Does anyone here hunt grouse with a .22?  How does it compare to hunting with shotgun in terms of success rate, satisfaction, etc?

OK, I "heard" this "guy" one time took a grouse with a ruger 22/45 over on the peninsula, but I, I mean this "guy" was using a minimag hollow at about 10 feet. Moral of the story, it blew the grouse in half! Although I wondered about using one of those shot shells, but you'd have to be pretty close I imagine, or blast away if you could get a head shot. I only assume a shotgun would be better.

I've shot a couple with my Ruger MK II pistol. Body shots, with even a 40gr solid bullet, does more damage to that precious meat than I like. Grouse tissue is very tender. I get much more satisfaction using my shotgun - and I only shoot when they are on the wing.


[RANT] You really miss out on the best part of the hunt when you pound them on the ground, IMHO. Grouse hunters live for the thunder of the flush. [/RANT]

When I was a kid I'd shoot them out of the treetops with a 22 after I flushed them. It was cool when I was a kid but I wouldn't do it today. Even if you're only moderately proficient with a scattergun, I think you'll have better luck with one. And like Mach1 said, that's the best part of the hunt. Trying to get off a shot when your heart is trying to escape through your windpipe.

Ok! Ok! I've been trying not to post into this thread but here goes.

One time coming out of the range i saw a grouse walking along the driveway.  Mind you that i am still well inside the gate, still on private property.  So i figure i'll take a shot at it. Well, i had just broken the extractor on my .45, now i have a beautiful single shot pistol.  But i reckon that will work so i stop the car, jump out, and open the trunk.  Quickly load one in and fire away. Did I say "dumb bird"?.
Got it in the leg.  it flew up into a tree branch and sat there (bleeding).
I guess i could have waited but i fiddled around and got the pistol re-loaded.  this time i was more careful and put one through his head.
We ate it later that night.
So, if your careful, a 185 gr LSWC will work OK, too.  YMMV

When I lived in Idaho, we used to hunt grouse with .22s all the time.  A .22 usually would not spook them at 25 yards +, as they key more on movement and not so much on the report of the .22, and you could get head shots at 2 or 3 before they flushed if you were still and lucky.  We would run across them crossing logging roads and usually pick up a couple on either side of the road.  Yeah, if you hit too low you could ruin meat, but we tried to be careful and more often then not, did well.  We used hollow-points, so if we did hit them other than in the head, it tended to be quick kills.  

What kind of grouse?  We always hunted sage grouse with a shotgun, as they are much more wary, and if you don't shoot them on the wing the first time they spook you don't get another chance.  Blue grouse on the other hand will sit and wait for you to kill them.  I honestly killed one with a rock once while backpacking.  It wasn't on the first throw either, there were three of us throwing for probably 5 minutes before I got lucky.  Anyways, we always hunted blue grouse with a .22.  Less meat damage, and no shot in your teeth.

Sage grouse are protected in WA.  I'm thinking primarily of Ruffed Grouse.

My main reason for asking is that I don't have a shotgun yet!   I just blew my recreational budget on some unexpected expenses so no new toys for the rest of the year.  When the time comes I think I'll pick up a Remington LT-20 until I can save up for a Ruger Red Label.

I appreciate the input.  I've been scouting sites and hope to go on a real outing sometime in the next few weeks.