Originally Posted by knowyourlimit

I reload so shell costs are a moot point for me. I too grouse hunt in ME, NY & PA. And for for that kind of walking, especially in some of the thicker hillisides where you always feel like you are walking with one leg on the upside or downside of a steep hill; I take my 6 lb. 20 ga. every time.

It's not about how much you can lambast your quarry but it is about the art of the hunt too. If you require food that bad, then use a 12 ga. I you want to be artistic about how you hunt, take a smaller gauge and challenge yourself.

My 83 year-old uncle, who carries a 28 ga., refers to my 20 ga. O/U as a "cannon."