doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Disertations On The Perfect Grouse Gun

Grouse are funny birds. We were sightseeing down a dirt road in the northern Colorado mountains near Steamboat Springs when one stepped out on the road about 30 feet ahead of us. I stopped the truck and we got out hoping to get a few good pics before it disappeared. Well, not only did it not disappear but, apparently taking offense at our presence, it came running up the road towards us. It kept coming and coming and ran up to me and started pecking at my boots. Then it went over and pecked at my wife's boots. I finally recovered enough to switch my camera over to video and got it as it came back to peck at my boot before it disappeared off the roadside.

Speaking of cantankerous grouse, the only one I ever had mounted was for a camp meal, I was running a line in wolf country and was packing my 357 Mag and forgot I had put full power loads in and not resighted the pistol. He came down the trail straight at me wings cupped ruff extended. I put four rounds in the dirt around him, and he still kept coming, round five knicked his leg and he still kept coming like a pegleg pirate, round six killed him. I drove 200 miles that night to get him in a freezer and back on the line the next morning. That was 50 yrs ago and I can close my eyes and still see him coming down that deer trail at me.

Him and a special woodduck are the only two critters I have had mounted, The grouse is still with my Ex and the woodduck on al old girlfriends wall up near Grand Forks.

here we go now, Oskar pulled the handle...

we are beginning to circle now...

if no one brings us back with a post about guns...

,then this thread, like so many udders will be down the crapper...

You say that like it is a bad thing, ed….

Best,
Ted

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Pains me greatly to admit I agree with you about the Remington model 17.

Mine all had guns in them, don't fault me.

well then, Oskar, pls do tell us about your favorite double gon for grouse hunting...

H H Hussey 12ga Cyl & IC.

Ed: Oskar already told you that...

"Now my goto is a 5 lb. 15 oz Italian 12ga sxs." Reading is fundamental...

And as James has so-perfectly surmised earlier, doubles aren't the only answer...


If I hadn't the means to shoot anything more-exotic, this 16 would have served me quite nicely over the years (I'm sure).

James (Canvasback here) has also mentioned his appreciation for the better products of Charles Daly:

"I have a 26" Lindner made Charles Daly Diamond Quality 20 gauge that would be a pretty nice Ruffed grouse gun. So would the 28" Lindner made 16 ga Featherweight that is hanging out in my gun rack. Both of these are in the vicinity 5 1/2 pounds."

Those Lindner lightweights have always somewhat-tortured me as I've never seen one in person (or had the opportunity to handle one). If someone would expound on them for me here some day, I would greatly appreciate it.

Lloyd, one day soon (I know we've talked about this) You, Ted and I will spend a few days tracking dogs tracking grouse in the vicinity of LOTW. I'd be happy to have you shoot one of the Lindners for a day. I also have my eye on a third lightweight Lindner. It's not marked "Featherweight" but it is a 12 built on the same sized action as my 20. We measured with a micrometer! And Lord knows, my 20 isn't big. It's a bit shocking they could get 12 gauge barrels to fit. If I can manage to get that gun, then I will pretty much have satisfied my lust for Lindners!

Truth be told, I've probably taken more ruffed grouse with a 16 gauge field M12. I view that gun as almost as perfect a grouse gun as any SxS.

I too have spent many a happy day chasing after birds, while carrying a 16 or 20 gauge pump gon...

however, as this is a doublegun forum, perhaps we could limit or gun discussion to doubleguns...