Clay Games for Grouse Hunting
Sporting Clays are Great Shooting Practice for Upland Birds
Sep 10, 2008
Upland bird hunters may be in for a lot of action with the best three years of the ruffed grouse cycle ahead. Shooting practice through clay pigeon shooting games like sporting clays turn the shooting range into great preparation for grouse hunting.
Sporting Clays are Realistic Practice Shooting
The organized clay pigeon shooting games provide a terrific warmup. Sporting clays is the closest to an actual experience afield. With a different set of challenges at each shooting station, hunters get the endless variety of shots that ruffed grouse present. The occasional teal, chandelle or quail presentation will add interest.
Five Stand Great for Upland Hunting
Five-stand is another fun way to sharpen shooting skills for grouse hunting. Depending on the setup, the course can compact a great deal of variety into a quick round of demanding and frequently difficult shooting practice. Moving through these courses without previewing show pairs or looking at the menu card hones the quick decision-making needed to succeed with ruffed grouse.
Trap and Skeet Shooting for Ruffed Grouse
Though trap and skeet are more formal games they, too, make for interesting trial runs while tuning up for grouse hunting. Especially useful are crossing shots, particularly those that test the hunter’s skills late on the last bird of a double that stretches the limits of gun range as well as shooter concentration and coordination.
Shooting Practice is Vital
Some of the most useful practice for grouse comes through informal sessions where hunting buddies take turns trapping for each other without playing an organized games. An automatic trap thrower is much easier and lets shooters cram more shooting practice into a limited time.
These sessions work best when clay pigeon shooters start with the easier presentations first before moving on to the tough shots. For clay shooting, this means opening a practice round with some straightaway shots. These give shooters plenty of time on a target line that doesn’t require a great deal of movement and lead.
After consistently breaking clay pigeons on straightaways, move on to some quartering shots. These introduce more of the elements of tracking, swinging through and judging lead. They are also a frequent shot in upland hunting, especially with a ruffed grouse that flushes wild a ways downrange towards the end of the season.
Practice Tough Shots for Upland Birds
Tougher grouse shots are the crossing birds that unleash blazing speed on an acute angle that changes rapidly as the distance increases. These demand quick reaction, fast movement, a smooth swing and practiced judgment to pull through with sufficient lead. It’s a common test in the field, and one that’s best mastered on the shooting range.
Though not frequent in the grouse hunting, incoming shots are perhaps the most difficult challenge of all. It can be hard to judge speed because as the target closes towards the shooter there is less and less time to react before the bird zips overhead at what seems like supersonic speed. While uncommon in upland hunting, shooters who practice this shot will have riotous fun.
Integral to practice shooting is learning to improve. Shooters can help each other’s performance by noting where the shot went on a lost bird. If a friend knows they’re consistently behind the clay pigeon they can use that information to make adjustments.
Practice Shooting with Upland Hunting Loads
Take at least a few practice shots using the same load that will be used in the field. Upland hunting loads usually are heavier. The additional pellets may make a surprising difference in targets hit.
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