Dove Hunting Tips--I Need help BAD

[AKElroy]

Today was opening day for South Zone in Texas. Work has not permitted hunting for the last two years, but I was not going to go through a third season without swinging a shotgun. I took my Beneli Montefeltro 20, 26" VR barell. I have owned it for 8 years, have shot as well as 43/50 on five stand with it, but that was several years ago. I have not bird hunted or even fired a shotgun for 2+ years.

So today, I started strong, doubled on the first two birds I shot at. I then proceede to launch 125 rounds to take the next 5 birds, ending at a pathetic 7 total with the dove really flying. I swiched midstream to an old Russian O/U; 12g, 28" VR. I was shooting Winchester 7 1/2 and could not hit the broad side of the sky. I was holding a 10" to 12" lead, focusing on follow through, and really thought I had proper form, but clearly not. Tips please????

 

[oneounceload]

Without seeing you shoot, hard to say. It might behoove you to get to a skeet range and get some practice. 10-12 inches of lead - at what range were the birds?

 

[ArmedBear]

I can't think of a time I've successfully used a sustained lead on live birds.

Swinging through and slapping the trigger as I go by, with the speed of the bird automatically helping to determine the speed of the swing, is about all that ever works for me.

 

[AKElroy]

10-12 inches of lead - at what range were the birds?

I only led crossing birds, typically 20-30 yds tops.

 

[AKElroy]

Swinging through and slapping the trigger as I go by, with the speed of the bird automatically helping to determine the speed of the swing, is about all that ever works for me.

I can

almost

remember what that feels like----

 

[oneounceload]

get ye hither to yon practice field and relearn your gun - and do it with the clothing you'll wear hunting.......

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Winchester 7 1/2

Was this the Winchester 7 1/2 bulk back stuff from Walmart? If so, try another brand. I've found (and verified this with other folks by mixing in Winchester stuff with other brands and not telling them what was loaded where) that for whatever reason, we miss a hell of a lot more clays with the Winchester bulk packs.

 

[AKElroy]

we miss a hell of a lot more clays with the Winchester bulk packs.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear!! Actually, I do have a couple of Remington cases, and I am going to give it another shot tomorrow with the better load.

 

[oneounceload]

You say you haven't shot in two years - you have changed in that time - you really need to check your gun on the pattern board and see if your POI/POA has changed. A few rounds of skeet or 5-stand won't hurt either - better than wounding birds and losing them

 

[AKElroy]

better than wounding birds and losing them

I tagged at least 8 to 10 birds well enough to get a puff of feathers; they never hit the ground. I agree I am out of practice; but I also think we may be onto something with the cheap Win ammo.

 

[Virginian]

More lead. It isn't the shells, the first shots proved that. Don't jump into action as that makes them juke, upping the difficulty of the shot. Don't try to change your style, your old hit ratio isn't bad, you're just out of practice. Every time you miss add a little lead until you start connecting. The calculated lead should be about 5 feet at 30 yards, so don't worry about leading too much anytime soon.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Make sure your cheek weld is consistent, if it's a little off the shot's a little off. Squeeze, don't slap the trigger as the barrel blots out the bird.

You might try swinging on one every now and then with the gun unloaded just to self evaluate a bit.

 

[redneck2]

I'd second the thing about the loads. I tried to use bulk pack Wally World ammo for sporting clays. Terrible. Switched to high speed Win AA's and smoked 'em.

10" of lead isn't nearly enough. Example....a goose at 40 yards takes 8 1/2 feet.

Goose is flying at 60 mph. That's 88 feet per second. 40 yards is 120 feet. If you're shot is moving at 1,200 fps it takes 1/10th of a second to get there. Doesn't sound like a long time until you figure the goose has moved 8.8 feet.

You're most likely shooting where they were, maybe catching an occasional bird with the very edge of the pattern.

 

[oneounceload]

It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian. Those shells will only be as good as you are at putting them where they need to be, and they'll outshoot the best of shooters' abilities

 

[rcmodel]

I tagged at least 8 to 10 birds well enough to get a puff of feathers; they never hit the ground.

