1 1/8 oz.? 1 1/4 oz.? What velocity? I've been using Wally World specials but I'm not sure that's the way to go.

I use Gold Medal 1 1/8 oz heavy Trap loads 7 1/2 or 8 .

I then use the hulls for reloading Steel shot and Hevi Shot for ducks .
If you don't reload you should be able to sell the hulls for 1-3 cent a piece.

Wally world specals are cheap because they are loaded with soft shot in a cheap wad using the cheapest/dirtyest powder around.
In a hull that is poor to junk for reloading .
This means the patterens will suck compaired to good loads IMO

Johnch

I prefer the 1 1/4 oz with 7 1/2 size shot loads from 1220 -1330 FPS.

1 or 1 1/8 oz target/trap loads. velocity is 1250.
As for the promo stuff at wally and other such places, the reason they're cheap is they cut all the corners they can. Get good quality ammo and you won't be sorry

I've been using the promo stuff from the new Cabelas in Wheeling,WVa. It's from Estate Cartridge Inc. Box says 1&1/8oz 1255fps. I've been using the 7&1/2 shot and this stuff rocks!
If you want to powder doves this stuff works better than high brass loads I've used. Couple years ago I order Remington 9 shot, this was high brass and worked really well, but I like this Estate ammo. I've used Walmart's specials but don't really care for it, it doesn't seem to have the same punch. I can also tell a big difference when shooting clay birds, the Estate ammo seems to shoot much better. Of course if it meant hunting doves or not I'd use whatever was available! Gotta love dove hunting!!!Joe

My favorite 12 ga dove load is 7/8 ounce of 7 1/2's ........ in a 20 gauge. I reserve my 12 ga for shooting pterodactyls.

I agree with Chic, 20 ga. is the tool for doves.

My Beretta 303 Sporting Clays 20 ga. is my favorite dove killer, 7/8 oz. to start and 1 oz. for the late season, both 7 1/2's.

I have to travel a bit now for doves since we don't have em' on the North Coast.

But in my home area I had a ranch reservoir I hunted that was in a little canyon, suurounded by grazing lands. With lemon orchards on the bottom lands below. Major flights into the reservoir every morning and evening, superb shooting.

Best thing was that the Mexicans who worked on the ranches loved eating doves (palomas !!) and took all we'd give em'. Thus we hunted almost every day of the season about 1 mile from home.

i've been using up a case of ammo I got a few years ago, it's the 7/8 oz of #6 shot, but it was the cheapo wal-mart special and yes, it shoots very dirty. seems to work just fine in my old clunker (with adjustable choke), and hardly any kick. but what I really like to use my remington 20 ga with the federal long range load, 1oz of #4, seems to reach out nicely. now if only those damn doves would stop moving around so much and hold still for me!

Either Remington Dove loads 1 1/8 #7 12g or Winchester AA Super Sporting Clays 1 #7 12g, both are fast and hold well with Light Modified choke in my Beretta Extrema.

Well, after Saturday I have decided my favorite 12 gaguge Dove load is 1 1/4 oz. of #8 in a AA field load, I don't know if I'm getting better at this or if the little bit of extra shot helped, probably a combination, but I piled up more birds than I have in the last three years combined.

My favorite is Winchester super speeds 7/8oz. 7 1/2. This year I'm going to try Federal field and range.. 1oz, #8's.
I like the Rem. sure shots but the super speeds have less recoil and I like that for my 12ga. SXS.

i use my trap loads 19 grains of red dot with 1 ounce of 7 1/2

More than an ounce of shot is a waste. More than 1200-1275 fps is unnecessary and only boosts the kick. Trap and skeet loads provide a better pattern (due to the one-piece wad and perhaps harder shot), but the el-cheapo promo loads will drop about 98 of the 100 birds that the higher priced trap loads do. Two extra misses at competition targets hurts your score, but two out of a hundred would-be hits on doves is irrelavent to whether you get your limit. Bottom line is, if you don't use the hulls for reloading then for the money you're as well off with the promos.

But please, whether you save your hulls or not, pick them up and don't leave them scattered around like so much plastic trash.

NOTE: Just as with rifles, some shotguns throw a much better pattern with some shells than with others. Patterning your particular gun can be important when selecting a load.

My dove load is 1 1/4 oz #4 or #6 mag. Those armor plated Doves fly off every time I try #7.5's I have since switched to 20ga but still like #6 shot.

I got my friend to try #8 with 3" shells and I beleive it was 1 5/8 oz or more. He loves these shells but he also likes to empty his pump every time he sees a bird.

quote:

More than an ounce of shot is a waste.

IF you're good at this but I'm not, I need ALL the help I can get and that extra 1/4 oz. seems like the ticket

Tried some Rio, I think, what do Ya,ll think of it? Made in Spain I think.

Home grown, 1oz of #7 1/2 @ 1185fps from my 16 Gauge.

Hog Killer

These are little bitty birds!!

28 ga AA hull, 3/4oz of #8s, AA pink wad with 13 grs of Universal Clays run thru a MEC 650 delivered by a Rem 870 with Improved Cyl or modified if you must. Skeet guns work great inside 30 yds or so..if you're on the bird, they will die!!

invader66

I have used Rio and been very pleased with the ammo. Uniform paterns, clean burning and pretty stout loads

http://www.ueec.es/Ingles/MainMenuIngles.htm

Cheers
/JOHAN

quote:

Originally posted by kend:

quote:

More than an ounce of shot is a waste.

IF you're good at this but I'm not, I need ALL the help I can get and that extra 1/4 oz. seems like the ticket

Doesn't matter how much lead you put in the air if your gun is pointed in the wrong place. A miss with two ounces of shot is the same as a miss with a half ounce of shot. As Lowrider says, "if you're on the bird, they will die".

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

Doesn't matter how much lead you put in the air if your gun is pointed in the wrong place. A miss with two ounces of shot is the same as a miss with a half ounce of shot. As Lowrider says, "if you're on the bird, they will die".

That's right....but if you're just close the extra will help otherwise you would only need one pellet in the shell

My friends laughed at me all summer for shooting carpenter bees with my Daisy Red Rider on the wing. I averaged about 5 shots per bee and it was great practice for instintive shooting.

I've seen some really average shooters turn into pretty damn good shooters by going from a 12ga to a 28 ga because they had to concentrate a lot more with the smaller gun. The .410 seems to be too much of a challenge, but the 28 is just right....it's worth a try if you've never used one before.

1 oz. trap loads whether AA, Federal ,etc. will work find. Personally I wouldn't take anything bigger than a 20 for doves.

quote:

The .410 seems to be too much of a challenge, but the 28 is just right....it's worth a try if you've never used one before.

I have to agree with that observation. The .410 is a kind of "expert's gun". It's range is limited because the 1/2 ounce of shot just can't fill out a pattern beyond a certain yardage. And going to a 3" shell with 11/16 ounce doesn't help much because the shot string becomes so elongated that you have the same relative sparcity of shot in the effective pattern. On the other hand, the 3/4 oz in a 28 seems to be just the right combination to reach about as far as relatively small birdshot is effective and still maintain a nice, even pattern. I like 7/8 oz in a 20 gauge, too, but the little 28 just has a special "feel" to it that turns my screw.

Load 1 3/8 ounces of hard, nickel, or copper plated 6s, 7s, or 7 1/2s using Unique for a MV of around 1100 fps. I don't want to quote the powder wt because it's been a while since I loaded it and I might be off. Excellent, fairly low recoil load that patterns very well but kind of runs out of steam at about 60 yards using 6s. Great for huns as well and a good first shot at pheasants.