I'm really digging #4 shot for Maine grouse this year

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Jason_W

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At the start of the season, the only 20 gauge birdshot loads I had left in any reasonable quantity was a box of 3" Remington #4s. I've managed to bag 4 birds so far, each one behind a light mesh of twigs and brush.

The larger, heavier pellets seem to be doing a better job of getting through the brush to the birds than the #7.5s that I usually use. An added bonus is that the pellets mostly thoroughly penetrate the bird and rather than getting stuck in the meat.
 
So true, and the #4 shot retains considerable stoping power, even at 35 to 40 yards in the open.

Last year, I used some 2.75", 12 guage, #4 shot, in my Browning Citori, with Imp Cyl for the top barrel, and mod in the bottom barrel. They worked awesome. On a couple of the pheasants, only 2 pellets hit the bird, one in the body, one in the wing. It downed it right there. I usually keep #4, #6 and #8 on hand, but definitely prefer #4.

Geno
 
I like a #6 for pass through. I bet #4 would work great in idaho too. Last year, I didn't find a single pellet in several grouse with the #6.
 
It is not as common as #4 and #6, but I have been a big fan of #5 shot for pheasant and grouse. Whenever I can find a box of #5's I usually end up grabbing it.
 
I generally load up with #4 for snowshoe hare hunting, and while rabbit and grouse season overlap, I just stick with the #4. But, early in the grouse season when the shots are usually closer and more leaves are involved if not after hare/rabbit I use #6 and more open choke. #5 are a nice compromise between the two but they are getting harder and harder to find.
 
Hi-brass#5s are my go to load for South Dakota sharptails and pheasants. They've worked so well I've never found a reason to use anything else, unless they weren't available....then I go to #6 shot usually
 
Quite a difference between killing grouse and pheasants. I use 6, or 7 1/2 for grouse and 4 or 5 for pheasants. Grouse are hard to hit, pheasants are much harder to kill. In Minnesota I used to live where I could do both at the same time. Most areas it is one or the other or not much of either nowadays.
I hope they come back soon.
 
Bird success as well.

Jason W.

We had very good luck as well in the Allagash country for birds this year. My son is shooting #4 in his twenty also. We shoot our limit every day for 5 days. He was able to hit bird in the brush much better than 7 1/2 he used last year.
 
We had very good luck as well in the Allagash country for birds this year. My son is shooting #4 in his twenty also. We shoot our limit every day for 5 days. He was able to hit bird in the brush much better than 7 1/2 he used last year.
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Nice. And here I thought I was doing well because I bagged a total of four this season.
 
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