Selecting the best guns for grouse

Shooting grouse requires quick reflexes and tough, reliable guns that handle instinctively and can be reloaded quickly. Here are 10 to take to the moors

- MIKE YARDLEY

Grouse were arguably the first native birds to be routinely driven, but they have always been walked up, too. If you are roving over heather moor early season, taking quick shots of opportunity, a light, quick-handling gun can be a boon. If you are standing in a butt mid or late season, the requirements are rather different.

Fifty years ago, 26in, 27in and 28in side by sides weighing about 6½lb to 6¾lb were the norm. Dedicated grouse guns – all fixed choke – were once made with the right barrel tighter, the rationale being the first shot was likely to be at distance and the second open for when the birds were over the butt. Today, guns used for grouse are typically choked improved or quarter right and half or three-quarters left if side-by-side; similarly with over and-unders. Things will change if steel becomes the norm (in which case, my advice is quarter and quarter). The general modern trend is towards heavier, longer guns. Weights in 12-bore are rarely much under 7½lb, while 30in has become the standard barrel length.

The side-by-side has the advantage when grouse shooting that it is quick to load. I still use one walking up, but I use pairs and single over-and-under 20-bores for most driven work. I set them up to shoot top barrel first to facilitate quick loading. My machine-made 20-bores weigh just over 7lb and easily accommodate a 12-bore load – that is 30gm or 32gm (of No 5 shot for me) without discomfort. The advantage of the 30in machine-made 20 is that it handles much like a best bench-made 12 of old. I have no prejudice against the 12, meantime, and use them, too.