Hunt Dove with .22 Hollow Points?

[fbernar]

I want to be able to eat the game later on and I want to make sure there is no lead/metal/etc in the dove. I am pretty new to firearms and will be hunting dove or other small game when the seasons allow it.

Is this safe or should I use .22 FMJ when I am hunting dove?

 

[rj112275]

Headshots only. Saves the meat

 

[bigfatdave]

The problem isn't about bullet design*

The problem is that you're shooting a projectile up into the air with no backstop, making Rule #2 compliance a mystery and blatantly disregarding Rule #4

The Four Rules
1. All firearms are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4. Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it

The lack of a backstop is why birdshot exists, it doesn't have the mass to develop high kinetic energy on return to ground in unknown locations, the lighter birdshot pellets should be moving at or below their terminal velocity when they land on little Suzie playing in the backyard


* now on to bullet design:
.22lr bullets (as well as .22 short or long) aren't jacketed, they're just plated or "copper washed" to protect your gun's bore ... it does very little to hold the bullet together at the destination.
Add in that HP in that particular caliber is mostly to make cleaner neater holes in paper, and there's very little advantage to the generic ".22lr HP"
My understanding is that hunters use either heavy solids or a tailored hunting round (CCI Velocitors, Stingers or SGB come to mind)
IF (and only if) you have the backstop issue solved, try out some hunting loads and see if there's any advantage over a 40g lead solid, and share that information with the forum

 

[Davek1977]

Also, many states specifically prohibit using anything other than shotguns to take doves, and several have laws requiring the dove to be in flight before a shot is taken. All things considered, the .22 is an extremely POOR choice for hunting doves, and would be illegal in most states as well.

 

[shaggy430]

I would suggest looking up the regulations in your area. Also, if there is such thing as .22 LR FMJ, I've never heard of it.

 

[EmbarkChief]

Unless you shoot them in the head you are going to be wasting your time. There won't be any meat left to eat. Get a shotgun, that's what they are for. Use the right tool for the job.

 

[JFtheGR8]

Shooting migratory birds with a rifle of any kind is probably illegal. Not only will state and local laws apply but federal laws too. That usually means a shotgun that only holds three shells and the birds actively migrating (in flight).

 

[Art Eatman]

JFtheGR8, there's no requirement to shoot only flying birds; a skillet shot on the ground or in a tree is as legal as anything. And resident birds are fair game.

The law speaks to shotguns and a three-shot limit in the magazine for migratory birds. That's it.

fbernar, since there is a good bit of needed and useful information available from your state's wildlife folks, I suggest you check at most any gun store or an Ace or TrueValue hardware store for a current copy of the regulations. The deal on guns won't change from year to year.

 

[JFtheGR8]

Here you go: http://www.fws.gov/le/pdffiles/50_CFR_20.pdf

Read it, like it or not, it is what it is. No state law can overide federal regulations.

 

[hirundo82]

Any dove except the feral pigeon (Columba livia) is going to be considered a migratory game bird by the federal government, and thus a shotgun with a capacity of 3 rounds or less is the only firearm legal for taking them.

 

[MCgunner]

Yep, illegal as heck. Shooting UP doesn't bother me with a .22 if not in an area with dwellings. I hunt squirrel with a .22 and shoot up in trees with it, often shooting them off a limb. There are no houses around when I do this, however.

Don't worry much about the shot, it ain't gonna kill ya. Bite gingerly, though. Don't damage a tooth, but I've been shooting and eating birds my whole life and with a shotgun. Wing shooting is a challenge you should enjoy. Shoot 'em on the wing. Any idiot can shoot 'em out of a tree. The sport is what it's about. I can get a whole lot more meat for the money buying rib eye steaks at walmart than shooting doves. Bird hunting is NOT about the meat, it's about the sport.

 

[JFtheGR8]

Exactly hirundo. I have yet to find the part about taking the birds on the wing though. Wing shots are my choice though whether shooting them in a tree or on the ground is legal or not.

Art: How does one distinguish a "resident" bird from a migrating bird? Do the migratory birds wear Hawaiian shirts?

 

[Ole Coot]

If you want meat, head shots only with a pellet gun. A 22 carries way too far and dangerous to others. We had a problem with wild dogs years ago and my then teenage son loved to roam the hills so my rule was take a shotgun. My not so bright neighbor told me I shouldn't trust him with a shotgun, with his teenage son he would only let him carry a 22 ? One born everyday.

 

[MCgunner]

Hey, I often were Hawaiian shirts....to cover my .357 magnum I'm carrying concealed. Be careful, them migrating birds with the Hawaiian shirts might shoot back!

 

[MCgunner]

If you want meat, head shots only with a pellet gun.

Pellet guns are illegal, too.

 

[natman]

I would suggest looking up the regulations in your area. Also, if there is such thing as .22 LR FMJ, I've never heard of it.

There actually was a FMJ 22LR developed during WW2. Big time collector's item today and like all rifle rounds, illegal for use on doves.

See post #41 here.

Here's some exotic ammo that uses it:

http://www.rimfireuniverse.com/

 

[Davek1977]

JFtheGR8, there's no requirement to shoot only flying birds

There is in South Dakota.....
http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/small-game/mourning-doves.aspx

Here are some dove hunting restrictions to keep in mind:

You may not hunt on or within 50 yards of a public road.
No one 17 years old or younger may hunt doves unless accompanied by parent, guardian or responsible adult.
You may not shoot at a dove not flying.
You may not hunt doves with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells.

 

[rcmodel]

fbernar
As already noted.
The first thing you need to do is pick up a copy of both your State and Federal hunting regulations and read them two or three times.
Pamphlets are available anywhere that sells hunting licenses, which you will also need.

But the three points you most need to know is:
1. Doves are migatory game birds, and are covered by Federal regulations.

2. There are no doves that stay home all year and are exempt from the Federal regulations.

3. Under Federal law, you hunt doves with shotguns, not .22 rifles.

rc

 

[Sav .250]

Poor choice.......... IMO.

 

[rugerman]

If a state law is stricter than a federal law then the state law stands. Now enforcement is another matter .

 

[Bearhands]

sorry. but the OP post seems quite "trollish" and now unresponsive. "FMJ"??????????????

 

[fbernar]

I'm not being a troll. I am new to firearms. If I made a mistake sorry.

Read my other posts before calling me a troll, you troll.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[hirundo82]

I'm not being a troll. I am new to firearms. If I made a mistake sorry.

FWIW, I didn't think you sounded like a troll, just inexperienced. You did what you're supposed to do--asking questions instead of doing something stupid.

Have you taken hunter's ed yet? Things like this should be covered in the course.

 

[Art Eatman]

Looks like the subject's well-covered.