shot size for dove

sky hawk

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I ordered a few cases of AA Super Sport last week. Gonna see if those are better than the Super X heavy dove loads that I normally use. They are going a little faster and supposedly have harder shot than the cheaper loads. I would expect at the least they are more consistent. I'm going to pattern them for fun.
 
pattersonj11

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
JJWise said:
I’ve been shooting cases of the cheap Federal 7.5s at the skeet and trap range and that’s probably what I’ll take for dove
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I shot federal 7.5s last year. They were cheap boxes from Walmart with the retro looking pictures. They absolutely hammered. I was choked fairly tight. I think I had modified in the 870 and full/mod in the over/under. Those shells hit and killed well. I didn’t see many cripples at all.
 
Bailey Boat

Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
From a component standpoint there is a HUGE difference between a premium shell (AA's) and the 4.99 box of promo shells.
The premium shell is going to be loaded with a magnum (hard) shot and a compressible wad column and cleaner burning powder whereas the promo shell is going to use chilled (soft) shot and a folded wad and will burn about as dirty as black powder.
The better wad results in a better pattern and the harder shot holds that pattern longer with fewer flyers. A folded wad cannot protect the shot traveling down the barrel as well as a compressible wad and the patterns won't be as consistent.

That's what got me into reloading to begin with, I could have anything I wanted (shot size, amount and speed) at less cost than premium shells, and usually cheaper than promo shells. If you're serious about a shotgun reloading is the way to fly....

Like the old saying, "Ya get's what ya pay for"....
 
Loganwayne

Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
well im taking 150 reloads down with me for me and my buddy. Hopefully he can shoot something with the mojos and still decoys right out in front of him
 
Loganwayne

Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
Troutbum82 said:
Them Mojos create low birds. I’m not going to say anything about the 3 boxes ea.
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Last year I shot less than a box for my 15, he was on his third or forth.
I had already shot three birds while he was on the phone and getting his chair set up. He can shoot a rifle but sucks with a shot gun


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darkthirty

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Bailey Boat said:
From a component standpoint there is a HUGE difference between a premium shell (AA's) and the 4.99 box of promo shells.
The premium shell is going to be loaded with a magnum (hard) shot and a compressible wad column and cleaner burning powder whereas the promo shell is going to use chilled (soft) shot and a folded wad and will burn about as dirty as black powder.
The better wad results in a better pattern and the harder shot holds that pattern longer with fewer flyers. A folded wad cannot protect the shot traveling down the barrel as well as a compressible wad and the patterns won't be as consistent.

That's what got me into reloading to begin with, I could have anything I wanted (shot size, amount and speed) at less cost than premium shells, and usually cheaper than promo shells. If you're serious about a shotgun reloading is the way to fly....

Like the old saying, "Ya get's what ya pay for"....
Click to expand...

Not saying you’re not correct but I see it every year. Doves are no different than ducks. The vast majority of people shoot at doves they have no business shooting at. Most blame the shells when they should be blaming themselves. That bird they were shooting for 30 yards, was most likely 40, 45 or even 50 yards. I’ve shot hundreds of birds with reloads loaded with reclaimed shot. Plain old ugly, dirty, misshaped shot.
To be honest, there’s no added benefit to shooting the premium shells like sts’s or AA’s unless you’re gonna reload. And you can’t really blame the average “weekend warrior opening day only dove hunter” for choosing the $4.99 box of shells instead of the $8.99+ box of shells. The promo shells kill tens of thousands of birds every year, but if people would simply know the limitations of their shells and patterns, they’d kill a lot more birds. They’re not hard to kill, but most hunters unknowingly make it a lot more difficult than it has to be.
 

CBD21

Eight Pointer
darkthirty said:
Not saying you’re not correct but I see it every year. Doves are no different than ducks. The vast majority of people shoot at doves they have no business shooting at. Most blame the shells when they should be blaming themselves. That bird they were shooting for 30 yards, was most likely 40, 45 or even 50 yards. I’ve shot hundreds of birds with reloads loaded with reclaimed shot. Plain old ugly, dirty, misshaped shot.
To be honest, there’s no added benefit to shooting the premium shells like sts’s or AA’s unless you’re gonna reload. And you can’t really blame the average “weekend warrior opening day only dove hunter” for choosing the $4.99 box of shells instead of the $8.99+ box of shells. The promo shells kill tens of thousands of birds every year, but if people would simply know the limitations of their shells and patterns, they’d kill a lot more birds. They’re not hard to kill, but most hunters unknowingly make it a lot more difficult than it has to be.
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But anybody can hit the close birds haha I agree it don’t really matter what you shoot keep them in range and they fold up. Usually run whatever cheap 8’s I pick up or clever Magic’s I got leftover from shooting skeet.
 
woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Homebrewale said:
s watching a high flying dove
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crew I used to (key on USED to) hunt opening day with would chastise me for not shooting at every dove within sight,,,,,they'd yell "can't kill em if you don't shoot at them",,,

I'd yell back "I only shoot at ones close enough to kill",,,,

knuckle heads
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
Two other observations of opening day:

I'm sure plenty of non-dove birds get shot. Anything flying gets shot at.

I cheer for the low-flying doves that fly across the field and 20 hunters miss it. I'm probably one of them that shot.
 

gangrig252

Guest
Early season, 8's and full choke. Late season, high brass 7 and full choke...modified if hunting in the snow
 
Loganwayne

Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
Homebrewale said:
Some of the best entertainment during opening day is watching a high flying dove fly over a field and about 20 hunters shoot multiple times at it.
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First year I hunted public on opening day we limited on high flyers. I had a half box of AA tracer wads and we used them to dial in on how far to Lead the birds (ended up being double what I thought it would be). When we left we gave the old man beside us the rest of what I had and told him to give them a try


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nccatfisher

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Homebrewale said:
Some of the best entertainment during opening day is watching a high flying dove fly over a field and about 20 hunters shoot multiple times at it.
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Yeah, and many times if you pay attention you will see that and then there will be that one fellow it flies over after that barrage and bam and down it comes. I used to see that when watching a field, especially on public land.
 
sky hawk

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
woodmoose said:
crew I used to (key on USED to) hunt opening day with would chastise me for not shooting at every dove within sight,,,,,they'd yell "can't kill em if you don't shoot at them",,,

I'd yell back "I only shoot at ones close enough to kill",,,,
Click to expand...

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I'm not out there trying to set any records on how few shells it takes to get a limit, but I don't care for wasting shells at birds clearly out of range. It does rub me the wrong way when I know guys are intentionally shooting at birds out of range. Still, I have killed enough at longer ranges to try a longer shot here or there. Dove hunting is fun. I try to keep it that way.
 
pattersonj11

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You can take the cheap promo shells, choke up, and get similar patterns. We shoot competitive sporting clays. No masters in our immediate group but some A, B, C class shooters. Everyone in my normal group has shot scores into the 90s. I only see premium shells on a few different folks. Even most of the AA class and Master class shooters are shooting $5 boxes.
 
pattersonj11

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If you want to shoot high birds or far birds, 8s will not be your friend. 7.5s and 6s will give you the reach if you have the lead right.
 
Bailey Boat

Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
I agree with all of the above statements, particularly the shots taken at the high birds. It doesn't matter what you're shooting shell wise, if it's not within range you're going to miss more than you hit so why not make it cheap......
I can hardly wait for the show next Monday..... I've got a ring side seat.....
 
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