Doves

[Dave Moore]

I shoot lots of doves, all year 'round. Here are some easy tips and thoughts:

When looking for a shooting spot, stand next to something and in the shade, it blocks your outline and movement. It will make far more difference than camo or a face mask.

Doves are not big birds, you will kill them just as dead and just as far with 7/8oz of #8 at less than 1200 fps than you will with 1 1/8 oz of #6 at 1350 fps. If you are chasing them through the brush or they are sailing off it is because your shot was off not because you did not have powerful enough ammo. I have mostly been shooting ammo that is factory seconds or cosmetic rejects because I buy them for $3 a box and I just shoot whatever load comes along. I have used shot sized from #5 to #9 and gauges from 12 to 410. I can honestly tell you that my bird counts are not significantly different whether I am shooting a 1/2oz of #9 from a .410 or 1 1/4oz of #6 from a 12ga. Light loads shoot softer and most people will shoot better with a load that does not kick them.

The best piece of advise for killing more doves for the average shooter: lead them more.