# New to Dove Hunting Need Some Info On Ammo



## Davans

My son and I are going to a dove hunt on the 5th.

He has a 20 gauge, I have a pump 20 and a Browning A5 12 gauge.

Do most hunt with the 12 gauge or is 20 just as good?

I am confused about the ammo. I get the 2 3/4" and the oz. but what is the difference in 7 1/2 and 8?

I have 7/8oz. 7 1/2 shot and 1oz 7 1/2....whats the difference?

Which is preffered? 

What is the difference in sport clay shells, Gun Club and game shells?

Dove load, heavy dove loads, texas dove loads, universal loads????????

What choke is preffered?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks


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## Souhternhunter17

12 gauge mod choke. dosn't really matter between 7 or 8 shot. both will knock down the dove. I prefer 8's


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## Dustin Pate

The difference in the 7.5 and 8 is the shot size. The 8 being smaller than the 7.5. #8 size is probably the most used dove load their is. There are plenty of doves killed with the 7/8 loads. 

Personally I use a 20 ga. 1 oz #8. I prefer the extra shot and like a high brass if available to get the load a little more speed. I do also use #9 shot and I will use 7.5 depending on where I am hunting. 

For you son, the 7/8 loads would be fine IMO. To me they kick a little lighter. 

For chokes and IC is hard to beat. A modified is also great if you might have a little longer shot. I personally like a light modified.


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## jackmelson

all of the above   remington sure shots  12   or 20    7,5  and 8 shots 59.99 case at academy  sports.


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## hammerz71

Dove been killed regularly with all you mentioned.  12 ga., 20 ga., 7.5 shot, 8 shot, 7/8 oz., 1 oz., clay and dove loads.  It really doesn't matter a whole lot, long as you hit the little sucker!

As far as chokes go, carry your I/C and modified chokes with you if you are going to an unfamiliar spot.  If it looks like your shots will be closer, screw the I/C in, if they will be a bit farther, then use the modified choke...


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## Twenty five ought six

Sporting Clay loads usually have a higher velocity and so produce more recoil.  Unless you are a glutton for punishment, you really don't need them for dove hunting.

Gun Clubs are a budget all around shell from Remington.  They can be a good choice for dove.  Winchester makes a "target load" that is the equivalent. 

The various game loads typically have heavier shot loads, and more recoil.

The so called "dove and quail" loads tend to be promotional loads with cheaper components.  That doesn't mean that plenty of birds aren't taken with them.

Personally, I prefer to spend the extra dollar or two a box, and get the target loads, which have better wads and better shot, better hulls.  AA's, STS, Gold Medals.  A 1 oz. skeet load (or "target") load in 12 ga. is a nice load that will kill a dove, but won't slap you silly on a hot day in a dove field.

You will find plenty of people using either 7.5's or 8's.  In a given load (1 oz. for example) you will get more shot per load with the smaller 8's.  Early season, a lot of young doves, lightly feathered, I prefer 8's.  

In 12 ga., an oz. of 8's will have nearly as many shots as 1 1/8 oz. 7.5's but not near as much recoil.  Same is true for 20 ga. and 7/8 oz. vs. 1 oz.

As far as 20 vs. 12 ga., you will miss very few birds because you picked the wrong gauge.  Seriously, the 20 is perfectly adequate for doves, and with the right loads, has substantially less recoil.


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## Davans

Thanks for the info guys.

So....the target loads are better quality than the game loads?

The game loads kick more?


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## hevishot

I always shoot the heaviest loads available for the number of shot I'm shooting .......high velocity isn't as big a deal to me.


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## Dead Eye Eddy

I like to put a lot of lead in the air and don't mind recoil.  If I could afford them, I'd shoot 12-gauge 3 3/4 dram, 1 1/4 ounce 8's all season.  I'll be shooting a combination of 1 1/4 and 1 1/8 ounce loads of #8 shot this season.  I'll start the season with my I/C choke tube (unless I'm not in a good spot on the field) and change to the MOD tube as the birds get higher and farther.


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## Doc_Holliday23

my suggestion on dove ammo?  buy lots of it!  

its such a fun bird to hunt but they can flat out make you look silly.


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## jimbo4116

12 or 20 gauge shot size #8 are good for first season with a Improved cylinder choke.  7.5s and modified for the late season birds. They are tougher and smarter.

Biggest deal with shell selections is consistency.
If you start with game load ( less shot, less powder-lower velocity) or field loads or high brass (more powder/more shot) stay with stay with that load.  Learn what your range is with the shells you choose.  Most people make two mistakes shooting doves the shoot at birds out of range and they aim and shoot.

Unless you are a good shot, 25 yards will be you max range with game loads with an I/C or little past 30yds with high brass and a Modified Choke  Wait until they get close and be still, movement is what spooks birds.  

When shooting you will find you make one type of shot better than others.  Left to right is usually the easiest because you have most range of motion to swing the barrel ( my opinion) and you will follow through on the target better. Right to left are next easiest, I find it harder to get ahead of the bird that the left to right.  

Head on shots are next, most pick a spot ahead of the and fire, usually leading to much, plus the move to soon spooking the bird. The head on should just be made on reaction and instinct, raising to fire at the last minute.

The hardest shot (in my opinion) is the going away shot.
Hard to lead the bird enough as you are swinging the barrel down to get ahead of the bird.

Patience is the key. Firing at a bird out of range is only going to fustrate you and the other shooters in the field.

