The right gun for the right season

In the summer of 1995, I worked a three month internship at The Warroad Pioneer, which I'm sorry to say has since ceased operation. This was the first professional newspaper that I worked for in my career, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. I had only worked at Bemidji State University's newspaper for about a year and half before landing the internship. At The Pioneer I gained experience in sports, feature, beat and government reporting. I designed pages, took and developed photographs and was responsible for community relations. The best part is that I remain friends with the owners nearly 30 years later.

September-October

NOTE: This article appeared in a bi-monthly outdoors magazine called "Time Outdoors," published by the same company that published the Warroad Pioneer. Writing duties were shared among all the reporters on the six-paper staff.

By Devlyn Brooks

With several hunting seasons fast approaching, it's about that time when hunters are out buying or borrowing guns and bows.

Hunting experts will say that this is one of the most crucial steps affecting hunters' success and safety.

The ruffed grouse season, which opens on Sept. 16, is one of the first small game seasons to open.

The most popular gun for hunting ruffed grouse is the .410 shotgun, experts say.

The .410 has less recoil than bigger shotguns used by more skilled hunters, but hunters will tell you that you do not get as good of a pattern out of your shell. It is recommended that beginning ruffed grouse hunters start with the .410 and move to bigger shotguns as their skills increase.

You will see more adults using a .20 gauge shotgun which will give you a better shot pattern. But, once again, it will have more recoil than a .410.

Some .12 gauge are also used but mostly because the hunter just happens to own one. Most people will not buy a .12 guage for hunting ruffed grouse.

Hunters who have had a lot of success with shotguns will sometimes use .22 rifles to hunt ruffed grouse. This provides them with more of a challenge to the fact that it takes a direct hit to get the bird. Hunters who use .22s are usually good shots.

A few hunters who need an even greater challenge, use a bow and arrow with shocker points, experts say.

What a person uses to hunt ruffed grouse will depend mostly on personal preference; however, beginners should start with a .410 for safety reasons.

A beginner's success rate will more than likely increase with a smaller shotgun instead of using a larger one that they are not familiar with. Experts warn only to move to a bigger gun when ready.

For the upcoming sharptail and pheasant seasons, the two most commonly used shotguns are the .20 and .12 gauges.

The reason why most hunters will change is that ruffed grouse is generally shot on the ground so a shot with a rifle is possible, but sharptails and pheasants are shot in mid-flight where a shotgun is helpful.

The .20 or .12 gauges will provide a better pattern than a .410 for hunters taking birds out of the air.

When deer hunting rolls around, most switch to a rifle. One local hunter said that he suspected about 95 percent of area hunters use a rifle for deer hunting.

This changes throughout the state due to the fact that some zones allow only hunting by shotgun.

The first variable to consider when choosing a gun for deer hunting is to decide what type of terrain you'll be hunting in, open area, open area to somewhat brushy or mainly brush. The terrain will affect the type of bullet used in your hunt.

An area with a lot of brush would require a heavier bullet due to shot interference and an open area would call for a lighter bullet that would have a better shooting ability.

Experts say that the most commonly used guns in an open area are a .270 Winchester, .280 Remington and a .243 Winchester.

It is recommended that if you are not familiar with your hunting terrain or if you are a beginner, seek a professional's help. Most sports shops have people knowledgeable in hunting and can offer assistance or answer your questions.