What is Texags opinion? I used to think that I would buy the cheapest stuff I can find (5 bucks a box stuff at academy right now). I figured the savings was worth having a lighter load and less less. More than a few people have said they would rather spend the money on more lead and kill more birds. My philosophy was 'You're either a good shot or you're not'. However, after paying more attention, I think I end up with more 'wounded' birds or shots that clearly hit the bird but don't bring it down. When I do hunts with heavy dove loads, that doesnt seem to be an issue.

Im not sure that the extra 1/8 oz makes a difference, but I wonder if the shot quality does in that the cheap shells don't pattern as consistently or something. There has to be a reason a shell costs that much more besides extra shot.

Just curiuos what yall think. Im on the fence.

+1 on heavy load. I always look for 1 1/8 oz. Nothing else will do for me

I prefer using faster shells. 1350 fps and 1 oz

With 20ga, I've not noticed much of a difference between 7/8 oz and 1 oz heavy loads. I can't comment on 12ga.

I load heavy - had a bad run a few years back with hits that were not dropping birds with 7-1/2 shot, so I use #6 shot.

I load up a 7/8 oz shot charge in my 20 gauge. Can't remember the last time I used a 12 for dove, but I'm sure I used whatever the cheapest 7-1/2 shot was available back then.

When I do hit a bird, it falls.

[This message has been edited by schmellba99 (edited 8/28/2013 8:09a).]

Always used the Remington Heavy Dove (green and orange box). Inertia gun likes a heavier load.

Neither.

Buy regular ammo. No cheapos, no promotional "dove," "heavy dove" or "dove and quail" loads. Also, use improved cylinder or modified. Don't use full. Trust me, no matter how high the white wings fly, if you need full choke, you probably shouldn't be shooting at them.

There is certainly a difference in the cheap ammo. The rem game loads are crap, heavy dove are decent though. The best I've shot are winchester AA heavy target.

Cheapest I can find in my 12, and the cheapest heavy load I can find for my 20 (make sure it doesn't become a fancy single shot). Could really care less about brand.

I shoot 1 1/8 or 1 1/4

^ heavy loads have less chance of crippling birds. I see a lot of guys shooting that cheap 1oz load at white wings and it will hit them knock feathers out and the birds will keep flying or glide down out of sight and die.

[This message has been edited by Duman08 (edited 8/27/2013 10:31p).]

Rio 7.5 1oz $49.99 at academy. Can't go wrong no need for the 1/8 extra it's mostly mekntal

DUMan, that has been my exact experience. Lots of feathers, but no fold up. Never could figure why. Heavy dove do not give me that trouble. It's what I buy now.

For 12 gauge, as long as it's 7.5 shot and at least an ounce of it I don't really care about anything else. That said, preference is Remington Heavy Dove if its available. When I went to Academy yesterday they only had four boxes and it was #6 so I passed. Gonna try again today.

[This message has been edited by Hoss (edited 8/28/2013 7:27a).]

7/8, 1oz, 1-1/8 or 1-1/4oz, IMO doesn't matter.

If you can shoot, 7/8 will work in 20ga and 1 oz will work with 12 ga.

I always thought I needed to go to the heavier loads with my 20 ga because I was experiencing what some of you are stating. The past five years I have gone to many clay shoots, and learned some things I didn't know.

The past 2 years, dove hunting, I killed more dove and limited out more times than I have the previous 40 years of dove hunting and that was using 7/8oz in 20ga.

Looking back I think I only lost 3-4 birds due to them landing in the middle of thich briar and catclaw that I could not get to.

I shoot 20 ga 1 oz for afternoons at the tank, and 12 ga 1 oz for mornings in the sunflower fields.

I was in Able ammo yesterday and they have 1 1/8 7.5 & 8 Bornaghi ammo for 57$ a case its good ammo made by cheddite. Just a heads up for the guys that want a heavier dove load.

For the guys that are shooting 1-1/8 oz or 6 shot, maybe you are just shooting at birds that are out of your range or you aren't getting a solid hit. I've shot cheap 1 oz #8 shot rounds and very rarely (maybe twice a season) have issues where I wound a bird and end up chasing it around a field.

