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We’re less than one month away from a date that fieldsports enthusiasts up and down the country have been counting down to for months – The Glorious Twelfth! It marks the start of grouse season and the chance to pull on tweed and head up into the moors for some of the most thrilling shooting in the sporting calendar. The poor 2024 season is already a distant memory, and we know many of our customers have their sights set on a day (or two) when the twelfth comes around. Here’s hoping for sunny days, blue skies and tweed clothing-friendly temperatures (no more heatwaves, please!) – plus excellent sport, of course.

Here are some of our top tips to get ready for the Glorious Twelfth so that you can make the very most of your time spent on the moors. There’s nothing else quite like it in the world, so time spent preparing is never time wasted. Let’s take a look!

Get your gun in ship shape

Grouse days are renowned for offering fast and furious shooting, with fast and low grouse on one drive and high birds to challenge you on the next. That’s why it’s essential that your gun is working perfectly on the day. Just imagine if an issue presents itself once you’re ensconced in the grouse butt waiting for the first drive of the day to begin… Our on-site gunsmith, James Reynolds, has availability in the coming weeks to service your gun and identify if there’s any work that needs doing. You can take a look at his website here and make an appointment ahead of time. If your game gun hasn’t seen the light of day since the end of last season, make sure you get it out for a clean at the very least, well before your day’s grouse shooting.

Sharpen up your skills

Now that you know your gun is firing smoothly and working well, make sure you’re ready to give it your best shot too! A couple of lessons will help you to get your eye in and identify any bad habits that could be affecting your strike rate. We offer hour-long lessons, or you can go for the ‘game changer’, a half day that includes a delicious lunch and will get your shooting on point before your day in the field. Explore our lessons here and let us know if you have any questions.

Get the right kit to stay comfortable and stylish

Country colours are essential to avoid birds flying around rather than over you, so perhaps select a lightweight tweed waistcoat or jacket in classic toad green and light earth brown tweeds. It could be a scorcher, so bear in mind your layers also need to be acceptable, so think of a checked shirt in country colours. Wear a tie for driven grouse shoots and smarter walked up days and remember sturdy and supportive boots for walking across the rough terrain of the moorland. Keep an eye on the forecast, as a cool and rainy day on the moors, even in August, can be miserable if you don’t have a waterproof jacket and over trousers with you.

Know your etiquette

If it’s your first day on a driven game shoot (or it’s been decades and you’re not quite sure you remember all the key points!), it’s a great time to remind yourself of proper grouse shooting etiquette. That includes making sure you have a gun slip with a carrying strap and a sizable cartridge bag (and plenty of cartridges to fill it with). Remember to only fire at birds that you can see clear air all the way around and don’t poach neighboring gun’s birds! If you’re unsure of positions and kit in a grouse butt (for example, how to use butt sticks), then simply ask. Remember, our game changer lesson can be tailored to cover specific quarry, so if you’d like to be totally clued up on grouse shooting before you go, get booked in now.

And finally, do not forget your shotgun certificate!

Grouse loads

We are freshly stocked up with the best grouse loads on offer from our English manufacturers. The red grouse does not require a big thumpy load to provide a clean kill. Over the years, most have settled on a light, fast payload normally 28 grams of 6 shot. Many kills are at closer range and therefore to preserve the carcass of the bird, a smaller load weight and maximum of 6 shot is preferred – even 7’s work well!

In a 20 gauge the same ethos is applied, however a 25 or 26gm is the ‘sweet spot’.

Another important point to consider when limiting your chosen shot size is the location of the extremely hard grafting beaters. A larger pellet, such as a 5, which may not sound significantly larger actually holds 30% more weight. This can drastically increase the risk of injury if an unlucky beater falls into the path of a poorly considered shot.

All of the options below are perfect for partridge and the larger pheasant if you happen to find some stragglers in your cartridge bag after the final day on the moor! Therefore do not be afraid to take advantage of our healthy discounts on the 1000 rate offered at TSG.

Our favorites are featured below:

Hull Imperial Game 28gm 6

This is one of the most highly respected game loads of the previous 2 decades, and is still a firm choice of the most seasoned heather heroes. Exceptional smooth recoil and a true 65mm case make these suitable for all guns, even old english relics. These produce the best patterns of any shell we have ever tested – through all chokes. They may be considered a light load, however the slow burning powder throws tight patterns that hold at range. My personal favorite through the lightest 25” ‘Churchill” style guns is the 26gm 6 variant that acts like a laser beam! Both loads are available at TSG this season.

Gamebore Grouse Extreme 29gm & 31gm 6

This rocket from Gamebore offers some serious velocity, mainly due to their Quad Seal technology which maximises gas obturation. Diamond high-polished shot, produced by their very own shot time holds speed and it’s at range due to high concentricity. The 29gm is absolutely ample for all grouse needs and can even tackle taller pheasants, the 31gm will suit those used to slightly more ‘punch’.

Thimbleby 266 26gm 20 Gauge

Our house loaded 26gm cartridge has been designed as a jack of all trades, and happens to be a master of all! 26 grams is what the 20 bore was originally developed to use and produces far more uniform patterns than weightier counterparts. It also produces better velocity and smooth recoil as less powder is required to accelerate to 12 bore velocities.

Not only is the 266 a great performer, but it is one of the best value options on the market, ideal for clays, pigeons, pheasant, partridge and the mighty grouse!