By Dave Workman | Editor-in-Chief
Working through thick vine maple and underbrush, we knew there were grouse in the neighborhood and when one exploded from cover almost at my feet, it didn’t get far thanks to a quick shot by my pal, the late Bob Johnson.
If I recall correctly—this hunt occurred 50 years ago in Washington state’s eastern Lewis County in the southern shadow of Mount Rainier National Park—Bob was loaded up with high-base 7 ½ shotshells, a payload that is favored by an abundance of upland game and bird hunters. While I personally favor the No. 6 for larger blue grouse (dusky and sooty), when you’re talking forest grouse in the lower elevations, the 7 ½ makes sense.
I’ve hunted with No. 7 ½ shells over the years and never complained about them stopping fleet-winged grouse, chukar, quail (when I can hit them) and mourning doves (I seem to rarely hit them!). Friends who hunt rabbits with 20- or 28-gauge, or .410-bore shotguns have told me over the years that they prefer the 7 ½ for its higher pellet count and denser pattern, which are very good reasons that often translate to game in the bag.
Virtually every ammunition manufacturer that loads shotgun shells offers at least one or two loads in 7 ½, and sometimes more than that. I’ve shot Winchesters, Federals, Remingtons and some other brands from off shore, and they all have performed as advertised.
If one looks on the box, or checks the websites of ammunition companies, there is normally a chart showing which shot size is good for the game being pursued. In the case of No. 7 ½ shells, they’re good for all the birds mentioned earlier, they’re the choice of snipe and rabbit hunters, and I wouldn’t argue with anybody who might use them down south for squirrels.
I’ve hunted quail in Eastern Washington and Kansas, and in both cases, the shells were jammed with 7 ½ shot pellets.
We did a little online snooping and found Remington offers a couple of heavy dove loads in 7 ½, one with an ounce of shot and the other with 1 ¼ ounces in the shot charge in 12-gauge. Since I shoot a 20-gauge most of the time these days, further study revealed a 2 ¾-inch shell offering with 7/8-ounces of lead shot.
Over at Winchester, there are several offerings for upland birds and small game with 7 ½ shot charges ranging up to 1 ¼-ounce payloads.
Likewise, Federal offers a good selection, including loads in 16- and 28-gauge, and the often under-estimated .410 bore.
Suffice to say nobody can make an excuse that they couldn’t find ammunition in their gauge.
Out here in the Pacific Northwest, grouse seasons are just weeks away. The season openers in Washington and Oregon are Sept. 1, while in neighboring Idaho, things crank up Aug. 30. This makes September one of my favorite months, with moderate weather, enough stupid birds around to keep hunters busy, and if one has a good dog, that just makes everything better.
While I am always on the lookout for a dumb cottontail rabbit or snowshoe hare, serious hunting for either of those species doesn’t really crank up until after a good frost. Where the hares are concerned, I’ve stumbled upon them nearly all in the white when there wasn’t a flake of snow on the ground but temperatures had chilled down to the 30s or even high 20s. It is a weird experience, seeing that blob of white bopping across a clearing or out from cover along an abandoned logging grade.
I have friends who hunt rabbits in the winter with .22 rifles mainly, but on occasion, somebody with a smoothbore will show up clutching a cottontail for the stewpot, and more often than not, they’ve succumbed to a 7 ½ or No. 6.
The No. 7 ½ is also popular with clays shooters, and I’ve had an experience or two shooting trap with that load.
Now is as good a time as any for the fall wingshooter to start brushing up on his or her marksmanship, because even if seasons in your part of the country don’t start until late September or October, it’s a good idea to work your reflexes over the next several weeks. Nothing is so frustrating as a trigger finger that won’t work when you want it to!
Spend the next month going over the hunting regulations as well. Make sure you’ve got one copy in the house and another in your hunting vehicle.
And watch for advertisements from local sporting goods stores. About this time of year, and through August to mid-September, one can often find specials on shotgun shells. That’s usually when I stock up.
