BEST Shotgun Shells for Grouse Hunting and Small Game Hunting

[@Gillesgip]

I use #4 for grouse. A bit of an overkill for sure. But with my late aging dog, she was 13 on our last hunt . I wanted some fire power just in case I had to dispatch an animal that might know she's old decide to go after her. Felt safer regardless. She flushed everything so I just waited for the birds to tree. I could never shoot on the fly anyway..😊

[@rockymountainlockpicker9606]

1 oz of no 6 or no 5 going around 1250fps with improved cylinder choke will do the trick every time. Doesn’t blow up the meat, just nice little pass through holes. Me and my dad just got 18 grouse this week with that load

[@CascadeBackcountry]

That's a lot of grouse!

[@escapetherace1943]

I prefer 6, 7, or 7 1/2 5 is pretty big but alright

[@thomasmoje5926]

Winchester AAA 2 3/4" 12 gauge 1 1/8 oz #7 1/2 trap loads. Deadly on small game squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, grouse, woodcock. Always got great pattern density and shot distribution out of my Ithaca Model 37 12 gauge with the adjustable choke set on improved cylinder.

[@Kendallsworkshop]

Great video. Been hunting grouse with my .22 this year, deep woods in northern Ontario but have missed a few opportunities...time to switch to my 12 gauge.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Thanks! Yeah sometimes ya gotta bust out the big guns haha

[@dylanritter3660]

That frustrating feeling is what keeps you going back and by letting some slide you know they will be there next year. I miss maybe 2-3 rabbits a year and this year ended up shooting 10+ rabbits on 4 acres.. legit every year extremely sustainable game animal to manage 6 rabbits per litter 6 x per year.

[@Goyahkla100]

I'm using the good ole Mossberg 20 gauge with a 26" barrel. I don't think barrel length really matters much unless you go extreme, and that is just silly! I originally wanted the 18" barrel but was hard to come by at the time.. After using the 26" I find it to be just right. Great video as usual, and thanks for hyping me up!!!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Nice! Barrel length should be a major issue at such short distances beside a short barrel being easier to maneuver. I'm also using a 26" barrel. Good luck out there!

[@JeffsRangeDay]

I just use the federal 7.5 shot in the 100 pack from Walmart. Patterns really well out to 30 yards with my benelli nova 20 gauge with modified choke.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

That stuff will work great!

[@martink7279]

I stritcly use Federal 20g Upland Game Load 2.75", 7.5 shot for grouse. Improved cycler choke pretty much lives on my shotgun. One reason is I use a semi auto 20g, and some other brands do not cycle well, while I have never had a problem with Federal. Other reason I stick to one brand/type is i have extensively tested the spread on various distances for this setup. Unless its a wingshot, I approximately know how high above the head to aim so that the bottom of the spread will still cover the head/neck area, reducing the amount of shot in the body/breasts of the bird.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I dig it! Sounds like you got your setup pretty dialed in

[@randytrashcan]

I use a 20ga for squirrels. Early on when leaves are still up, I take a little youth H&R Pardner with #4. It's good out to above 40 yards, has enough punch to get through leaves and brush, and has just enough energy to pass through the target so I'm not loading up the game with lead. Bonus points for being lightweight and short, so it's easy to maneuver through brush. Later on once the leaves are down, I take my M3020 with a long 26" barrel. #6 works great in it. Still great at range, and just enough energy to pass through. #7 would load up the target, #5 didn't seem to pattern as well, and #4 evaporated squirrels.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Sounds like a great setup!

[@nicenangry]

I use 4 shot and 5 shot 6 shot for grouse 1¼ 1½ 1¾oz loads if im taking heavy cover shots ill switch to 1¾oz 4shot loads if im taking longer shots 40 yards ill use the same load if its roughly 30 yards ill use 1½oz load if its close ill use 1¼oz loads. I believe payload is more important then shot size but i feel like 8 7 7½ dont have that much energy for longer shots. Choke tubes are a huge thing as well modified is great all around choke but i like full chokes for longer shots but its not great for closer on the fly shots really need to get on them to get hits. This video isnt bad but i feel like you could have conveyed the information better and more to the point.

[@EatCarbs]

Great information. Thanks for the video

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Thanks as always for watching!

[@NicholasTroutFishing]

Nice video, great tips on steel shot. I’ve been using a Tristar 16 gauge semi auto, ic choke, with 6 shot. I tend to stick to 6 because a lot of shots at grouse have thick brush in the way.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I think #6 shot is a great choice!

[@hblegal8309]

Very well done!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Thanks!

[@dub870]

Nice hat!!!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Thanks. Support local!

