Twelve O'clock Low – Red Grouse shooting in the UK.

I post this not out of expectation that any of us mere Midwestern mortals would ever have shot, or even have heard of Red Grouse shooting, for that matter.

Instead, I post this because it’s just so…damn…beautiful!

The moors, the heather, the birds, the guns (a gun in Red Grouse shooting is a person, not a firearm), the shotguns, the pageantry, the tradition. I have been a guest spectator on a grouse moor during a shoot, and simply watching is a feast.

The shooting is unimaginably difficult. Even the video does not do the Red Grouse justice. Often the grouse will be moving at a rocket-propelled speed and in 3 axis at once, moving forward, while banking, and descending at the same time. You have about 1.25 seconds to establish a swing and shoot. Use it wisely.

With thanks to The Shooting Sportsman for publishing this beautiful article.

On Snilesworth Moor

Enjoy.

Grouse

P.S. I realize this post is somewhat ironic. You know…

I would suck at this…

Watch a boar drive hunt on TV last weekend in Hungary(I think). That looked like a blast. Full of tradition, dressed to the 9 etc… Probably a little hoity toity for me but heck I could adapt for a few days.

kooty wrote:

Watch a boar drive hunt on TV last weekend in Hungary(I think). That looked like a blast. Full of tradition, dressed to the 9 etc… Probably a little hoity toity for me but heck I could adapt for a few days.

I have found it interesting that shooting driven game, especially big game like deer and boar, on the trot or run is considered that height of sport in Europe.

They take their hunting seriously over there. In fact, I believe every gun club I’ve visited over there has some variation of a moving rifle target, be it moose, deer, or boar. If you can’t hit a trotting target over there, you’re not ready to hunt.

Grouse

The distances I saw were minimal, 50 yards or less but there were still pretty small shooting lanes. Looked like a blast just like these grouse. Love the dude doing the reloading.

What do you suppose they are shooting for loads? #4s?

kooty wrote:

What do you suppose they are shooting for loads? #4s?

In the British Isles, they tend to favor slightly smaller shot size than we do. I would doubt anyone is shooting is US 4, the most common grouse loads that I’ve heard referenced are US 5 and 6. Grouse aren’t especially difficult to kill, they are just very, very difficult to hit.

Also, in driven shooting, the safety of the beaters (those who are driving the game toward the line of guns) has to be considered. Some moor owners and shooting estates have “house rules” when it comes to shot size to limit how far the shot flies and potential harm to beaters. With grouse shooting, there is no way around the fact that grouse are low flyers, so the guns are going to be shooting at beater level, so shot travel distance is a concern.

BTW, many British measures differ from our American measurements even though they have the same names. For example, a British pint is 20 ounces vs our 16 ounce pint. Of course, they would also have to have a different convention for shot size, so their sizes are one size larger than our equivalent of the same number, i.e. a US 6 is a UK 5 for the same pellet size.

Grouse

Mr. Grouse, thank you for posting this. I thought the video was awesome! Also feel.a bit more “cultured” than a few minutes ago. I wonder if they eat as well as a Roughy or like the redheaded stepchild the Spruce? That type of wing shooting is bucket list worthy.

The Red Grouse does, indeed, provide for some fine table fare, or so I am told.

As with other places in Europe, game including the Red Grouse are considered a delicacy. Most of the Red Grouse that are shot on the English and Scottish Moors are not kept by the Estate nor given to the guns, but rather are sold to restaurants and high-end butchers in London. The last I heard, the wholesale price of a brace of grouse was somewhere around $150 USD.

This issue of who gets to keep the game that is one we take for granted, but it is a major difference between our two sporting worlds. My English and Scottish sporting friends are very envious of the fact that when I take a pheasant or a deer, we take it all the way to the table. This is an astonishing luxury to them and while our sport may look somewhat less refined, we do have some aspects that they envy.

Grouse