What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
- Legband
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What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
Over the past few years I have reduced the size of the OU I shoot for doves , from 12 to 20 to 28 and now almost exclusively my .410 ,
I think its a safe bet that the 12 gauge is the gun of choice for your weekend warriors but is it for committed wing shooters as well ?
I was wondering what gauge and type of gun most of you shoot ?
I think its a safe bet that the 12 gauge is the gun of choice for your weekend warriors but is it for committed wing shooters as well ?
I was wondering what gauge and type of gun most of you shoot ?
Joe Hendrex
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
My son and I switch off between 12 and 20 gauge pumps.
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
I like a 20ga auto for doves. skeet tube and 7/8oz of #9s
A limit on the strap is nice, but the kill has nothing to do with tradition.
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
12 or 20. Whatever sounds good that day.
Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
Whatever gauge I shoot I do it for me and not for what I am hunting. They all kill what they hit so use what works best for you.
Ezzy
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
28 gauge for the last 25 years. I do not think it more sporting and does not prove I am a better shot. I just enjoy it for small birds; dove, quail, and woodcock.
I do not believe the. 410 kills cleanly enough for any live game.
I do not believe the. 410 kills cleanly enough for any live game.
Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
All I own now is 20ga. I think for upland birds over pointing dog they are about perfect.
Doves are fun for a tune-up for the real bird season to come later in the year, quail.
Doves are fun for a tune-up for the real bird season to come later in the year, quail.
Steve
- Legband
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
I can not speak for any one else but I did not have one dove that was not stone dead last season with my .410Neil wrote:28 gauge for the last 25 years. I do not think it more sporting and does not prove I am a better shot. I just enjoy it for small birds; dove, quail, and woodcock.
I do not believe the. 410 kills cleanly enough for any live game.
I realize its only ten per day but as for me the small gun causes me to bare down and take better shots.
Joe Hendrex
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
So you are saying you went 10 for 10, never missing, every time out? Knowing that unlikely, I say you are wounding birds you would kill cleanly with a larger gauge.Legband wrote:I can not speak for any one else but I did not have one dove that was not stone dead last season with my .410Neil wrote:28 gauge for the last 25 years. I do not think it more sporting and does not prove I am a better shot. I just enjoy it for small birds; dove, quail, and woodcock.
I do not believe the. 410 kills cleanly enough for any live game.
I realize its only ten per day but as for me the small gun causes me to bare down and take better shots.
One exception I will make is a youngster after bunnies, with larger shot and at least mod choke, the .410 does OK.
I have spent a lot of hours the pattern board. The. 410 just does not have enough payload to kill cleanly much beyond 20 yards, and dove rarely come that close. If you are a good enough shot to kill 50 - 60%, then I suspect many of those you think you mised, you didn't.
- Legband
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
No , not all last year I started with my 28 ga the last few hunts I shot my .410 almost every time
Of course there were missed birds but to my recollection the dog brought nothing back alive
And he has a very soft mouth , in point of fact the concentration on better, closer shots and the tighter pattern of the full and I.M. Chokes May send less wide pellets , to wound a bird , my point is and was you can kill doves cleanly with a .410 and not ruin the entire breast.
Of course there were missed birds but to my recollection the dog brought nothing back alive
And he has a very soft mouth , in point of fact the concentration on better, closer shots and the tighter pattern of the full and I.M. Chokes May send less wide pellets , to wound a bird , my point is and was you can kill doves cleanly with a .410 and not ruin the entire breast.
Joe Hendrex
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
I shoot them on the wing with a .410 handgun.
Mark
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
OK, you are right.Legband wrote:No , not all last year I started with my 28 ga the last few hunts I shot my .410 almost every time
Of course there were missed birds but to my recollection the dog brought nothing back alive
And he has a very soft mouth , in point of fact the concentration on better, closer shots and the tighter pattern of the full and I.M. Chokes May send less wide pellets , to wound a bird , my point is and was you can kill doves cleanly with a .410 and not ruin the entire breast.
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
The last dove I shot was with a 16 gauge, Auto 5....I would guess that scattergun will also shoot the next dove.
Whether the IC or M barrel was in place, I do not recall...which indicates the importance of either.
I have had a couple of 410s over the years and while they worked within their limits, as any gauge will, I saw and see little reason to make the 410 a choice du jour.
I would think that either the 12 or 20 semi-auto would be the wisest choice delivering the most bang for the buck.....shotgun action though, relatively unimportant and strictly a personal choice.
Same with shell used, or cap and boot worn.
Whether the IC or M barrel was in place, I do not recall...which indicates the importance of either.
I have had a couple of 410s over the years and while they worked within their limits, as any gauge will, I saw and see little reason to make the 410 a choice du jour.
I would think that either the 12 or 20 semi-auto would be the wisest choice delivering the most bang for the buck.....shotgun action though, relatively unimportant and strictly a personal choice.
Same with shell used, or cap and boot worn.
- displaced_texan
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
I shoot a 12ga 870 for everything with wings. The gun is ugly, but I shoot it well, and don't mind another scratch on it?
I have English Pointers because they don't ever grow up either...
Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
For doves i mostly use a Beretta O/U 20 cal and sometimes i take the semiauto benelli 12 cal...and always 8 or 71/2 shots.
Enjoy life, is too sort...free time is civilzation
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
I shoot both 12 and 20. I like the new 20 gauge I just bought. But will shoot some with both guns. Just like to tune up for season.
- gotpointers
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Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
My old faithful 16 guage side by side will go in the morning after work. But I picked up a Browning citori lighting sporting clays 12 guage over the summer and I will put it to the test. I don't expect to keep it past September dove but who knows.
Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
just bought a wothington 12 sxs (Stevens 315) and plan on using it to get used to it other that that I like a 20 o/u with 7 to 9 shot if I can find it . I did see rst sells a #10 shot.
I will take the dog and not the gun but never the gun without the dog !
Re: What's your favorite gauge of shot gun for Doves?
Good ol model 12 does it for me. I used to use a 410 when I was knockin them out of trees.