Is it worth toting a 7 pound .22lr on a backpack hunt?

[vladkgb]

How do you cook grouse when back country camping with just a cup and a stove?

 

[Chris in TN]

.22 pistol suppressed or look at black mt arms 5.7 “pistol” with a brace, weighs like 2lbs
I’ve killed grouse with a rock and a stick, so generally the shots are not very far. Snowshoe hair have cool pelts, but are survival food IMHO and I would say the same thing about pine squirrels. Grouse are fantastic though

I've ate a couple of pine squirrels and couldn't tell the difference between them and our local greys here. I like squirrel.

I've never ate a snowshoe hare but always assumed they were similar to rabbit, and I absolutely love fried rabbit.

How do you cook grouse when back country camping with just a cup and a stove?

Campfire/stick/roast it, or have a small pan and some oil (we'll have coconut oil as part of our food anyway) and some seasonings Or maybe we shoot a couple before season and eat them on one of the nights we'll be in a local cabin.

I switched a can over to my M&P22C a while ago and without fiddling with the sights I hit 4/5 on a tennis ball sized target at 15 yards offhand and once I figured out it was hitting a bit low (with CCI SV) I had no problem hitting an 8" plate 5/5 at 40 yards from a rest. I figure that makes me proficient out to perhaps 20 yards and that's about twice as far as the grouse I killed a couple years ago. I'm not a huge fan of open sights for hunting situations but in this instance I think a 2# pistol beats a 7# rifle and saves me buying yet another gun this summer.

ETA: Also, I was sort of worried about how loud a .22 pistol would be even with subs, but the noise level wouldn't bother me at all mid-day. I wouldn't shoot it early/late day during season if I was sitting somewhere hoping to see anything, but at midday with a bit of wind and leaves rustling and whatnot the noise is negligible.

 

[30338]

I don't leave guns in vehicles at trailheads. These days if I arrive early to scout a bit, I'll have my rifle in my pack with no ammo along vs leaving in camp/vehicle.

I'd pass on shooting grouse with an unfilled tag in my pocket.