My dad and I did a lot of dove shooting for 40 years with a variety of individuals. The best were those who consistently managed to knock down a lot of doves regardless of conditions.
Charles R. was a guy who drove a pulpwood truck and favored heavy 12ga autoloaders. He inherited a lot of land and he could have retired before he hit 40, but driving a truck was what he did, so he kept driving. My dad also was a fine shot, again he favored heavy autoloaders with long barrels. We shot in any weather, high wind, wet, cold, didn't matter. Charles and my dad always put birds on the ground.
I'll admit to being a little discouraged in the past few years as far as thinking of those I considered outstanding shots. When I've read accounts of dove shooters lately, there have been a fairly large percentage who claim to have killed one bird with one shot or thereabouts, and have gotten their limit with barely more than a half box of shells. I think about those blustery days with the wind howling, the birds coming in high with a tailwind, twisting and turning over the field. If those shooters can average close to one bird per shell in those conditions, my hat is off to them. Maybe we weren't such good shots after all back in the day.
I love late season Dove hunting above anything else. Big birds, strong fliers, educated by weeks of hunting and tail winds to make their flights a true adventure. For those I leave the .410 home and break out a 32 Sterlingworth. But my shell ratio still goes way up. I dont look for high percentage shots. What do you learn from taking them? Nothing. If I want safe shots Ill take my 42 to the Sporting Clays range. Be proud of knowing the difference between safe, easy, and much harder, more frustrating it also more rewarding hunting.