As far a 12 or 20 guages,  a fair shot will hit more birds with the 12 guage, but an accomplished shot will kill about the same with either and with a lot less pain, weight to tote and less money.


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## EAGLE EYE 444

Davans,
This is a comment to all dove hunters out there.  Please NEVER shoot at a low bird in the field and also be courteous to the next hunter around you and try not to crowd them too much.  Give each other enough open space between.  It sure makes for a safe and enjoyable dove hunt at the end of the day.  Unfortunately, I learned first hand just what a shot on a low bird can do to you at about 100-120 yards.  I had two pellets hit me in my hip area and ruined my day for sure.  It came from my Dad's best friend's son-in-law.  Needless to say, I never hunted with that guy again.


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## BuckBoy

A couple of trips to the skeet range will matter more than the load. If you really want to get good only put one shell in the gun at a time. It will save you lots of money and your percentage goes WAY up.


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## Twenty five ought six

Davans said:


> Thanks for the info guys.
> 
> So....the target loads are better quality than the game loads?
> 
> The game loads kick more?



The target loads have better quality components than the promotional game loads ("Dove and Quail" loads).  The high end game loads, like Remington Express or Winchester Mark X have the same high quality components.

The two biggest component differences is that the cheaper shells use softer shot (which can actually be an advantage) and cheaper wads.  The  cheap shells use a plastic wrapper as opposed to a one piece wad used in the more expensive shells.

The Gun Club loads are sort of an exception because Remington uses many of the same components that it uses in the STS target loads.  If I can get them, I find the Gun Clubs to be a very acceptable all around load.

As a general rule, the heavier the shot load, the more recoil a shell will have. So it's not a game load vs. target load thing, but the amount of shot in a load that determines recoil.

Going off in another direction, re-reading your original post, you don't say how old your son is.  If he's young enough that you both will be shooting together, and being as you seem to be relatively inexperienced (which we all were once), I suggest that you both shoot 20 ga. to eliminate the possibility of mixing up the shells.  If you accidentally drop a 20 ga. shell into that A5, you could have disastrous results.  Besides it will be one less thing to worry about.

And I second the suggestion about a trip to the skeet range -- it will be the cheapest money you can spend.


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## Seth carter

i shoot #9


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## Eugene Stinson

It does not matter which gun you use as long as you can hit the birds with it.  Since you are new , you need to try several different things to find what fits you. A lot of people say "I can hit the bird sometimes and other times I can't hit a thing".  90% of the time it is because they have changed something. Ammo on sale that is different from what they usually shoot is the #1 culprit.  
   When shooting birds on the wing you have to do a fast calculation on how far to lead. That calculation is like a fingerprint. No two alike. 

Here is a little advice. It's hard to do on opening day cause you will want to just shoot a bunch. 

  I will use a 12 guage as reference.  Buy 3 different boxes of shells.  7/8oz of 8 shot, 1oz of 8shot, and a box of 1 1/8. One of these will usually fit the way you naturally shoot.
If one of the boxes hits more birds than the other, you will know what to buy next time.  Try this but make sure the birds that you are shooting are close. Long shots will not tell you much in the beginning.

When I was first starting out, I reloaded my own shells. I tweeked my shells till I found one that fit me.  Took me 2 years to get one that fit me just right. It was identical to some of the shells on the shelf. I should have known Winchester did the same research I was doing.   For me and my 12 guage, any brand of shell that goes 1255 FPS is deadly.

I hope this at least helps a little. It is how I taught my kids.


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## Cottontail

8s improved Cylinder


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## deerslaya1129

20 or 12 guage?


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## Oldstick

I'll bet things are as clear as mud now aren't they??


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## Davans

LOL...yes they are....


But I still appreciate the info.

What exactly is the difference in 7 1/2 shot and 8, 9 shot

Ans how does the weight 7/8. oz. 1 oz. 1 1/8 oz relate?


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## The Cohutta Strutter

Shot size- the higher the number the smaller the shot. Example, a 1 1/8 oz load of #8 will contain more shot than a 1 1/8 oz load of  7.5 shot, simply because the shot are smaller. When we speak of 7/8 oz, 1oz, 1 1/8oz loads we are talking about the total weight of the shot(s) that is contained in a shell. Try not to get to caught up in this game of selecting ammo. In 12 ga you will be fine in the 1 1/8 oz to 1 oz loads. 20 ga, look for something in the 1 oz to 7/8 oz range. I like em' to be moving in the 1200 to 1250 fps( feet per second)range. Hope you and your son have a blast!


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## Twenty five ought six

> What exactly is the difference in 7 1/2 shot and 8, 9 shot
> 
> Ans how does the weight 7/8. oz. 1 oz. 1 1/8 oz relate?



Peno gave  a good description of shot sizes.

The next question you might ask is, if there are more #9's in a given weight of shell, why doesn't everyone use #9's.  It's because a certain amount of energy is required to kill a dove.  #9's,being the smallest size shot, shed velocity, and therefore energy, the fastest.  So while #9's will have the most shot, as the range gets longer it doesn't have the energy to cleanly kill a dove.  The same consideration, only with different numbers, is given to any wingshooting, ducks, pheasants, and so on.

As you become more knowledgeable about shotshells, where the weight in becomes extremely relevant is that reducing the weight of the shot load is the easy way to reduce recoil-- so roughly speaking, one ounce of #8's will have as many pellets as 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2's, but you are trading off some maximum range.  It is up to you to decide if the trade off in recoil is worth giving up the occasional shot at extreme range.  As you can see from the responses here, you can get opinions on all sides of the question.


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