Anyone use a short 10 for dove ?

[6pt-Sika]

A group of us about ten years ago started going out a couple times during the late December dove season here in Virginia . I carried my grandfathers W&C Scott crystal indicator 10 gauge with my go to load of 30 grains of SR7625 pushing 1 1/4 ounce of #8’s or 7 1/2’s . Probably killed 12-20 with it over a few trips combined .

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

A group of us about ten years ago started going out a couple times during the late December dove season here in Virginia . I carried my grandfathers W&C Scott crystal indicator 10 gauge with my go to load of 30 grains of SR7625 pushing 1 1/4 ounce of #8’s or 7 1/2’s . Probably killed 12-20 with it over a few trips combined .

Do you notice a big difference between the 7.5s and 8s ?

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Milton C Starr

Do you notice a big difference between the 7.5s and 8s ?

I actually don’t like 7 1/2’s that much . But since I started fooling with pheasents I like them for the first barrel and 6’s in the left barrel . As to dove I think they might be a skoosh better for the late season flight dove but if all I’ve got are 8’s or even 9’s it isn’t gonna stop me from going . A friend that moved to Colorado almost a year ago gave me four bags of Remington 7 1/2’s he’d had for about thirty years . I loaded some and used them for clays back before the crud hit and they broke targets very well especially the farther targets . I’ve since bought four more bags of 7 1/2’s to have in reserve . I suppose now I’ve got 10+ bags of 9’s same for 8’s and 6 or 7 bags of 7 1/2’s now . Got a couple bags of 8 1/2’s that came in a group of stuff I bought from the wife of a deceased friend , I don’t make an effort to keep 8 1/2’s but if I get them cheap enough I shoot them . Don’t ever keep more than a bag or two of 4’s or 6’s . Thirty years ago I’d buy chilled 9’s for 12 and 20 skeet loads , magnum 9’s for 28 and 410 skeet loads then for trap I bought chilled 8’s for 16 yard line and magnum 7 1/2’s for handicap and whatever I grabbed was okay for doubles all stations in skeet or trap .

[6pt-Sika]

My grandfathers old circa 1881 W&C Scott crystal indicater 10 gauge and a couple dove it plunked the first time we did the dove hunt between Xmas and New Years . The other guns a 16 gauge 30" Guild Gun thats choked tighter than the hinges of well you understand .

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

I actually don’t like 7 1/2’s that much . But since I started fooling with pheasents I like them for the first barrel and 6’s in the left barrel . As to dove I think they might be a skoosh better for the late season flight dove but if all I’ve got are 8’s or even 9’s it isn’t gonna stop me from going . A friend that moved to Colorado almost a year ago gave me four bags of Remington 7 1/2’s he’d had for about thirty years . I loaded some and used them for clays back before the crud hit and they broke targets very well especially the farther targets . I’ve since bought four more bags of 7 1/2’s to have in reserve . I suppose now I’ve got 10+ bags of 9’s same for 8’s and 6 or 7 bags of 7 1/2’s now . Got a couple bags of 8 1/2’s that came in a group of stuff I bought from the wife of a deceased friend , I don’t make an effort to keep 8 1/2’s but if I get them cheap enough I shoot them . Don’t ever keep more than a bag or two of 4’s or 6’s . Thirty years ago I’d buy chilled 9’s for 12 and 20 skeet loads , magnum 9’s for 28 and 410 skeet loads then for trap I bought chilled 8’s for 16 yard line and magnum 7 1/2’s for handicap and whatever I grabbed was okay for doubles all stations in skeet or trap .

Im not sure on dove but if they are similar size to our quail 9s are pretty deadly on them , then again quail are shot at almost point blank ranges at least here . Only thing I have used #4s on is squirrels and it really hammers them . I was thinking a duplex load of 6s and 8s would be interesting but from all the pattern testing ive seen duplex loads dont work out in practice as they do in theory .

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Milton C Starr

Im not sure on dove but if they are similar size to our quail 9s are pretty deadly on them , then again quail are shot at almost point blank ranges at least here . Only thing I have used #4s on is squirrels and it really hammers them . I was thinking a duplex load of 6s and 8s would be interesting but from all the pattern testing ive seen duplex loads dont work out in practice as they do in theory .

For September dove I'm all about 9's or 8 1/2's or 8's .

For the middle and late season birds I think you need a slightly larger size shot , but no larger than 7 1/2 .

I only use 6's for things like pheasents and stuff that has hair .

The 4's are kinda more of an in case while deer hunting with whatever .

I likes to have me plenty of OPTIONS

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

For September dove I'm all about 9's or 8 1/2's or 8's .

For the middle and late season birds I think you need a slightly larger size shot , but no larger than 7 1/2 .

I only use 6's for things like pheasents and stuff that has hair .

The 4's are kinda more of an in case while deer hunting with whatever .

I likes to have me plenty of OPTIONS

Looking at the season dates for dove here Dove Statewide
Sept. 5–30
Nov. 21–Nov. 29
Dec. 8–Jan. 31.
It will probably be the Dec 8 - Jan 31 dates that I can go on . Our peanut harvest season is about to be here and we run that 7 days a week until sometime November .

Options are always nice , I remember the last time me and my oldest brother were deer hunting all we seen were large squirrels . I remember thinking I wish I had brought a shotgun instead of a 300 WM haha .