Thanks for looking,

I've been hunting dove for quite a few years, mainly because thay seem to be the only plentiful game bird out and about. We don't have many Pheasants around here, and I've actually never seen one while hilding a shotgun, of course, I almost always run the fu*kers over on the road during the summer. They never seem to be out in numbers come hunting season. So I've pretty much stuck to hunting dove around here (and the occasional pigeon that wanders my way). I've found them to be pretty tough critters when it comes to getting them. Flying at 35mph (just a guess, they're cruising) the little birds are a challenge to hit at times.

I recently was given an old $150 11-48 Remington that my dad bought for me at the local gunshop as payment for helping lay laminate flooring in 2 rooms (I did one by myself......and I'd had NO experience with laminate flooring at this point), tearing down the old ceiling in the kitchen, putting a tounge and groove ceiling in our kitchen, wiring some can lights in the kitchen, wiring the fan in the kitchen, wiring some countertop lights with a central hidden touchpad to turn all 9 of them on, measuring for the countertop, and taking off all 14 cabinet doors and putting them back on for painting......twice. (Man, I must be really cheap labor)

Anyways, It's in great condition for $150 bargain rack shotgun and it has 28" Full choke barrel on it. I was having lots of fun plugging clays the day we picked it up and figured it would be a great dove gun. Turns out my idea was a little flawed. The clays don't move as fast as the doves and the center section of the doves are a little smaller than the cross-section of the clays. Well, here's my problem. I can't hit sh*t with this baby in the field. Last year, I was drilling 2 doves in 3 shots with my 870, but I've only gotten 3 doves so far this year, 2 of which I dropped into the cornfield and couldn't find. I have shot up about 18rds total so far and am not really happy with my results.

I think I'm gonna whip out my year old 870 and finish off the doves around here. I'm using the cheap $3.27 Winchester 12ga shells from Wally-World in the #6 persuasion. They worked REALLY well last year. From what I've experienced this weekend (been hunting twice so far, and I'm going again tomorrow) the 11-48 might go to clay shooting only. I could probably get used to the full choke barrel, but the 870 has a Modified choke tube in it that worked really well last year.

So, what kind of shotguns and ammo selections do you guys use for dove?

I'm thinking of getting some #7 1/2 or #8 to see if I can still use this baby, but the 870 is coming with me tomorrow to finish up the #6 shells I have.

WIZZO

Yeah, my mom bought one of those Charles Daly semi auto 20ga from Wal Mart a couple years ago. It's pretty neat, and is almost like cheating while shooting clays, but I like the 12ga more. All I'm doing is feeding the farm cats, anyways.

And don't any of you harp on me for that. I dropped 4 doves in the shed after hunting and the cats (only 2 of them at the time) turned all 4 of them into a couple piles of feathers by morning.

WIZZO

I'd try a hotter load. Give the Winchester AA super sport sporting calys shells a try--they're like 1350 fps.

The change in the pressure curve will tend to scatter the shot more, IIRC--kind of like using faster powder tends to give wider patterns. I'm not a dove hunter, but a lot of guys I know who do use those shells.

You could look into getting tubes put into the old gun, or buy an adjustable reamer and cut a bit out yourself, since you're obviously the DIY type. With the adjustable reamer, you'd just cut a couple of thousandths out at a time until you get the pattern you're looking for.

Well, the Winchester's I'm shooting now are "Super Speed Extra" and they're already throwing an ounce of shot at 1350fps.

I might look into the reamer, though.........never done anything like that before................like that will stop me

WIZZO

Quoted: I might look into the reamer, though.........never done anything like that before................like that will stop me WIZZO

Wizzo,
Bring that thing to the Buffalo Range next time you come. Ron (the RO) is a gunsmith and he can thread the inside of the barrel so you can put choke tubes in it. He is very reasonable. Here is a link to his web site if you want to check on a price.

Leber Custom Shop

Hell, that sounds like a pretty good idea too. That way I'm not stuck with one choke.

I'll keep that in mind next time I head down there.

Thanks,

WIZZO

Quoted: Quoted: I might look into the reamer, though.........never done anything like that before................like that will stop me WIZZO Wizzo, Bring that thing to the Buffalo Range next time you come. Ron (the RO) is a gunsmith and he can thread the inside of the barrel so you can put choke tubes in it. He is very reasonable. Here is a link to his web site if you want to check on a price. Leber Custom Shop

That's what I was saying about getting the tubes put into it. Whether that's possible depends on several factors, including whether it is chrome lined and how much wall thickness the barrel will have available after reaming and tapping. Different tube systems will work with thinner walls, but some guns will be impossible to install tubes in. Bottom line is that you'll have to have it measured, and it depends what style of tube(s) the 'smith has that can be installed.

The reamer I mentioned, and the reamer for screw in tubes will both die a quick death in a chrome lined barrel unless you get under the lining. You can test by trying a drop of cold blue inside the barrel--chrome won't color, period, but steel will. It's not impossible to do choke work on a chrome lined barrel, but there are those 'smiths that won't work on them.

Bottom line is, it's probably not impossible to get the work done, but you probably have a bit of legwork ahead of you.

Those winchester super speed shells from wally world are not very consistant either.  When I used to pick them up for cheap clays shells I shot terrible... looked like I was carrying a confetti gun sometimes even.  I switched to AA's and STS loads for clays and my scores went up considerably.  When we gonna have an ARFcom sporting clays shoot with the shotguns?  Pretty cool time if you have never done it.

Well, I went hunting today with my 870 and shot the only Dove I saw all day. (I won't say what road I was standing in the middle of, or that I locked up the brakes when sliding into the ditch because there were 30 of the damn things sitting on the power lines, when I shot it)

I just looked at the barrel and it does have chrome-lining. I didn't know shotguns had chrome-lining, but I could see the chrome come to the end of the barrel and overlap a little onto the very end of the muzzle.

I will give the more expensive shells a try and see how those go. I think there are some 12ga bargain shells from Remington there too. I think they were an ounce of #7's and they were pushing the shot at 1275fps. I'll buy a couple boxes of them, and a couple boxes of the $7.88 shells.

As you can surmise, I'm cheap. I refer to everything by it's price

We'll see how the 11-48 shoots with the more expensive stuff. While I'm at it, I might as well get a box of the $7.88 16ga shells because that's the only brand they have in that guage. It's always fun doing a little hunting with a 16 guage Model 12. The darn thing is as smooth as glass.

Well, I don't know if I'll get out hunting again 'til Thursday. Friday might be out because I'm thinking of asking this girl out on a date I'll most likely get some hunting in on Saturday and Sunday, though.

Thanks for the suggestions,

WIZZO

12 ga.Benelli Nova with Federal shells.Killed out in about hour and half.

By the way those Spinning Dove you can get at Wally World are a good investment.Brings em right in!

i just went, and the way i was shooting-i was better off with anti-aircraft shells.........


jake

With the full choke I'd go to the 7.5 or 8 shot shells.  Good luck!

Welp, I'm taking the 16ga Model 12 hunting today. It also has a full choke barrel, but I've had good luck with it. I got 5 boxes of the Winchester something or other. They were about $4.60 a box, and #8 shot, IIRC.

I did buy a couple different boxes of 12ga I need to test out as well, but that will have to wait until this weekend.

I'll report back on how thing went, later.

WIZZO