Dove loads

[Pheroze]

I am going out a second time for doves and we have to use steel shot. I have read to use a range of shot from 6 and greater. Does anyone have a preference? Does it matter? Will these little guys fold reliably anyways? I am thinking of grabbing Kent Dove which is #6 at 1400 fps. Last time it was a federal load of #7 and it did just fine. But I lean always towards bigger is better.

 

[WAB]

#6 steel will work just fine.

 

[Pheroze]

I figured it would be a distinction without a difference on these small birds. But, I hate to let an opportunity to chat firearms and loads pass me by!

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

I am going out a second time for doves and we have to use steel shot. I have read to use a range of shot from 6 and greater. Does anyone have a preference? Does it matter? Will these little guys fold reliably anyways? I am thinking of grabbing Kent Dove which is #6 at 1400 fps. Last time it was a federal load of #7 and it did just fine. But I lean always towards bigger is better.

I get the impression that folks are settling around steel 6 shot for dove. The first year it was required in CA, I heard a lot of reports of poor performance and I think those were with smaller shot.

 

[WAB]

I’ve shot quite a few dove and quail with #6 steel. It seemed to work well, not dissimilar to #8 lead.

 

[Red Leg]

If lead, the traditional 12 bore dove load is 1 1/8 ounces of 7 1/2 shot. Decisive on any dove that ever flew. In fact many of us use that as a first shot in the pigeon ring and a fast driver from the box is tougher than any dove that ever existed (and we are shooting for a purse).

 

[chashardy]

For doves and quail I usually go with 71/2 or 8. I wouldn't go any bigger than 6, however.

 

[Firebird]

Because steel is lighter than lead in pellets of the same size, the size 8 steel pellets were too light to reliably knock birds down. Your choice of steel 6 will be perfect, you won't notice much difference between it and your old faithful lead pellets. This also applies to waterfowl loads-using larger shot sizes to maintain downrange power. The steel substitutes are good if you can afford them but for doves I can't think it would be worth it. Have Fun!

 

[Pheroze]

If lead, the traditional 12 bore dove load is 1 1/8 ounces of 7 1/2 shot. Decisive on any dove that ever flew. In fact many of us use that as a first shot in the pigeon ring and a fast driver from the box is tougher than any dove that ever existed (and we are shooting for a purse).

For doves and quail I usually go with 71/2 or 8. I wouldn't go any bigger than 6, however.

I picked up a couple of boxes of Kent 1 1/8 load #6 steel in 3". That was the only thing close. I was hoping for 2 3/4 but there is none to be had!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Remember, you have to go down (larger) two sizes with steel pellets to get the same energy per pellet as lead. So, #6 steel is equal to #8 lead. Typically, you'll need more ounces of steel in a given load to compensate for the larger and fewer steel pellets. That's why when steel shot was made mandatory for waterfowl here in the US, many waterfowlers went with 3.5" 12ga or 10ga shotguns to increase the amount of the larger steel pellets in their loads.

 

[Chago]

I am going out a second time for doves and we have to use steel shot. I have read to use a range of shot from 6 and greater. Does anyone have a preference? Does it matter? Will these little guys fold reliably anyways? I am thinking of grabbing Kent Dove which is #6 at 1400 fps. Last time it was a federal load of #7 and it did just fine. But I lean always towards bigger is better.

What WMU are you in? I am in 81b. Shot doves last weekend. I personally just repurpose my duck loads lol. #2 or #3 steel all day. Doves are small but they are tough little buggers. I have seen feathers puff and they still keep flying a good distance. Steel is crap as you already know, so I always over size. If I was on a Pheasant farm where lead was allowed then #6 or 7 no problem. But with steel I don't bother with anything under #3.

 

[Pheroze]

What WMU are you in? I am in 81b. Shot doves last weekend. I personally just repurpose my duck loads lol. #2 or #3 steel all day. Doves are small but they are tough little buggers. I have seen feathers puff and they still keep flying a good distance. Steel is crap as you already know, so I always over size. If I was on a Pheasant farm where lead was allowed then #6 or 7 no problem. But with steel I don't bother with anything under #3.

90 A and B - each was in a different area. I found even going to #6 from #7 was good, #2 would certainly flatten them. The Kent Dove load is 2 3/4 # 6 1 1/8 load. I was able to get 3" with the same load and I found it good.

I wish I had the opportunity that you do but I live in Hamton and the neighbors would complain if I shot them off my backyard lol

 

[WAB]

The farm I grew up on was in Essex County. We had thousands of doves but were not supposed to shoot them. Glad there is a season now.

 

[fourfive8]

Grew up shooting them out my back door. Just an old 16 ga hammered break with full choke. Shot whatever the local hardware store had or was on sale. Usually 1oz of #7 1/2 or #8 lead of course. Going to school, where there were even more doves and a longer practical season, shot a cheap SxS 16 ga and still used 1oz #7 1/2 or #8 lead. The very first steel showed up mostly for waterfowl and required in some areas in the 70s. I learned to shoot steel, and learned which sizes and chokes worked best. I completely switched over to steel for all shotgun wing shooting by the mid-80s.

I've had some very high shot to bird ratio days on doves over the years. One of the memorable 1:1 ratio days was with the 16 ga SxS, Mod & IC bores (shooting Mod barrel first), 1oz #8 lead. Another was in the mid-80s when steel was becoming more available and common. I was shooting a 20 ga O/U, FC & Mod bores (FC barrel first), 3", 7/8 oz #6 steel. A pleasant surprise for me in that it was late season and the birds were in migration and hauling the mail! Mostly small flocks with a few singles or doubles now and then. That 1:1 ratio shoot included mostly fast birds at much longer ranges. After that, my go-to dove gun was the 20 ga full choke with #6 steel and that combination never let me down after that.

 

[Inline6]

I use 7 1/2 Kent steel on Teal. I would think that would be just fine for dove. If you have only far shots or they are flying high then the 6s will carry the energy further.

Good luck!

 

[wesheltonj]

I don’t own any gun that capable of shooting steel. My daughter has a 20g that can, but it’s never been fired, as she now hates guns. (Long story, but of course Twitter is involved). I shoot 7 1/2 lead for both Dove and Quail. I would think 6 steel would work fine. Hopefully, in Texas, we never get a lead ban, if we do, I am going to have wasted a lot of money. And God forbid we get a lead ban on center fire, then I am really screwed.