out on my property 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

.22 mag with birdshot in my Ruger single six revolver. Works great for the ones that jump up on a branch or just stand there when you walk up to them.

[dreamunelk]

Lost count of the number of grouse I have shot with a .22.  Both rifle and pistol.

Billy74, take you son scouting with you!

[outdooraddict]

is the birdshot powerfull enough and from what dstance, i have a cheap 22 revolver that also has the 22 mag cylinder, id like to use this for grouse, and wanted to try the birdshot but didnt know how close or if it would be powerful enough

[jrebel]

is the birdshot powerfull enough and from what dstance, i have a cheap 22 revolver that also has the 22 mag cylinder, id like to use this for grouse, and wanted to try the birdshot but didnt know how close or if it would be powerful enough

In my opinion....it sucks.  I would just stay with standard 22 lr rounds. 

[Katmai Guy]

Open sighted Ruger 10/22 and headshots are the way to go.  Hate picking birdshot out of my mouth.

[Okanagan]

Open sighted Ruger 10/22 and headshots are the way to go.  Hate picking birdshot out of my mouth.

Agreed.  I'd start a kid on open sights.  Grouse are the best eating in the woods and I wish that they weighed 50 lbs.

FWIW some factors and options below.

As my eyes have aged, I have more trouble with open sights, even though that is the best for close shots on grouse, and many shots are very close.  Last year I went to a red dot sight, a low cost Center Point, and once I got the hang of it, killed 11 grouse with 12 shots, seven in a row I think it was.  Then I missed four shots at a grouse at my feet.  That one was so close that the difference between bullet path and sight picture was enough to miss the grouse.  I need to mentally adjust where I aim on close shots.

The down side of the red dot, and of most scopes to a lesser extend, is that the height of the sight above the bore puts the bullet 1 1/2 to 2 1/2  inches below the sight picture on very close shots, say inside of 10 feet.  That is enough to miss a grouse neck and miss the grouse if the neck is not positioned directly above the body at the shot.

 I wish someone would make a red dot with the sight as close to bore as possible and the battery, mounting body etc. are to one side or above the sight picture, so that the red dot (or scope crosshairs) is as close to bore/bullet path as possible. 

Leapers makes air rifle scopes with parallax focus down to within 6 feet or something like that.  People started shooting insects with them and calling them Bug Busters and the name stuck.  I'd get one for grouse if they made a lower powered variable.  The lowest power is 3-9 in a variable, and 4 power fixed.  For my eyes, messed up by multiple surgeries I will admit, I'd like a 1-4 scope for grouse no larger than 33mm objective with parallax focus to within 6 feet.  For years I shot grouse with open sights, then went to a 3-9 variable scope for many more years.  Now my eyes won't focus on close shots with regular scopes.  Hence the red dot.

[Igor]

is the birdshot powerfull enough and from what dstance, i have a cheap 22 revolver that also has the 22 mag cylinder, id like to use this for grouse, and wanted to try the birdshot but didnt know how close or if it would be powerful enough

Just do a little pattern test of your .22 mag birdshot on a piece of plywood or cardboard.  Try it at about, say, 18 feet, that's 6 yards......you will not be impressed !!

[hunter399]

is the birdshot powerfull enough and from what dstance, i have a cheap 22 revolver that also has the 22 mag cylinder, id like to use this for grouse, and wanted to try the birdshot but didnt know how close or if it would be powerful enough

Just do a little pattern test of your .22 mag birdshot on a piece of plywood or cardboard.  Try it at about, say, 18 feet, that's 6 yards......you will not be impressed !!

I know when I was younger, birdshot for pistol,22lr came out .The 22 birdshot was so weak you almost would have to hold the muzzle right on its head to kill anything.I thought I read somewhere it was for mice and rats.maybe the 22mag birdshot is better  , but never buy that 22lr birdshot is not very good .

[Katmai Guy]

Grouse with an open sighted .22, can't be done 
Sometimes i get lucky and they hang out on my property 

That's a really cool photo. 