Too much choke maybe?

Sounds like you are coming close, but the pattern is so tight you are just catching them with the very edge of it.

Try your IC tube and see what happens.

A lot of folks are over-choked for todays shot-cup wads and patterns.

rc

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I started out last season the same way. This year too, but not as bad. My problem is over-thinking the shot. The longer I have to think about the shot, the more likely I am to miss it.


When I let my instincts take over and "just shoot the durn thing", as Steve would say, my percentage goes way up.

I won't say I'm a great shot, because I'm not, but I've been hunting doves for fifty years, so my instincts are better than my brain.

 

[ArmedBear]

If you tagged a bunch of birds and got a puff of feathers, how far away were they?

I've shot pigeons so that they spun in the air, but flew away unharmed. Sometimes distances can be deceiving.

 

[oneounceload]

Sometimes distances can be deceiving.

Especially looking up at the sky - depth perception goes to you-know-what, as does distance reckoning

 

[Will Fennell]

Give me somee target focus

AKElroy,
Shooting a shotgun at flying targets is a game of hand and eye coordination. If you are "focusing" on lead, you are focusing on the wrong thing. Your visual[ and mental] focus has to be on the target, or the gun will never keep up with the bird.

Next crossing dove you shoot at, try to have his little beak or his shinny black eyeball in focus when you deliver the shoot, and you will have much better success.

 

[Yo Mama]

Sounds like you are coming close, but the pattern is so tight you are just catching them with the very edge of it.

Try your IC tube and see what happens.

+1

I went out on the last day with a mod choke, and quickly switched back to IC, and could immediately see a difference.

 

[Camjr]

For Texas dove, I usually use a Briley extended skeet choke on my Beretta AL390 12 guage. Historically, I would use the Remington Heavy Dove loads in 8 shot, but in the last couple of years have gone to the Winchester AA Super Sport loads in 8 shot. I'm only shooting high end target loads from here on out. It makes a big difference in dropping dove. Using the skeet choke, I'm just more discriminating on taking longer shots (although with 8's, there is still enough lead in the air to drop them at longer ranges). I also try to focus on the head of the bird rather than the bird itself. That tends to help me with leads.

The other thing I've found that helped me was changing out the brass bead front sight for a fiber optic. I like the red over the green. It makes it easier to keep my focus only on the bird and I don't find myself instinctively glancing back and forth between the bird and the front sight like I did when only using the bead.

 

[AKElroy]

Try your IC tube and see what happens.

I did this yesterday, as well as adding a slip on recoil pad to lenghthen the pull a bit, and I shot much better. I came home with 8 in the bag, but easily lost 10 more shooting along a fenceline with mesquite brush too thick to retrieve any birds that fell on the wrong side of it. Much better day. I also increased my lead quite a bit, and stopped over thinking the shots. Thanks for all the great insight---I shot better using some of these tips. Shot a legal limit had all birds been retreiveable.

One extra tip for the group--I have never used decoys for dove, but setting up just one spinner next to the only tank brought in the birds like crazy. Had no idea dove would respond to decoys that well--

 

[rcmodel]

Yep!

Decoys and Camo clothes will definitely add to the bag when dove hunting.

They can spot a white tee-shirt and red hat a mile away!

rc

 

[AKElroy]

Too much choke maybe?

Too little, actually. Took your suggestion & went from C to IC & saw improvement, many shots were 30 yds+, so I should probably step up to M or IM. I just won a bid on GB for a clean 1100 w/ a fixed modified 28" VR, so maybe I can actually make some of the longer shots that were only wounding w/ the C & IC. That, and it's a 12 vs. the 20.

 

[AKElroy]

Decoys and Camo clothes will definitely add to the bag when dove hunting.

I never need a camo excuse, being a proper redneck. I am nearly always head to toe when toating in the field. I have my minnieme, my 8 year old walking @ my 7 O'Clock in his identical getup. It's quite a sight.