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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 10:35 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Gentlemen,

Having hunted Ruffed Grouse for over 50 years now, I have used many different guns from all over the world. In my case I was raised hunting with a SXS double gun starting out with my Grandmothers 28 gauge Parker DHE.

The gun was special ordered by my Grandfather to fit my Grandmother who was a small lady. As a young boy the gun fit me perfectly and seriously spoiled me. The little 28 gauge Parker gun was plain but beautiful in it's own simple way. The gun swung absolutely perfectly, was easy to carry and was choked C/IC for Grouse hunting.

Because L.C. Smith never produced a 28 gauge gun for the public, this little Parker SXS double gun became my favorite double gun until I was about 15 years old, when my Grandfather let me use both his 20 and 16 gauge L.C.Smith double guns.

The little 20 gauge pre 1913 L.C. Smith is choked M/F for the slow burning 2 1/2" shells it was actually made for. However the 2 9/16 chambers also held the modern 2 3/4 shells without any problem. When I inherited the gun many years later I had Fredddie Brunner open the chokes to C/IC. It is a serious light gun to hunt Grouse with, carries and swings incredibly well, has DT and 26" barrels and French Walnut wood. To many it is the ultimate side Lock American Classic Grouse gun.

However I fell in love with my Grandfathers 1913 16 gauge Silver Breech L.C. Smith SXS double gun, the gun fits me so perfectly that it could have been special ordered for me instead of my Grandfather. The 16 gauge gun is actually like an extended part of my body, swings so naturally, that I often instinctively kill Grouse with it, before I realize I have even shot the gun. The gun has DT, 28" barrels Choked C/IC and has beautiful French Walnut wood. I have killed many many Grouse with it.

Some years later Walt Schiessl the original L.C. Smith Man and my friend for many many years, got his hands on my Grandfather's cousin Adams 16 gauge Special order L.C. Smith 2 Barrel 00 16 gauge gun. Walt offered to sell me the gun for the price that he had acquired it from Adams widow. I purchased the gun sight unseen, knowing exactly what it was, because I had actually Pheasant hunted with it as a boy, in Lancaster County, Pa. The gun has DT, 2 sets of original Barrels one set of barrels choked for Pheasant and Duck hunting, the other choked for Grouse, Woodcock and Quail, the gun also has the finest French Walnut wood, I have ever seen. It's pretty much a throw up as to which 16 gauge gun is my favorite Grouse gun, I shoot them both equally well.

Do you have a favorite 16 gauge Grouse gun, how did you acquire it?

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

My L.C. Smith 00 16 gauge 2 barrel set, with Kraus #1 gun Spinning Clay engraving.




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skeettx
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 11:32 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas

No, no grouse in Texas

But if we did, I might by my trap grade short barreled skeet choked L.C. Smith
on a regular action Smile

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madtrapper143
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 11:52 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Jan 2007
Posts: 82
Location: Steep Rock Lake, North Western Ontario

I kind of like my amputated Remington 11-48 in 16 bore. 25" CYL bore works well with any game load #6.

Darryl

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" 2 1/2 drams of powder, 1 ounce of shot, should be good for all upland use, that's the 16"
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3birddogs
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 12:51 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2011
Posts: 567
Location: wheeling, wv

Parker GH 16 O frame, damascus

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slowpokebill
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 3:40 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 163
Location: Utah

My favorite 16 Gauge grouse gun and maybe my favorite grouse gun is my SIACE Vintage side by side hammer gun. It weighs just 6 1/4 lbs. and is choked IC and mod.

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 4:28 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

The Lefever DS 16 I picked up two years ago is my favorite umm "grouse gun", but the 00 L.C. Smith I recently acquired will be in the running for the title since it is appropriately choked. Neither came from any spectacular circumstances, just something I spied online.

Of course, by grouse I figure you are talking ruffs and we do hunt them here, along with blues. The requirements are the same of course, other than 7's for ruffs and 5's for blues. I have shot mature male blue grouse that weighed 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. so I do like the heavier pellets there.

Now when we expand the term "grouse" to include the other species, my choices change to match the habits of open country birds. Hint: they aren't gentlemanly birds at all, not those prairie birds. But for that matter, neither is the ruffed grouse, but at least he let's a man within reasonable range.

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tramroad28
PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2019 6:10 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

Plain vanilla Sweet 16 Auto 5...the one that deserves the name.
26", PB, IC
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double vision
PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2019 6:37 am  Reply with quote
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tramroad28 wrote:
Plain vanilla Sweet 16 Auto 5...the one that deserves the name.
26", PB, IC


Oh fer christ's sake get over that name thing... Laughing
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tramroad28
PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2019 7:12 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

Dave Erickson wrote:
Oh fer christ's sake get over that name thing... Laughing


Laughing Embarassed I should.....but I am as flawed as an old tire and some things just make me smile.

I reckon getting past "names" and even gauges ....is easiest for the other guy.
Life defined.
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2019 10:40 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

slowpokeBill,

That is one sweet Hammer Gun for sure!

WyoChukar,

All different forms of Grouse, you know all the one's we hunt!


Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2019 2:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 1376
Location: Northern Illinois

The first picture is my favorite grouse gun and it is a 16. My second favorite grouse gun is the 16 right below it and it is currently being restocked. They are sort of a composed pair, but not the same grade. When I get the gun in the second picture back the first one goes in for a full restoration, new stock, case color and reblack of the barrels. They are not collector guns so the restoration is not going to hurt the value. I don’t plan on selling them so I don’t care if I get my money back out of them.



Another 16 and the 2nd favorite, it is actually choked more for pheasant. If I put a spreader load in the left barrel it does just fine on grouse and his long billed friend.


Good Hunting,
Mike
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gunsrus
PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:37 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 680
Location: MAINE

Restocked Fox AE Grade 16 w 28" opened to IC and Mod , weighing at 5lbs 14oz .
Put in a couple RST Spreaders and it does the job .
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Riflemeister
PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 8:05 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 27 Jun 2012
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I know most of y'all aren't referring to the western grouse species when you talk about grouse hunting, but my western hunts include the sharptail and sage grouse in the prairies and sagebrush country. My favorite gun is a 16 ga BSA Classic by Zabala that I have fitted to me and had Briley install their Thinwall screw in chokes. When heading west I take out my quail chokes and install Light Mod and Improved Mod chokes for shooting the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #6's at those birds.




Bode standing guard over a couple of his sharptails

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Chicago
PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 8:12 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Aug 2007
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Location: Northern Illinois

Riflemeister wrote:
I know most of y'all aren't referring to the western grouse species when you talk about grouse hunting, but my western hunts include the sharptail and sage grouse in the prairies and sagebrush country. My favorite gun is a 16 ga BSA Classic by Zabala that I have fitted to me and had Briley install their Thinwall screw in chokes. When heading west I take out my quail chokes and install Light Mod and Improved Mod chokes for shooting the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #6's at those birds.




Bode standing guard over a couple of his sharptails


All species of grouse should count in this thread and I would add any other game bird. I don’t think the OP was trying to limit it to just ruffed grouse, that is just what he mostly hunts.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 10:22 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Chicago Mike,

Absolutely correct, even Ptarms are in the Grouse family and Sharpies are fantastic hunting also! My favorite is the Ruffed Grouse, however you may like a different Grouse better than the Ruffed Grouse, especially those men in the west and in Alaska. Wish like heck we had Ptarms here in Pa, got some great memories of hunting them.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

I love hunting spooky Grouse, best gunning in the world IMO, hay WyoChukar is the Him Snow Cock in the Grouse family? You sure got my attention in your nice article.


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