| Author |
Message |
| < 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Grouse loads? |
|
 Posted:
Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:14 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Missoula, MT
|
|
Just curious to see what loads you folks prefer for grouse. I'm not a handloader (not feasible as a college student), so I'm especially interested to see what commercial loads you prefer.
And in case it matters, my gun is a 1936 Fulton SxS 16, weighing in at just over six pounds. |
_________________
Stevens 311 16 ga.
Winchester M12 16 ga. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Posted:
Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:20 pm
|
|
|
|
|
an ounce of 7 1/2's
1200 fps is plenty |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:26 pm
|
|
|
|
|
Eric I have to congratulate you on your choice of guns. I started down this dark and winding road of chasing classic American side by sides after I picked up a Fulton and turned it into my "custom" Quail gun almost 20 years ago.
I agree with Dave, 1 ounce of 7 1/2s will work fine (7s would be better if you could find them). Remington Game Load 7 1/2s fit the bill to the tee and are pretty easy to come by. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:43 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 467
Location: SC PA
|
|
Eric-
I normally use 7 1/2's. Ocasionally 7 1/2's in the first barrel and 6's in the second.
Twice Barrel- I agree about the 7's and that's why I have several boxes of them mixed in with my order from RST. They recently added them with their 16 paper-lite loadings. Also trying Gamebore's 6's (UK sizing) this season.
Marcus |
_________________
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" - Vito Corleone
''Common Sense isn't common" -Lefty Kreh |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:22 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Missoula, MT
|
|
| Upland Carpenter wrote: |
7 1/2's in the first barrel and 6's in the second.
Marcus
|
This is what I had immediately in mind, mostly because this is what my dad has hunted with in his Stevens 311 20ga for as far back as I can remember. I was just making sure that 6's wouldn't be too much for grouse.
Another question - are 7 1/2's too much for woodcock? Like the preference in SxS's, I inherited a love of this bird from my father, and we see them at least as often as partridge or dove (which we can't hunt here) where we hunt. |
_________________
Stevens 311 16 ga.
Winchester M12 16 ga. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:18 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Location: Schuyler County, NY.
|
|
1 Oz. of 7 1/2 @ 1150. Don't take that much to ground em------------------hitting em is the problem   |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:48 am
|
|
|
Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 54
Location: Minnesota
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:21 am
|
|
|
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Michigan
|
|
| I have used 7 1/2 & 8, 1 0z. late season in Michigan perhaps a 6 in the second barrel. As to polywad I have used them in 12 16 & 28 ga. I like them, they work great on woodcock, over dogs and for grouse in Sept. heavy cover. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:03 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 1007
Location: Lancaster county, Pa
|
|
| I use 1oz of west coast magnum #7 shot at 1250 fps. I use the same load in both barrels from Sept thru Feb. They kill Woodcock just fine and damage less meat than 8's. The key is hitting them. One piece of advise I will give you is follow up every shot even if you think you missed. I have found at least 10 grouse I didn't think I touched the thick cover makes it tough to see sometimes. 7 1/2 will work fine if your shooting factory loads go have a blast. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:53 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Posts: 135
Location: Anchorage
|
|
| In my experience the Polywad loads work extremely well. Trigg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
