The best cartridge loads for grouse

The Load

Starting with the load, a 28gm - 30gm load should be ample in 6-7 shot. I actually prefer a 6½ shot and Hull’s Driven Grouse come in exactly this recipe and have copper coated shot to give better, more even patterns, preventing as it does, shot balling or clumping under pressure;  they start from £361 per 1,000.

_{Charlie loves the Hull Driven Grouse in a 6 1/2 shot.}

Eley Zenith are also copper coated shot and the 30gm in 6 shot is the one to go for at £359. Gamebore’s Grouse Extreme loads have Diamond Shot which does the same job and are have high performance with manageable recoil: available in 29gm (perfect!), 31gm or 33gm loads, starting at £349.Express Supreme Grouse are also worth a look, with what I think is the perfect load for grouse being a 29gm 6½ shot at £326. 

Charlie is a fan of Gamebore Extreme Grouse loaded in 29gm with Diamond Shot. 

What if it does not say grouse on the cartridge?

Don’t forget, it doesn’t have to be called a “grouse” cartridge to be effective, so as long as you choose the right gram and shot size.

RC’s Professional Game in a 28gm or 30gm load in 7 shot (which is actually a UK 6½) is ideal, in a genuine 65mm case and is suitable for older English shotguns. There start at £309 and are a great cost effective alternative to the grouse specific loads.  

_{RC Professional Game is a good option}

Just as it doesn’t have to say grouse on the cartridge, the ones that do, are also ideal for other quarry including partridges and early season or not pheasants. As long as the load is 28-30gms and the shot size 6, 6½ or 7 there is a wealth of choice. Hull Imperial Game is a great traditional game load and if you want something a bit more feisty, Gamebore’s Black Gold and Dark Storm range are the ones to go for. Eley’s VIP range and Express Supreme Game also come in a multitude of options to suit any game shooting eventuality. If you are fortunate enough to have a day walking up grouse this season, then I would recommend a slightly heavier load, maybe a 30gm in 5, 5½ or 6 shot. 

_{The quarry in topic: the red grouse}

What if I use a 20 bore?

For those of you who use a 20 bore, 25gm or 28gm is the way to go and similar shot sizes as for the 12 gauge previously mentioned. For maximum effect, it is the pattern that is important and these will do the business. Check out Hull’s Driven Grouse in 20 bore in a 25gm load with 6 or 6½ shot at £364.

Sadly the only grouse I am going to be shooting this year are the simulated clay variety, so I will be plugging away with a light 21gm load in 7½ or 8 shot, but if you are out on the real thing, best of luck to you!

Charlie Bull is the owner and manager of Just Cartridges who stock upwards of 1 Million cartridges with 1,500 different products. You can visit Just Cartridges at their offices and warehouse near Witney Oxfordshire - close to the M40 and A34 or purchase cartridges online from the Just Cartridges website.

Find out more about the right cartridges for grouse shooting that the UK's three most popular cartridge brands produce.