what load for dove?

[Morgoroth]

I am going dove hunting for the first time this weekend and I am not sure what load size I should get.

I know I need lead free stuff and that my 20g Mossburg will take up to a 3 inch shell. But I have gotten a lot of conflicting reports on what load and size shot I should use.

I know dove are not really that big, but some of the suggestions I have gotten seem like overkill.

Then again I am pretty new to this, being that it is my first time and all.

Any suggestions would be great.

[Artie]

I use 2 3/4" (anything else would be overkill) and 7 1/2 shot. As far as brands go, I don't like off brands but you should be able to find something by Remington or Winchester for small game that works fine and is inexpensive. Usually the Remington boxes will have a Dove on them, so that makes it pretty easy.

[oneounceload]

You need non-toxic for where you are hunting? Around here, lead is still used - in a 20 gauge, 7-1/2 works just fine, as does 8, 8-1/2 as well.

[Morgoroth]

Thanks!

Yeah, I think it is non-toxic in NC. Of course now that I think about it, that could just be for water fowl.

[Dave McC]

7/8 oz of either 7.5s or 8s will kill any dove on the planet if inserted correctly. Dove are easy to kill, just hard to hit.

[BigJimP]

I like 1 oz of 8's ...at around 1225 fps ......in a 12 ga.

I go with 7/8 oz of 8's in a 20ga at 1200 fps

[Deerhunter]

I like high velocity 7.5 for doves. The extra velocity is nice after the doves start getting shot at.

Biggest thing is that if the doves are headed at you to hold still for as long as you can. They are real fast and you will be surprised at how fast they change direction and are out of range.

[Scubasimmons]

Cheapest boxes of 7 1/2s I can find. (12 ga 2 3/4").

If you've never been you'll miss the first few, but they are a blast to shoot.

Enjoy.

[Morgoroth]

Sorry for the bump of an old post, but how many boxes of shells should I need?

I am going tomorrow, I post back if I get any.

[oneounceload]

but how many boxes of shells should I need?

Well, if you're a REALLY good shot, and they're close, less than one - for ME, I always bring too much - I can always bring it home. Around where I live, 2-3 shots per dove seems to be the norm in the early season, 3-4 in the late one. For me, it's more like 10-12........

[Miata Mike]

Buy yourself a 100 box at WalMart for Like $21. Bring home what you don't need.

[LanceOregon]

High velocity ammo is the key to success, as they require less lead. Avoid low velocity target ammo.

Doves are so fast that you really need to lead them quite a bit.

Federal's Wing Shot High Velocity ammo with a 1 1/8 oz load of 7.5 shot is probably the best, as its velocity is 1,500 fps.

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[Dave McC]

Lance.....

Recently I stood in a power line cut and took shots at dove as they came in for gravel off the dirt road down the middle. I used the new to me SKB 20 gauge and AA target loads of 8s at about 1200 FPS, far from High Velocity stuff.

Ranges varied from about 25 to 35 yards. Most were coming in but I took a few going out.

15 shots, 9 birds. Not much of a test, but consistent with past results.

IMO, high velocity isn't needed. Full patterns of hard round shot as found in good target loads is. Try some and see.

[LanceOregon]

IMO, high velocity isn't needed.

It is certainly not necessary. But it does allow for a shorter lead, so it does have a practical advantage. Most people miss game birds by not leading them enough, and shooting behind them.

Federal used to make a great affordable 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch 7/8 oz load loaded to 1,450 fps, and I had great luck with them. Unfortunately, though, Federal no longer sells that load anymore. The closest thing to it now is the 1 oz loaded to 1,500 fps load that I mentioned earlier.

That discontinued load was actually heavy enough to function fine in all of my Beretta autoloading shotguns, despite only having 7/8 oz of shot in the shells.

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[oneounceload]

The difference between 1200 and 1250 or 1300 at 35 yards is about 1-2 inches. If that was rifle shots, it would be significant - since you're talking about a 30" pattern, to me, that isn't enough to tell or judge. More important to ME, is a gun that is lively to move s they juke and dive in the air. A heavy-barreled gun ideal for sporting clays would better be left home for a 6# 20 that is balanced perfectly between the hands

[Dave McC]

1oz, the gun I used was the little SKB 20 I recently acquired. 6 lbs,11 oz and balances right on the knuckle. By any standard I can apply, it's a decent dove gun.

I have used the Beretta O/U clay cruncher, but at 8 lbs it's a bit ponderous for best work on dove. At least for me.

Lance, for decades I've preferred target loads for dove vs "Dove" generics. Better patterns, better impact since round shot keep velocity better and oft go farther into the bird. Use the loads you cite if you wish, but your good results, IMO, are more from better components than just speed.

