Experts share their grouse shooting tips

As the Glorious Twelfth approaches, and with the prospect of a grouse shooting season on the horizon, a lucky few will be heading to the ‘purple office’ to test their skills against the most noble of game birds. However, COVID-19 and a poor grouse year in 2021 may mean that even the most experienced shots are a little rusty, while some will be heading onto the moor for the first time. We asked some experienced grouse shots to share their top tips to help you make the most of your day in the grouse butt.

Be prepared!

Top shooting instructor Dylan Williams suggests that a successful grouse shooting season starts long before you step into a butt. Grouse shooting can be a fast and furious thing, so Dylan’s top tip is simply to get fit. 

“Every July Sir Joseph Nickerson [the author of A Shooting Man’s Creed and a noted grouse shot] read his Grassland reports whilst pulling  weights on  a pulley system next to his desk with his left arm,” Dylan told me, “so that he was “match fit” for the grouse.” Dylan also suggests that you make an effort to carry out dry gun mounting in order to reinstate muscle memory. 

The J&B Grouse Butt at Royal Berkshire Shooting School is regarded as the best warm up there is

It won’t come as a surprise that Dylan also recommends a course of lessons. “Out of respect to the quarry, and your host, you should allocate time to ensure you will be able to shoot as well as you possibly can,” he said, “Book in two or three sessions – it will pay dividends!”

The best guns for shooting grouse

These days many shots will make use of the same over-and-under that they use for the rest of their shooting, and that’s just fine. However, Edward King of ASI, suggests that a side-by-side may be the better option. “Grouse tend to approach the butt low and fast, and they have an extraordinary ability to tip a wing and change direction,” said Edward. “To shoot effectively you need a light gun which shoots slightly high, so a side-by-side with its 60/40 pattern is ideal for those fast crossing birds!” He added: “Real grouse shots will tell you that the side-by-side is de rigeur.”

The best cartridge loads for grouse shooting

Charlie Bull of Just Cartridges has penned an article for us outlining some of the best grouse cartridges on the market. “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,” he writes, “my personal favourite is a 6½ shot for whatever reason but there is not a tremendous amount of choice for this particular shot size."

He continued: "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.”

Wear the right clothing for driven grouse shooting

Edd Morrison, formerly of this parish and now a partner at the Dalesport sporting agency, spends lots of time on the moors with clients and as a gun. One of the most common mistakes he sees, is guns wearing the wrong clobber. “Make sure you always wear a dark coloured shirt, tie and clothing,” he said. “Grouse are wild and will not fly towards a gun dressed in white!”

Driven grouse shooting tips

Edd also suggests that fieldcraft is key to success. “Grouse follow contours,” he observed. “As soon as I get in a butt, I look at all the ground I can shoot over to work out what the grouse will do. If the ground is sloping downhill I will need to adjust my aim below the bird to account for the fact they are dropping with the contour of the ground. This is one of the main reasons why people who shoot a lot of pheasants but not many grouse tend to miss them, and find pheasants easier,” he continued, “because a pheasant tends to keep its line, while a grouse will never do so.”

Edd also advises guns not to leave it too late to get a shot off, saying: “It’s a SIN to only get one shot off in front. Get at them early; you are purely chasing once they have gone past you!” 

Top shot and Eley Hawk ambassador Gerwyn Jones concurs, noting “Ultimately you are there to build a bag.” To this end he recommends getting as much shot in the air as possible. “When there is a pack of grouse heading towards your neighbour, it is always customary for you to shoot into the back of that pack. However, always check in front just before you do so, because often you’re focussed on the pack going over your neighbour and fail to realise that another pack is coming straight to you that you might have been able to get four shots off into, instead of just getting two shots into the pack going over your neighbour.”

Stay safe

Shooting behind is not something we tend to do all that much of when we’re shooting pheasants, so it presents a unique challenge on the moor, especially where safety is concerned. Edd says: “Remember to always stay at the front of the Butt, do not take a step back to get a quicker shot behind as your sticks become redundant and you can easily shoot your neighbour.”

George Juer of Charles Lancaster Gunmakers, who I also consulted for this article, offered these sage words: "I can't offer many tips on shooting grouse, as I shoot them so infrequently, but I can strongly recommend getting invited rather than paying for the day!"

Not for nothing are red grouse considered the ultimate test of the game shot, and coming to terms with their speed and agility takes a lifetime of experience, bit if you’re spending time in the grouse butt this season, hopefully these expert grouse shooting tips will come in handy and help you to improve!