doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com patterns and chokes for grouse?

On walkabout it always seemed that I could follow flushed grouse for quite a distance when I did not have a gun. Slow learner that I am, it only recently occurred to me that I could make these shots if I simply exercised patience. I no longer bother emptying the gun on low-probability, rushed, mis-mounted shots. Often enough the bird reemerges at distance. I also get almost half of my woodcock on the descent (a reason to take teal targets on the way down in practice). I want an acceptable 2nd barrel pattern density out to 35 yds. Depending on ammo this usually means something like mod or imod.

Cylinder patterns with 12 ga 1 1/8 oz traploads are popular for obvious reasons. But I have repeatedly tested small payloads (less than 7/8 oz) through cylinder chokes (28s, .410s, 20s). I cannot understand how this can be considered a great combination. Even at 21 yds, and with #8s, there are way too many dixie cup (WC) and soda can lid (grouse) sized holes. Maybe the B&P 28 ga load works fine here - I have not tried it.

Sam

Ted Schefelbein,

"15 yards is five healthy paces". You must have real long legs. Back when I was in school 15 yards was 45 feet. With my much shorter legs it is hard to average much over three feet per stride.


As we both know most people are not a good judge of distance. More people think that they killed birds at longer range than shorter range. But when you get into the heavy woods most shots are less than 25 yards. Many places 25 yards is farther than you can see in a direct line. Hard to be under choked at less than 25 yards.

shooting at grouse is the one thing I can claim to have experience at (wish I could say the same about hitting them). I hunt a lot of different type covers ranging from abandoned orchards so tangled with multiflora, vines, raspberrys, poplars, etc that you might as well use a bayonet...all the way to hemlock and beech thickets in mature timber. Sometimes one cover is closely follwed by the other, and the birds can be anywhere depending on wind, temp, time of year, snow ont he ground, etc. Based ont hat, I like one barrel as open as I can get it, and the other pretty tight (modified or tighter). I seldom get more than one shot even if I try.

Most people move 1.5 meters per pace with 1 pace being a step with each foot.
I have found that by counting the number of times, that my right foot hits the ground and multiplying that number by 1.5, I get roughly, the number of yards that I have walked. I have checked this with a vehicle odometer and it comes out remarkably close.

Before I got beat down, I was 5' 10". My normal stride is around 2'6" and my slightly extended stride matches at 1 yd even. I've measured it a number of times against laser and odometer. I don't believe I'm unusual in this regard.

Well, I dunno for sure, but my size 11 boots are dang near a foot each, and it isn't a big trick to keep a foot of space in between 'em. So 5 paces equals about 15 yards, plus or minus whatever fraction of an inch is left off 12 inches from size 11 Red Wings, or, 45 feet. I used to be 5' 11", but, a few back injuries (compression fracture, ruptured discs) have left me about 5' 10" in the morning, and 5' 9" after a shift of work. 'Gettin old 'ain't for sissys!
Anyway, the 25 yard pattern on most of my guns will leave very little room for error on any type of bird. Error in either way, and a blasted bird in hand is one I would rather have missed. Which, is why I have missed opening day of grouse season, for at least the past 20 seasons.
Make my grouse hunting latter in the season, thank you kindly.
Best,
Ted

The method I use to measure distance by pacing, was learned from a forestry teacher while I was in college. He surveyed the whole class as I recall and I think 1.5 meters per pace (.75 meters per step) was the average.
at that time, I was in my early twenties, six feet tall and assumed that I was some sort of superior physical specimen.
I calculated 1.75 meters per pace for myself, which seemed to make my instructor, incredulous. I was deliberately extending my stride a bit past what I would normally take during a long hike.
Now at age 53, I take a more honest, comfortable stride and the 1.5 meter per pace, seems to be very accurate over a mile or more distance.

I think cyl/cyl is about right for grouse in the north-east of North America.

It sure does work as well as anything in a 12 or a 16.
I have come to like one very tight barrel in a two-trigger gun at times.

Walk-up guns should be cyl/mod.
...and what are you guys racing around for - time in the woods should be measured in inchs.