[LanceOregon]

The difference between 1200 and 1250 or 1300 at 35 yards is about 1-2 inches. If that was rifle shots, it would be significant - since you're talking about a 30" pattern, to me, that isn't enough to tell or judge. More important to ME, is a gun that is lively to move s they juke and dive in the air. A heavy-barreled gun ideal for sporting clays would better be left home for a 6# 20 that is balanced perfectly between the hands

Actually, based upon my experience, just the opposite of what you say here has proven to be true.

I'm talking about going to ammo in the 1,450 to 1,500 range. That is considered to be high velocity ammo. And the difference in required lead is indeed significant, and not minor as you have suggested. To go from 1,200 to 1,500 fps is a 25% increase in velocity.

I believe that a lightweight gun is the worst possible firearm to use for any serious shooting at a challenging target. They simply don't have the same sort of momentum built up in them when you swing them. It makes it far easier to stop your swing prematurely, which is a leading cause of most shooters missing their targets.

The adrenalin from hunting is more than enough for me to get my shotguns moving fast. While I agree that a true target range gun weighing in the range of 8 or 9 lbs would not be appropriate for field hunting, a gun around 7 1/4 lbs is just perfect for me. There is no need at all to with a 6 lb shotgun, unless you are a woman or a kid that has limited upper body strength.

Anyway, this pretty much sums up my opinions and experience on this topics. I have to simply disagree, for the reasons stated above.

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[oneounceload]

I'm talking about going to ammo in the 1,450 to 1,500 range. That is considered to be high velocity ammo. And the difference in required lead is indeed significant, and not minor as you have suggested. To go from 1,200 to 1,500 fps is a 25% increase in velocity.

Of all the patterning over the years, the worst came from using ammo as fast as what you are talking about - wide open, blown patterns with gaps big enough for grouse to get through, let alone quail. If they work in YOUR gun, good for you.

Really fast shells with small shot also tend to lose velocity quickly - what they are reading at 3' from the muzzle does not extrapolate out to 30 yards and beyond

[Dave McC]

If it works for you, Lance, then fine. But.....

Read Brister on high velocity and how much it degrades within max range when using smaller shot.IIRC, the difference between a load starting off at 1200 FPS and one at 1350 FPS was 35 FPS at 45 yards.

Agreed on gun weight. I do my best field work with shotguns going from 6.25 to 7 lbs. They need a bit of inertia for me. Were I a grouse hunter in thick brush "poking" shots, maybe it wouldn't matter, but I am not.

The guns I do best with on dove are not as ponderous as my clay guns, but the downside is they are more twitchy,sensitive and prone to stopping. They tend to be a bit weight forward, longish barrels and moderate chokes.

[oneounceload]

a gun around 7 1/4 lbs is just perfect for me. There is no need at all to with a 6 lb shotgun, unless you are a woman or a kid that has limited upper body strength

It has nothing to do with upper body strength - if it did, shooting the 6# gun would require more than shooting the 7.5# gun. If you have ever spent days climbing uphill several thousand feet after chukar, then you can appreciate a gun that weighs 6 pounds over one weighing 7.5. It's all in the balance - a 6# can be configured to handle just like your 7.5#, and that added weight can be replaced by more ammo or a sandwich........
I'll take a 6# 20 over a 7.5# 20 or 12 in that scenario EVERY time.
For flat land walk-ups for quail over a good dog, then 7.5# is easily doable.
YMMV

[stegar1]

i use # 8's 12 ga 2 3/4

[zippy13]

Select your loads according to your anticipated shooting environment. Opening day, the dove may be dense and so close you can almost bring them down with a flyswatter -- light and slow loads are appropriate. Later in the season, the survivors will have smartened up and you'll likely need to take longer shots.

As far a seeing your leads, you are best served by using the same velocity shells you practice with. As BigJimP noted, he uses 1200 and 1225 loads where I use loads a little slower than his. I'm happy using my target reloads for dove (assuming an area where lead is allowed). For opening day, I'd select a small gun and some of my "windy day" skeet loads in 8s or 8-1/2s. For later in the season, I'll go with my 7-1/2 trap loads.

The best way to get dove is to be well practiced before the season starts. As our moderator, Dave McC, says in is signature, BA/UU/R… (Buy ammo, use up, repeat). I don't know how many times I've seen casual dove hunters practicing the weekend before opening day: Their gun handling looks clumsy and they miss the majority of their practice targets. After a round, or two, of shooting holes in the sky, they figure they are up-to-speed and depart muttering something like, "I hope we're luckier this year than we were last year."

[oneounceload]

The best way to get dove is to be well practiced before the season starts. As our moderator, Dave McC, says in is signature, BA/UU/R… (Buy ammo, use up, repeat). I don't know how many times I've seen casual dove hunters practicing the weekend before opening day: Their gun handling looks clumsy and they miss the majority of their practice targets. After a round, or two, of shooting holes in the sky, they figure they are up-to-speed and depart muttering something like, "I hope we're luckier this year than we were last year."

Ain't THAT the truth!......they're starting to show up here for their annual "blow the cob webs out of the barrel practice" and then mutter as you said ......