I have named my 28ga the "Dove-inator"
I shot fifteen with it on each of my last three outings. Plus a few bonus Eurasian doves.
Mine is a 28 gauge, 28" barrels, double triggers, straight stock, and splinter forend and it weighs only 5lbs 6oz. I have been shooting the Winchester AAs 3/4oz 7-1/2s, 1300 fps because that is what I happened to have had on my shell shelf.
It is choked .020 and .040. At 40 yards the right barrel puts all the shot in the circle. Left patterns about the same. Barrels are well regulated.
Took my shooting student Joe Wood with me yesterday evening. He took an old English hammergun. He managed to shoot 15 dove. Only took him nine boxes of shells. Of course he used some up shooting swallows. He had a hard time telling the two species apart. But I can understand that since both species are birds and both species fly. I had the dogs and so they would retrieve the swallows to me and I had to ditch them.
Taking Joe hunting is like taking a Troop of Brownies fly fishing.
We hunted an old abandoned farm home place that belongs to a friend's grandparents. The dove hang out there between meals and it was also on a flyway. Had the MoJos and sitting decoys out. My friends and guides Dane Swinburn and Austin Dunn were there too with their Labs. Naturally my French Brittanys were much to superior to their Labs in finding and retrieving the downed birds. My cranky little Molly felt it necessary to give Austin's eight month old pup a thorough ass whipping one time when they were going for the same bird.
Best,
Mike
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