Are we talking ruffed grouse, sharptails, dusky/blue grouse, etc?
Around here grouse=ruffed grouse. For wingshooting any standard target load is perfectly effective, they are super easy to kill (not to hit). Most people use 7/8 or 1oz of 7 1/2 shot in a 20, or 1 oz or 1 1/8oz in a 16 or 12. There’s zero reason to use more. 8’s are very similar, but smaller shot than 8’s tends to wind up with too many pellets lodged in the meat.
For bigger birds or more open cover lots of people go up to 6’s. Lots dont.
Around here grouse=ruffed grouse. For wingshooting any standard target load is perfectly effective, they are super easy to kill (not to hit). Most people use 7/8 or 1oz of 7 1/2 shot in a 20, or 1 oz or 1 1/8oz in a 16 or 12. There’s zero reason to use more. 8’s are very similar, but smaller shot than 8’s tends to wind up with too many pellets lodged in the meat.
For bigger birds or more open cover lots of people go up to 6’s. Lots dont.
