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Walked up grouse; what barrel length, bore and chockes are best?


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Ok, so in the market for a sxs 20b, which will be used for some walked up grouse and some driven pheasants.

 

I've narrowed it down to a few Spanish guns namely a Arrieta 803 and a aya #2, I already own a 687 mod s in 12b with 28" barrels m/c; which I find heavy to lug around all day.

 

The sxs is to be my light gun.

 

Question is what barrel length and chockes are optimum for walked up grouse?

 

Any disadvantage to using 20b for this application?

 

I know some prefer 26" 12 b for drive grouse but does this hold true for walked up? Noting carry weight seems more relevant in such a scenario?

 

Thanks,

 

Ewen

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Nice little light fast handling 12 bore with 2 1/2" chambers, English SBS, 6.5 lbs, imp and 1/4, 28" barrels, 28gms of 7's is what I often use for early season walked up Grouse........Later in the season both walked up and driven I use the same gun with, more often than not 30gms of 6's.

 

For me O/U's are too heavy and awkward to carry all day on the moor......especially broken over your forearm!

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Hi

Bit hard to recommend a gun for someone that you don't know

Best I can offer is go walk up a few grouse on a hot day and again on a wet day then it's easier to decide for yourself

Ou 20 bore 6lb4oz for me 29 inch barrels slack 1/4 and tight 1/2

Less than a ounce of no 7 over a fibre wad

But I'm 6 foot with long legs and can shoot a bit

You may find better combination to suit your build

All the best

Of

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Very much down to personal preference I think. For what it's worth, my own view is that for walked-up grouse the main things are gun fit (because when they flush you'll be mounting the gun very quickly) and weight (because you'll be carrying it through the heather all day). I don't think super-short barrel length is a requirement because they don't normally cross so much as fly away. So my preference would be 28" barrels - bearing in mind you also want it for pheasants - and choke in the 3/8 to 1/2 region.

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Fenboy,

 

Thanks

 

This is why I ask about difference between driven and walked up. Am i right to think the birds are generally going away from you in walked up, as opposed to driven where the are coming towards you where more open chokes are needed?

 

Old farrier; thanks for ur input, I'm 6,2 so thought a 30" would swing ok given I'm tall. Although I appreciate difficult for u to recommend to someone you don't know.

 

By going for 20b I'm hoping to save the weight.

 

Panoma1; yes I agree with you the shape of my o/u resting on the arm all day is not most comfortable, sxs I thought mite help with this issue.

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Lambhat, my sentiments exactly; if I were buying new I would choose this configuration. However the gun I have my eye is 2nd hand and comes in 30" with 1/4 & 3/4 choke.

I don't think the barrels length of extra 2" will bother me for reasons cited above, I'm more concerned with the 3/4 choke; but suppose it could always be bored out a it if after trying it out i feel it's needed, or Teague it.

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I agree with the above and 1" or 2" won't make that much difference and neither will the chokes to be honest. Personally i quite like short barrelled guns but will not really make much difference.

Dunno wot u usually shoot with? I'd mibee just use that to save buying a gun.

I'm guessing it possibly is a 12g O/U which would be heavy but many folk do use 12g ou for walked up days. Dunno if switching from an ou to sxs would knock ur shooting off? If so might be better with a 20g ou?

More important it fits u and ur comfy snap shooting with it and u can shoot it naturally.

 

 

In theory the birds should be going away but u could get all sorts seen birds put up further down the line go away to catch wind and curl over ur head going like stink, u may also get odd crossers put up by others. Really a complete lottery possibly at this time of year birds could be getting up well infront.

 

Strictly speaking in driven the bird will be both coming towards u and going away as u can shoot behind the butts, in ur classic matched pair of SxS u often have the barrels choked oppisate off each other for use when double gunning with a loader. ie 1st gun 1st barrel choked, 2nd open, 3rd open, 4th choked as ur 1st and 4 shots in theory should be when birds furthest away, but off course with a SxS u can also choose which barrel u fire 1st with the double trigger.

 

An old boy that shot in our wee syndicate had a matching pair of Boss's with 2 barrels for each action so u could choose the choke wether open in front or back triggers. Beautiful gun and he used to shoot with it on our wee 20 bird knockabout days, gun was probably worth as muchas my house.

 

Not long left if ur going for grouse this year, just another 2 weeks or so

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While u are right about shorter barrels, loads of folk shoot walked up game/grouse with a normal 28" or even 30" barrel. Same with sxs over ou as meant to handle quicker as well as beinfg lighter

 

Depends how much walked up grouse shooting u do if u can afford a gun specifally for it.

For an averge joe shooter i doubt any will make much difference in reality. Probably more important to shoot with a gun that fits u and u are familar with it wot ever length barrels it has (unless u have some specialised clay or high pheasant gun which wieghs a tom with 34" barrels)

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I have walked up grouse every year for the last 35 years or so; I use a s/s 12 with 28" barrels (AyA No 1 at about 6 3/4 lbs) and anything between 28 and 32 g. Chokes 1/4 and 1/2. You won't be firing a lot, so recoil is not a big issue. I do have a much lighter gun (6 lbs), but find it feels 'unsteady'. When I was younger I regularly used an o/u Beretta at about 8 lbs (mainly because it was the gun I shot best with), but now the extra weight really tells!

I have never owned a 20, but see no reason why it should be any less good than a 12. Unless you are an above average shot, avoid tight chokes. The gun MUST fit well.

 

Walked up grouse shooting is about a lot of walking and occasional fast instinctive shooting. The walking is demanding at times, the footing uncertain, and EVERY shot needs a separate safety evaluation before taking, but when you have a good day, it is one of the finest shooting experiences you can have.

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rather than gun fit you need a fit gun!! you will walk a long long way and if lucky get 3-4 shots typically...I would use the gun you shoot best with...most will be low and flying away from you..occassionally you may almost stand on one but more usually they flush early...a 20 gauge is perfectly fine for the job but if you are looking at 30 inch barrels you may well only save @ 1lb in weight and personally would rather take my chance at a grouse than have a 'light walking stick'.......all best have fun be safe.

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There is nothing unusual about shooting walked up grouse. I've used my old E. Harrison for the past 3 seasons, which is 30" and choked 1/4 and 1/2 and it does fine. Most birds are flushing away from you so the 30" barrels are not a disadvantage.

 

Next year I MAY take my 20 bore O/U, but only if the weather is wet as I don't like getting the Harrison sodden.

 

Dougall sums everything up in that you should take the gun you shoot best with - shots are always fast and instinctive, so any minor hiccups in gun mount or fit will show a mile! In short, don't get too bogged down with trying to find a theoretical 'right' gun...

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Some modern 20 bores are quite heavy. I was in a gun shop a while ago and they had a 20 AYA centenary (I think that was the model), very nice gun, but felt heavy to me, so we weighed it. It weighed about 6lb 5oz. The AYA best boxlock they had weighed under 6lb, so you won't necessarily be saving weight by buying a 20 over a 12, it's going to depend on the gun.

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What has you height got to do with barrel length ? As far as I see it nothing at all .You need a gun that is fast to mount and get on target not one to "swing" about so shorter barrels with open chokes say imp and 1/4 , and say an 1&1/16" number 6 cartridge .

I think I brought height into this as at 6 foot walking with a broken gun in heather isn't a problem having longer barrels however if I was 4foot 6 I think it could be something worth thinking about 😋
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