[@grob25]

I roll my own. 12ga, 2 3/4 inch hulls. #6 shot, 1 oz @ 1200 fps. I use chilled lead (that is a harder lead) GreenDot powder is my go to powder for my 12 ga hunting loads. I also love my CZ Bobwhite G2 side by side shotgun. I have an over/under Tristar setter LT that I hunted with for years. That old girl has put a lot of grouse on the table for me. The Bobwhite is earning it's place in the gun safe.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Sounds like you got it dialed in. Can't beat a good shotgun 😁

[@ericc3327]

Bismuth is only about 2x as expensive as steel or lead. For waterfowl or clays the cost is prohibitive, but I’m not going through 4 to 6 boxes of shells on an upland hunt. Since I live in CA I don’t have a choice of lead, but bismuth is my go to and I actually like it with #5 or #6. TSS is super expensive, even reloading my own, and that’s reserved for turkeys. If I had to I’d go with #11 or #12, but that would be one chewed up bird I’m guessing.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I guess if you live somewhere like CA then bismuth is a better option. Especially since you're not going through that many shells in a season grouse hunting

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I guess if you live somewhere like CA then bismuth is a better option. Especially since you're not going through that many shells in a season grouse hunting

[@ericc3327]

@@CascadeBackcountry my goal is to move north, but it works well for me so who knows I may keep using it. Certainly keeps the worry out of digging pellets out of the meat. Thanks for the videos!

[@robertburke2804]

#6 as Im out west and the shots are 15-40 yds mostly where I hunt. IC choke. O/U is bottom first as it’s the strongest Part of the action when closed and the most used if you shoot one shot then reload..

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Sounds like reasonable logic!

[@Spiltbloodify]

Great Video!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Thanks!!!

[@kyoutdoors131]

I thought lead don't spread as much as steel. Since steel is harder to compress than lead, when the shots run into each other, the spread opens up more. Also, I don't think steel will penetrate more since the sectional density of lead is a lot higher than steel. Bismuth densities is slightly lower than lead, but as a duck hunter, I don't get much penetration with steel shot, but complete pass throughs with bismuth shots.

[@BilboSandbaggins]

Would you ever recommend a .22? Or always stick with shotgun

[@woods702]

Mossberg 500 20ga #6 lead mod choke is my favorite

[@CascadeBackcountry]

@@woods702 nice!

[@OregonGrown1991]

Should do a video on barrel lengths if you haven't already. I usually hunt with my old sears and roebuck bolt action 16 gauge with a 26" barrel that my grandfather handed down to me when I was a kid. I recently acquired a Winchester SXP defender in 12 gauge with the 18" barrel that I have yet to shoot so I have no idea what my patterns will be like at distance but I'd like to take it in the field with me and give it a shot next time I go. I like the compact size of it for the thick brush I'm usually hunting in and how fast I can swing it. I'm thinking it should be just fine up to 30 yards which is the most I'm typically going to be shooting anyway.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I'll add barrel length to my list of videos to film 😆 If you go hunting with that 18" barrel, please let me know how it goes haha

[@OregonGrown1991]

@@CascadeBackcountry yessir will do lol

[@blackwatch6267]

i usually use 20g #6 lead with a single shot Cooey with a fixed full choke, Northern Ontario Ruffed Grouse. I think a mod or improved cylinder would probably be better but no issues shooting full. Pretty much always shooting on the ground 20ish yards. I am not a hardcore grouse hunter, just bring the shotgun on the moose hunt and spend a half day or 2 targeting grouse.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Whatever works! And it sounds like it's working for ya

[@duckwacker8720]

I won't use anything but #4 in an absolute pinch #5. 1 1/4oz 12ga. Even when I used a 20ga I used the heaviest #4.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

For grouse?

[@curtheciscokid]

20 Gauge 2 3/4” 6 and 7 1/2 shot. Normally 1oz

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Sounds good to me 😁

[@anthonyb5282]

Love #6 federal upland loads in my 20ga benelli for grouse. I’ll have to try some of the smaller shot sizes though! Are you still local to WA state? I have some private land that butts up to a bunch of timber company land that I love grousing on! Your welcome to come out sometime!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

That's awesome! Thanks for the invite. I'd love to hunt there! Any rabbits around?

[@anthonyb5282]

@@CascadeBackcountry occasionally but we have a lot of yotes and cats around so I think they end up on the short end of the stick

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Gotcha. Well we could take care of those too... help the grouse out a little bit. When rabbit numbers go up, grouse numbers go up!

