With the grouse season upon us again, things are looking reasonable particularly on the lower moors. It certainly won’t be a record breaker, but it should be a good building year and most moors will shoot, albeit maybe not the whole programme. Grouse are fast and the two overriding pre-requisites for a good grouse cartridge are performance and pattern. In the main, early season birds aren’t as fast (or as tricky) as the later season birds, and of course you need to ensure that the cartridge and load you are using is right for your gun.
Some guns still favour a side by side for grouse and these may of course have 2½” (65mm) chambers, but there is plenty of choice for a high performance load that patterns well. A number 7 shot gives a superb pattern which is ideal for grouse but the industry standard 6 is probably the norm. After a few decades of trial and error, my personal favourite is a 6½ shot for whatever reason but there is not a tremendous amount of choice for this particular shot size. If you are one of those who uses your everyday over-and-under, all of the loads highlighted below will do you just fine.
What cartridge load is best for driven grouse shooting?
In terms of load, 28 or 30gm is ample and you could also use one of the lighter loads in 25 or 26gm which will still do the job admirably. Driven grouse by and large entails fairly close combat, with the exception of that long crosser in front of the butts or the bird out the back which will be getting away from you if you are not on your mettle. So a 32gm 5 shot is not required on the grouse moor and indeed some moors will only allow a 6 shot as the largest. It goes without saying that only biodegradeable wads should be used.
Whilst some moors are insisting on the use of lead-free shot this year, most are still allowing lead so that is what we are looking at here. Just Cartridges stocks a good range of non-lead loads, and for more information on the options out there, you can check out this article on Shoot Hub.
Best Value shotgun cartridges for grouse shooting
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Just Cartridges - Xtreme Game - SHOP NOW
The 28 or 30gm in 6 shot with a fibre wad is the one to go for, with Gamebore’s Diamond Shot giving fantastic patterns. Starting at just £351 per 1,000 for the 28gm, Xtreme Game has plenty of performance and also comes in a genuine 65mm case suitable for older English side by sides.
- 28gm - £351 per 1,000
- 30gm - £363 per 1,000
Grouse cartridges with the best performance - Gamebore - Grouse Extreme
Available in a 29, 31 or 33gm load, it is the two lighter loads you should choose in a 5½ or 6 shot in a 65mm case. You won’t need the 33gm for grouse – use them at pheasants. Grouse Extreme are extremely comfortable to shoot, with bags of performance. The new improved version features Gamebore’s quad seal for maximum consistency.
- 29gm - £433 per 1,000
- 31gm - £446 per 1,000
- 33gm - £476 per 1,000
Most popular grouse cartridges - Eley - Zenith
With copper coated shot to stop the pellets sticking together under pressure, you get great patterns with this brand. Zenith is available in loads suitable for all quarry species whatever the range and also has a 20 bore option. In 12 gauge the 30gm 6 is the one to go for, but why don’t they make a 28gm?
- 30gm - £459 per 1,000
- 32gm - £499 per 1,000
The grouse cartridges with the best pattern - Hull - Driven Grouse
Just like Stella Artois, these cartridges are reassuringly expensive, but you get what you pay for, as they say. And just like the Eley Zenith, with copper coated shot, you get exemplary patterns. In a 65mm case they come in a 28gm 6 or 7 shot and 30gm in 5½. The 28gm 7 is the one to go for!
- 28gm - £466 per 1,000
- 30gm - £503 per 1,000
Best traditional grouse load - Lyalvale Express - Supreme Grouse
This in my view is the perfect load for driven grouse at 29gms of 6½ shot. Genuine 65mm case, plenty of poke but not too much and the ideal shot size giving great patterns and a good pellet count. It is soft on the shoulder too and therefore makes this the ideal traditional load for grouses with a traditional price to match.
- 29gm - £415 per 1,000
Best All-round grouse cartridge - RC - Professional Game
Extremely good quality cartridges, 65mm case, hard hitting and shot sizes 5,6 and 7 in 28 or 30gm. Added to which, these are continental shot sizes, so the 7 is actually a UK 6½ - perfic! The Pro Game tick all the boxes for grouse and that is why they are the best all rounder, sensible money too so what’s not to love?
- 28gm £399 per 1,000
- 30gm £424 per 1,000
If you are fortunate enough to be shooting grouse, you don’t need to be scrimping on your cartridges. Think pattern and performance first foremost and price second. All the above products provide these two important attributes with a large variation in price across the board. None of these products will embarrass you, so with the prospect of a half reasonable grouse season for 2022 and no Covid restrictions, enjoy!
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