doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Excessive loads for doves

The manufacturers bring to market what they are relatively certain will sell. I don't blame the ammo companies for that, I blame uninformed shooters.

Fred Kimble's shotgunning should be studied closely by every bird hunter. He shot some magnum loads, but at lower velocities. That's what the term magnum originally meant . . . a heavier than normal payload, not necessarily crazy high velocity.

Density on target, with the needed kinetic energy, is what kills birds. That can be accomplished often with tighter chokes and standard payloads, at longer distances.

I would add that I prefer larger shot than normally recommended for shooting most birds at longer than average range.

The issue with the dove is pattern density. Though 6 shot is a deadly killer, beyond 45 yards even a full choke pattern will often have holes in it with #6 shot. #7 shot is a great compromise but seldom found in factory ammunition.

One of the best dove loads I’ve used in factory ammo is the paper Federal gold medal 2 3/4 1 1/8 7.5. The similar Win AA is probably as good.

I’ve never enjoyed shooting doves at 15 yards with a wide open choke as they are going to roost. Just not challenging. The beauty of dove shooting is pass shooting and challenging yourself to push the limits of range and the evasive moves of doves in the wind.

Unlike Stan who kills a lot of birds with light loads, I have found that I miss just as many with light loads as I have done when shooting heavier loads but with a lot less shoulder pain. Gil

I can't remember the last time I shot anything over 1 oz., and that includes 12 gauge.

Yes that’s a lot of horse power for a dove. Like Geoffi can’t remember the last time I shot over an oz of shot or anything bigger than 7 1/2.

I shoot a goodly amount of 1 1/4 oz. loads at ducks . . . bismuth. I lean towards the heavy side because it's so easy to lose a wounded duck. It'll dive, grab a root in its beak and hang on until it drowns. I've seen woodies do it many times.

I'm much, much less likely to lose a crippled dove, so my dove loads range from 3/4 oz. in .410, to 7/8 oz. in my 20s, to 1 oz. in the late season in my 16s. Doves in December and January are much more tenacious of life than the early season birds.

I seldom use a 12 for doves. I love my 30" and 32" barreled 16s in the late season.

I want to make a correction to my opening statement in which I said "tens of thousands of doves". I realized after reading another post on the thread that what I wrote was inaccurate. What I meant was "over ten thousand doves". My apologies for my carelessness and inaccuracy.