[@anthonyb5282]

@@CascadeBackcountry I’m game for it all! I don’t know there’s a DM option on KZbin but I’m comfortable throwin my email up for a second

[@CascadeBackcountry]

My email and Instagram are in the description box of my videos 😀

[@you_down_with_pjc]

Just discovered your channel. Stay Grousey 💪

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Hell yeah! Thanks for the comment!

[@sandsock]

i've watched thousands upon thousands upon thousand s of clays busted over the last 30 years. i've taught alot of youth and noticed hits versus misses. whats important is the payload height =the payload width. if we're talking strictly 20 gauge, i believe 1 ounce of what ever shot you want is the right answer, especially if you dont have exchangable chokes and are stuck on I/C. i once is a death ray. if were talking 12 gauge , i'm more interested in the wad used. but 1 1/8 is fine

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I think that is good information. The information in this video is meant to be a starting point or base for beginners to start experimenting with what works best for them

[@guaporeturns9472]

"Squared” load

[@sandsock]

@@guaporeturns9472 yep/ English field load is the other name

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@sandsock yep

[@joeltowle2737]

16ga & 28ga the perfect bores!​@@guaporeturns9472

[@MB_MN_19]

One thing that might be helpful to address is non-toxic shot in older guns w/ fixed chokes. I've been warned by some to not use steel shot in a 1930ish gun with fixed FULL choke. I also have an early 1970s SxS, with Mod and IC fixed chokes, and a bit of reading on the interwebs suggests shooting SS through the Mod barrel could damage it, but "probably" safe with the IC barrel. Well, I'm not about to buy SS for one barrel, and a different shell for the other. Too much room for error in the field. I went with bismuth solely to be able to shoot a wayward goose or duck, should one fly over me while I'm grouse or turkey hunting. If solely shooting upland, I like the nickel-plated lead shot. Any shot left I find in the meat still has the nickel plating intact, so I'm not contaminating meat with lead. Costs more than lead, less than bismuth. For clays, lead shot for sure.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

From what I know, it is best to avoid steel in a tight choke, especially with the older fixed choke shotguns. Thanks for the comment 😁

[@Fish4Youtube]

Boss Stingers in #6 or #7 for grouse might be the perfect shell.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Nice!

[@eduffy4937]

Plain old federal 100round trap loads from Walmart there's no grouse that'll survive it when hit. You don't need much for a grouse. They're not wild pheasants. They're as weak as they can be while maintaining a heartbeat.lol

[@CascadeBackcountry]

@@eduffy4937 haha yeah doesn't take much to bring down a grouse

[@eduffy4937]

@@CascadeBackcountry nope. My old red Ryder claimed a few fistful of birds in my childhood.

[@ronaldm6009]

Federal 4# 3inch 20g full choke hands down 55 years experience 😊❤🎉

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Oh man I love it!

[@eduffy4937]

I'd love to see the hit ratio where I hunt if you're foolish enough to run a full choke. After 20yards you simply can't see the birds.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

@eduffy4937 a full choke with #4 shot at close range seems like an exploding grouse recipe. Everyone should use whatever works for them though

[@ronaldm6009]

I'm shooting on the fly most of the time 30 to 70 yards that's having some fun. I have two 12g wingmasters 2.3/4 exr tight full and a (3inch) mod great (slug) gun both from the late 70s butter. I like that little light over & under CZ you have you got me thinking I need one to add to the collection 😂❤ what are they going for in 3inch 20g

[@eduffy4937]

@ronaldm6009 damn, 70 yards, sling a pile of tss at them in small sizes.

[@Marvin-b7o5n]

What on sale and is 7and half or 6s

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Good call!

[@alexmacdonald258]

several more comments/advice: first, take the time to pattern your gun. Different components will yield different patterns at the same distance, so unless you're shooting a .410. take a little more time and experiment to find what brands/loads give the most complete patterns at grouse distances. .410 ammo is extremely hard to find, and it's expensive. 20 and 12 are the most common by far, but the guns are heavy compared to my .410s. Second, for a more effective distance at second shot, use a lower number-say 7 or 8 size shot for your first, closer shot. If you miss, your next shot should be #6-carries a little further. 3rd, and most important for new shooters, practice regularly on clay targets. When you can disintegrate a clay bird with almost every shot, that's the accuracy you want. Remember-when you're on your bird, you're on your bird. Doesn't matter what gauge (bore) you shoot with, which means you can use a smaller bore, like a 20, 28, or .410, and not have all that weight to lug around. Like I say, when you're on your bird, you're on your bird. Good hunting!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Good stuff!

[@purtnearperkins]

Great advice. Pattern, pattern, pattern. You need to know how you shoot and whether the gun is a fit as well.

[@JohnnyJuke]

How does No.6 with a Shockwave sound?