I don't shoot at everything that moves, just birds that I know I can hit and are well within my range. But our dove hunting spot is always flooded with birds so I can afford to "trophy hunt" for white wing and mourning dove.

EDIT: IMO 6 shot is for small ducks and way too big for dove. I've seen too many dove blown apart that aren't worth cleaning when shot with 6 shot.

[This message has been edited by AgHunter2011 (edited 8/28/2013 8:54a).]

My preference is a heavy load, 20 Ga. , # 6 shot. My actual preference is the Winchester Super x High Brass. Yes , they are darned expensive compared to others, but really for what else you spend on a good dove hunt why not use the better shells ? I believe you loose less birds and the actual cost per bird actually helps offset some of the cost, and of course there are other good reasons to not waste the birds. If you are a decent shot you should use less shells in attaining your limit of birds. I'm just saying.........

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IMO 6 shot is for small ducks and way too big for dove. I've seen too many dove blown apart that aren't worth cleaning when shot with 6 shot.

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6 shot in steel is light for regular ducks, but works very well on teal.

And if you are blowing dove apart with #6, you are blowing it apart with #7-1/2 as well in most situations.

Ehh, to each his own.

AA's or you lose

Hoss - 183/Oak Knoll only had Rem Heavy Dove 6's and 8's yesterday morning. I picked up the last full case of 8's they had and the Winchester equivalent 7.5's.

Also got my free Academy camo visor for buying a new license.

WTF?! Visors?? Are all the frat daddies buying licenses now? Saving money by not having all that extra material a BALL CAP has?

I picked up some Rem express long range, hopeful they are comparable to AA's

schmellba99, you are confused again sir.

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schmellba99, you are confused again sir.

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Essplain, Lucy.

No need to "Mary". Its obvious.

Brazosdog, what "loads" you shoot at Dove really depends on a variety of factors.
a) what time of year,
b) where you're hunting,
c) what shotgun you're shooting.
a) Early season birds are generally "young", smaller birds and easier to knock down. They also haven't been shot at yet. So, typically your shots are closer.
b) Hunting over a tank will present a different shooting scenario than "pass shooting" over feed.
c) With a 12 gauge I don't think it'll make much difference what loads you shoot this weekend. If you're shooting something smaller, I'd consider using "high based" shells with 1 oz of shot (20 gauge). But even then the Dove and Quail loads generally work fine.
7 1/2 or 8 shot is fine, if you can hit the bird with more than one pellet. I'd reserve 6 shot for possibly late season "Northern"/ Migratory birds or the winter split when your shots are longer and birds are feathered out / mature.

I've killed ALOT of ducks with 6 shot. Once again it depends on the situation.

Damn old man, you are just a grade a jackass aren't you?

I guess the "essplain Lucy" comment brought back horrible memories of you fapping it in the hallway closet to the sears catalaog and granny panties, but I was being facetious with it.

And since you evidently can't answer a simple question, I'll chalk your comment up to you just being a dick. Why don't you go Dr. House on yourself and prescribe some "I'm not going to be a gigantic dick" pills, then chug them a bottle at a time?

Your experience differs with mine. THE FCKING HORROR!!!!!! That doesn't mean you are right and I am wrong, or the other way around. Except in your mind, evidently.

I would ask what the proper color sunglasses to wear are when dove hunting, but I'm afraid you will go into a frenzy and give yourself an aneurism in the process, so I'll hold off on that until later.

Dang 99....Is it that time of the month?

If you are having trouble knocking down birds get them in closer with a Camo Jo.....Works for Sean.



[This message has been edited by sunchaser (edited 8/29/2013 8:42a).]

Wow. And here I was avoiding posting why I shoot heavy dove (my A5 doesn't like anything else) because I didn't want to be told my friction ring is installed incorrectly again (it's still in there correctly).

I will say that back when TPWD was doing the dove shot lethality study, it was amazing the distance that folks were starting to shoot at. Trying 50+ yards shots was extremely common. Not so shocking, guys that typically kept their shots to under 40 yards had higher hitting percentages, and few crippled birds. The guys taking the longer shots usually thought they were shooting about half the distance they actually were.

Thanks ursus. That was one issue I left out above.

Well if there is a good breeze and the birds are coming at you high and fast it's got to be pretty hard to range them using Google Earth in a timely manner