Grouse with a .54!?

[akhawkeye]

Ok - I've got a few days till grouse season opens up here and I have a dilemma. I'm wanting to try my hand at hunting with my flintlock, but all I've got is a .54 caliber. I don't have the funds right now to plunk down $1000 or more for a nice smoothbore or even a .36 rifle, so should I give it up and just shoot my stickbow for another year, or do y'all think that a .54 roundball with a light load would leave enough meat on the bird to make it worthwhile? Assuming, of course, that I'm good enough to take head shots only...

Colin

 

[flintlock75]

While not an ideal caliber for grouse it will work just as any gun will. A light load would be just fine. I have used 50 grs of 3f in my .54 with PRB. Head shots are best on small game, I have done some body hits, the damage is not that bad as long as you miss the breast meat. Be sure to know what is behind your target before you shoot. I would try to keep it ground shots only.
Good Luck.

 

[akhawkeye]

Definitely ground shots only! lol. Sorry I didn't mention that in my original post - I am so used to hunting them with my bow that I just take it for granted that the only shot I'd take is on the ground. I got tired of spending more time hunting for my arrows than hunting for birds... :redface:

 

[flintlock75]

Alls well, Have you tried using Flew Flew arrows. Not sure of the spelling, They have large feathers about 2 1/2 " tall, very short range, but great for grouse. Also a Throwing hawk works great too.

 

[roundball]

Also, if you're not certain, might want to double check that its OK to use rifles for grouse

 

[akhawkeye]

Also, if you're not certain, might want to double check that its OK to use rifles for grouse

It's legal here. As a matter of fact, most people use a .22. I don't know about other states, though. Good point.

Colin

 

[BrownBear]

RB sure works well for head shooting ptarmigan, so if your grouse hold still long enough, I don't see any problem. My 54 GPR will stack balls on top of each other a lot further than I can hit ptarmigan heads, so I doubt the gun will be the limit. For small game loads mine likes 35 grains of Pyro P over all other loads, whether sub or real black.

 

[jtmattison]

You going after spruce hens?

Heck, you don't even need a gun for them but I bet if you loaded your .54 with shot you could take them pretty easy. I don't think I ever shot a spruce grouse or ptarmigan any further than about 20 feet away.

HD

 

[hawk]

I had just brought in a grouse that i shot the head off with my Pa's .50(he said he couldn't see it ...but most likely just wanted to see if i could do it)
when an old timer at the camp sayed he carried a pouch of # 7shot and shot that at grouse out of his .54 rifle...he said ..."just put a ball in your hand and cover it up with shot take out the ball and that's you measure"
not the most accurate method I said to Pa then he said "ya but he aint
starved to death..."
.22's are cheaper but what ever floats you boat

 

[longcruise]

I shoot em all the time with .50 and .54 while hunting deer and elk. No need to reduce load, if you hit anywhere from the base of the neck to the top of their head it's clean meat in the pot.

I've never hit one in the body. Probably cause they are dumb enough to give me real close up shots. :haha: I did hit a snowshoe rabbit way low with a .50 and ninety grains of ff once. Picked it up by a rear leg and it was five feet long! :shocked2:

It's my guess that a body hit with a .36 or even smaller will do quite a bit of meat damage. Even a .22 can ruin some meat.