Live and learn

[Stan Hillis]

Shot doves a couple days ago over a sunflower field with my Parker DHE, having just gotten it back after having the triggers tuned to 3 1/2 (R) and 4 (L) lb. I was anxious to give her a try on birds. I decided to go with the 20 ga. set of barrels (32") because I wanted to try some "newly" acquired RST 20 ga. LITE loads. I was a bit skeptical of the light 3/4 oz. shot load on late season doves, but having done well on doves with 3/4 oz. in my .410s in previous years I had some confidence in them. The barrels on the 20 ga. set of barrels are choked X Full.

I got positioned on my stand about 3 pm and before long a "gent" drove up and set up directly in front of me, just far enough away for safety, but close enough to turn the doves away from me before they could get within range. I knew it was going to be a problem, and secretly was wishing I had brought a gun with a little more punch for longer distances. First dove I killed was at about 25 yards and I saw how hard the shot hit it before it fell. When I picked it up I was amazed at how hard it had been hit. It went on like that all afternoon with the little 3/4 oz. payload of 8s hammering doves down at ranges out to 45 yards.

It was proof positive to me of two things. One, that a light payload is greatly multiplied in killing ability by a tight choke and, two, that there can be a big difference in the same payload when going from a smaller bore to a larger one.

Ended the afternoon with 10, five short of a limit, but given the poor stand I ended up with I was happy. No pics yet, but soon. Got to get this jpgbox problem sorted out first.