What shotgun for Dove?

[OG.OnGo]

Benelli montefeltro been my go to for 15 years

 

[CAMSDADDY]

You know, those old Model 11s and Browning Auto 5s can take a little getting used to. The little hump on the back just reads differently than a curved receiver. I know on my Auto 5 - I have to just really pay attention to mounting the gun, but once I do (and get the lead right) it will flat out smash doves. (Granted, it is a 12 ga and a "modified" choke that shoots like a super-turkey-blaster-9000 - so you can shoot doves at SR-71 altitudes and absolutely hammer them...)

Ive considered having the 12ga Model 11 finished and having the 12 and 20 cut for chokes if that is an option. The 12 just needs a sight bead and a plug to be ready to go.

 

[87KJH]

If the gun fits and it shoots where you look, then all that is left is to practice.
Spending some time at your local sporting clays range specifically practicing high targets will help your hit ratio on the dove field.

 

[joshua.neal2012]

Ive considered having the 12ga Model 11 finished and having the 12 and 20 cut for chokes if that is an option. The 12 just needs a sight bead and a plug to be ready to go.

I mean, my 12 is missing a sight bead... and it still shoots doves fine. To be fair though... I do want to get one soldered in place because I want it "right" - the big thing that always takes me a bit on the dove field is remembering just how freaking far to lead the things. My gun has a pretty tight choke (check yours and see what it says) - and I was missing a lot when I first got started with it, until an old timer on the field started yelling "Double your lead! Double your lead!" I listened to him, about doubled my lead, and started shooting birds at like... 50+ yards - just SUPER long shots on really fast birds I would have never even considered. (I of course went on to miss every bird that came in slow at 20 yards or less.)

 

[Timber Cruiser]

View attachment 2268322 This would probably get the job done

Punt gun!

 

[Timber Cruiser]

View attachment 2268322 This would probably get the job done

Back in the market hunting days of ducks, they’d load those with whatever they could cram down the barrel. Broken glass, nails, shards, rocks…..

 

[greg vess]

I used what I had. Remington 870 Wing Master, 12 gauge, 28 inch vent rib barrel with a full choke.

 

[greg vess]

We use to catch them coming back from the grain fields to the tree line. Everything you saw was a dove. I mean hundreds and hundreds of them. You could literally shoot a Cabela's shelf of proper ammo and still have more birds than you could count fly over. Oklahoma was a great bird hunting state. Dove, quail and turkey were abundant. I prefer quail over dove though.

 

[basstracker89]

I used a 12ga for years. I finally got confident enough to use a 20ga. About a lb less weight and the shells take up less space as well. It's been a good while since I went. One of the last times I got a limit, 14 birds at the time, with 17 shells. What a good day. I used to shoot @ 3 boxes for probably 7-8 birds

 

[greg vess]

What a good day. I used to shoot @ 3 boxes for probably 7-8 birds