The Grouse & Woodcock Gun

The Grouse & Woodcock Gun

To many, a shotgun is simply a tool; A piece of wood and steel that comes to shoulder and it goes bang without conflict. To the grouse and woodcock hunter, a shotgun is a nostalgic old friend and is something we’re proud to speak about. Often times ones favorite grouse wand comes with stories, hits and misses, and is well brush worn; hopefully passed down from the hands of your grandfather or a past mentor. The likes of William Harnden Foster, Burton Spiller, Bill Tapply, and Gene Hill have all waxed poetically on what makes a gun fit for the grouse woods.

The gun you choose to carry through your favorite coverts varies hunter to hunter – sit by the fire of any grouse camp and you’ll soon listen to the debate of gauge, new versus old, side by side versus over under, choke selection, and more. Who’s to say you’re wrong in selection? I will say, though, that you’re right if you’ve chosen a classic American side by side, sub six and one quarter pounds, previously owned by a dedicated bird hunter, and shows a brush worn case colored action with wood darkened from years of carry by a gloved hand. I won’t accept another answer, but I also won’t frown upon your decision.

Similar to how your father swore by Ford or Chevy, the traditional gunner of ruffed grouse has a favorite classic shotgun; A.H. Fox, Parker, LC Smith, and others. I favor the Fox shotguns, particularly those made in Philadelphia. A hunting partner of mine, favors his LC Smith’s. We do agree on our classics being chambered in 16 gauge. My 16 gauge Fox Sterlingworth, made in 1915, weighs merely six pounds and carries beautifully. However, I’ve recently became enamored with my 28 gauge CZ Bobwhite. A simple “beater” shotgun that has since downed ruffed grouse, woodcock, sharptail grouse, Hungarian partridge, and one eastern wild turkey. Choke is often a matter of what was passed down to you, what shells you have piled in the back closet, or what you are confident in. In modern guns, I have become a 28 gauge fan, followed by a 20 gauge. Mostly due to carry weight, it has been years since I have taken a 12 gauge to the field. Vintage guns have my heart, though. An American 16 gauge from the early days of New England grouse hunting is something to cherish!

Considerations For A Grouse Gun

As a grouse and woodcock hunter, we’re putting miles on our boots in thick cover. In the Northeast, we navigate aspen and beech groves, multiflora rose, blackberry, conifer stands, rock walls, and everything in between. I want a light, balanced shotgun. Sub six and one quarter pounds is often my standard for a field gun. This is a gun we walk with a lot and shoot less. Nothing is worse than a heavy gun that prevents your waltz through an overgrown apple orchard where grouse lie just beyond the creek bed. Open chokes, regardless of gauge, while gunning grouse are key. I prefer fixed chokes in skeet and skeet II or light modified. Most important, though, is gun fit. More often than not we are simply snap shooting. Truly an instinctive shooting sport, we’re pulling the trigger the second our gun comes to shoulder, swing fast and attempting to track a fleeing grouse as it puts an aspen tree between itself your bead. You’ll want to pay attention to things like length of pull, drop at comb and drop at heel, as well as cast. A gun that comes up to your eye in the same manner and the same spot consistently will make both yourself and your bird dog happier. A good gunfitter will be able to measure you for these dimensions and give you a starting point. Most modern guns are made to fit the average gentleman, while vintage guns get trickier. We’ll visit the do’s and don’ts of vintage shotguns in another post.

Just Go Hunting

At the end of the day, what brings a smile to your face? Which shotgun tells a story of birds missed and birds in the bag? Which shotgun brought down your dog’s first pointed woodcock? Maybe it’s once that you already own, and maybe it’s one you’ve yet to purchase. The perfect shotgun is a lot like the perfect women, and Gene Hill said it best; “For me, about 14 1/2 in length of pull, 1 3/8 at the comb and 2 inches drop at heel.”

Until next time,
Joe Heusinger – Covert Creek Outfitting