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I'm sure it would get the job done! Just consider your choke and shot distance

[@Backyard.Archery]

#9 copper-plated tungsten (Boss Wolfram) go right through grouse with nice small wound channels - yes expensive - am a western washington grouse hunter as well (maybe we'll run into each other)

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Right on! Where on I5 you located?

[@Backyard.Archery]

@@CascadeBackcountry live in Woodinville - hunt Snoqualmie Tree Farm

[@eduffy4937]

For mn ruffled grouse the absolute cheapest garbage you can find will kill every bird if you can hit it in the thickets.

[@benoitdeshaies5407]

Federal Upland Steel #6, 1-1/8oz, most of the time.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Lot of #6 in the comments today!

[@benoitdeshaies5407]

I don't mind 7 or 8 with lead, but I don't trust steel that small.

[@compass7099]

3 inch #2 don't matter the brand to me I can drill them at 40 yards with my dads old Remington 870 dad bought that in the 80s he's past now but I use it all the time now my son is shooting it generations behind that trigger it has never been to a gun Smith absolutely most reliable shot gun in my eye's..!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

#2 huh!? Wow, what a great gun! Special thing to pass it down through the generations like that!

[@compass7099]

@@CascadeBackcountry thanks brother

[@eduffy4937]

Why such large shot? You're completely compromising your ability to hit consistently. Open that choke nice and wide and run smaller shot. Out to 35yards which I rarely ever have the chance it'll kill just fine. Most my shots in northern mn are well under 25yards.

[@ronaldm6009]

BB2# 3inch now that's duck load 😂❤ cheap12g 4 or 6 high brass Kmart Rem Fed Win use to be 4.99 or 5.99 a box's I have a bunch of them

[@upland90254]

Fiocchi Golden Pheasant is probably the best I've used. No. 5 & 6 shot. I mostly hunt chukar. Also, get rid of that Turkish POS and buy a decent gun... ;)

[@bernardwalker1874]

TPOS!

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Nice! Where do you hunt chukar at? I love this damn gun! haha

[@purtnearperkins]

@@CascadeBackcountry 😂 I’ve got a buddy who’s been shooting his ol’ 870 since high school. I’ve about got him converted. Try out a lightweight Citori . The fit and finish are so superior to the Turkish made stuff. Half the enjoyment is using a fine firearm with exceptional quality. Not to knock your good ol CZ - I know a fella who said he’d rather throw a hot turd at a target than shoot Turkish guns 🤪🤣.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I'll just try a hot turd! Haha Those Citori look niiiiice

[@upland90254]

@@CascadeBackcountry California's Mojave Desert!

[@Lovesbighangers]

Last week 3 limits of grouse with not a shotgun….223 75 grain subsonic…quieter than a pellet rifle…pew pew

[@ampegor]

have used 20ga 7/8 oz 6 or 7 1/2 on grouse for years - birds that got away were my fault not the shells.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

Way to take responsibility 😆😂

[@bohannanmckenzie7441]

What part of western waste you in?

[@CascadeBackcountry]

The northern parts mostly. Spend quite a bit of time in Eastern WA as well

[@bohannanmckenzie7441]

I live in Island county but spend most of my time at in Skagit County. We spend a lot of time cruising for huckleberries, grouse, and bears.

[@RedFox10200]

i like a 8

[@eduffy4937]

There isnt a single grouse alive thatll escape a trap load from a skeet or an improved cylinder choke. Most shots are taken within 25yards. Get one or two pellets in a grouse and its dead. I run 3" #7.5 .410. Me and my gf took our limits yesterday in northern mn. If you can hit a target you need almost nothing for power

[@CascadeBackcountry]

I agree!

[@purtnearperkins]

A man after my own heart. I’ve been using the same load a Remington 3” 7.5 at 1135 fps. It knocks them right down.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

After making this video, I got tons of comments from people using #4 shot, #5 & 6... with super tight chokes. Really surprised me

[@purtnearperkins]

@@CascadeBackcountry very surprising. I’ve taken lots of Sage Grouse with target 8 shot (only thing I had access to in a pinch). If a person patterns their gun and loads they will gain a lot of education. I would never use anything smaller than 6 for upland game.

[@eduffy4937]

@@CascadeBackcountry yup. People think grouse are late season mallards at 50 yards

[@Mainely762]

Great, slugs it is then.

[@CascadeBackcountry]

All day!

[@Saigemeister]

More like “grouse”-ry store. Amiright??

[@JeffSchwenneker]

On the wing shotguns are THE answer 17 hmr or 22 on the ground real hunters won't use shotguns for grouse on the ground was taught that 60 years ago