[fowl smacker]

Shot plenty with an open sight Ruger 10/22.  Head shots.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

is the birdshot powerfull enough and from what dstance, i have a cheap 22 revolver that also has the 22 mag cylinder, id like to use this for grouse, and wanted to try the birdshot but didnt know how close or if it would be powerful enough

.22 long rifle sucks. But I've had good luck with .22 mag.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

For the record,  I use birdshot in my pistol only when hunting with my aught six. I have killed quite a few grouse with the aught six, but it's overkill and a slight miss can be ugly.  I have killed many many more with my 10-22. But when I'm hunting with the aught six, I don't want to be packing another rifle so I bring along the pistol for the grouse opportunities that arise. It works for me.

[pianoman9701]

I once shot the head off a grouse with a .30-30 model 94 in a neighbor's backyard. By the way, is it legal to shoot grouse with a pellet rifle?

[Bob33]

I once shot the head off a grouse with a .30-30 model 94 in a neighbor's backyard. By the way, is it legal to shoot grouse with a pellet rifle?

It is not legal.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/92/Is+it+legal+to+use+pellet+guns%2C+air+guns%2C+or+sling+shots+to+harvest+game+birds%3F

[Dave Workman]

STOP RIGHT NOW!!!

Take this .22 you're talking about and go to the range (gravel pit, whatever) and start shooting:
Empty quart milk jugs
Water bottles in the neck
Small aluminum cans
Playing cards
Bottle caps

When you can hit them consistently...you can start shooting grouse in the head.

I'm not kidding around here. This is doable and it's fun, and it really sharpens your shooting skills. Grouse will hate you.   

[pianoman9701]

I once shot the head off a grouse with a .30-30 model 94 in a neighbor's backyard. By the way, is it legal to shoot grouse with a pellet rifle?

It is not legal.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/92/Is+it+legal+to+use+pellet+guns%2C+air+guns%2C+or+sling+shots+to+harvest+game+birds%3F

They suck all the joy out of life!

[bearpaw]

I prefer shooting heads off with a .22 out to 30 yards, farther than that I usually shoot in the body. If you use solid points rather than hollow points I think there is less damage if you shoot in the body.

[NorseNW]

Been interested in doing this for a few years now.  Traditionally just carried my old .20 gauge and that's a bit much for birds that don't fly much.  I like the pistol idea.  What pistol do people like for shooting them?  The mark IV looks pretty common - people just use the "hunter" or is there a better option?  Wheel gun folks - which one do you prefer?

Thanks for any input

[bearpaw]

I prefer shooting heads off with a .22 out to 30 yards, farther than that I usually shoot in the body. If you use solid points rather than hollow points I think there is less damage if you shoot in the body.

I was talking .22 rifle, I'm not good enough to shoot heads with a pistol, I just go for the body with a .22 pistol and consider it lucky when i get one.

[Gunster]

I like the pistol idea.  What pistol do people like for shooting them?  The mark IV looks pretty common - people just use the "hunter" or is there a better option?  Wheel gun folks - which one do you prefer?

For Wheel guns I have a '57 Smith Wesson K22 that is a favorite.

[Tiger1358]

Early in the season it's really easy to shoot them with 22 since they're not that spooky. Later in Oct-Nov I've noticed that they become pretty spooky. I usually use a shotgun later in the season, but in September, 22 is the way to go.

[onmygame]

Both of my adult sons carry 10/22s for grouse and take several apiece each year - all head shots.

I take my fair share too - all head shots, but with a .17 HMR

[duckmen1]

As far as shooting grouse with a 22 I have a thought. What about subsonic rounds or 22 shorts for less damage to the bird if head shots are not being taken. Is that a good thought. Or would you not see much of a difference in damage to the bird. It's all about table fair. 

22 is a blast chasing grouse with. But would love to invest in a 17hmr. They are just a super cool round to carry.