Dove Hunting Is Very Humbling.

[cshold]

Very first shot from my new to me Parker at live game was a score.
From there it was more misses than hits, but that’s dove hunting.

[rjohns94]

Mike, that is the way it goes. Glad you got out with your Parker!

[madman4570]

Nice pics! Absolutely beautiful countryside

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Were you shooting some of those full brass black powder handloads on that hunt?

[cshold]

Were you shooting some of those full brass black powder handloads on that hunt?

Yes I was, indeed an added thrill.
There's just something about that BP smoke and smell that
makes everything seem so right in the world.

[bdhold]

There's just something about that BP smoke and smell that
makes everything seem so right in the world.

That should be a sig line.

[rjohns94]

Mike I agree with you. I like to how the burning grains of bp kinda fall out of the main smoke field, leaving little trails of smoke, like fingers, or mini fireworks. Clean up has been very easy with the shotguns too. I take the barels off, run hot water into the tub and put the barrels in the stream of hot water, run a brush through them twice, then run the hot water through them again, then a swab with light oil. Wipe the rest of the shotgun down with a rag and oil and I'm done.

That parker is looking good.

[GoatGuy]

That is some great looking country. Surely you had a great day. I don't care what kind of scattergun one carries afield, those doves are very humbling! This from someone with a passel of experience trying to down the feathered screwballs. Don't remember ever having had a perfect day (1 shot, one in the bag).

[Lastmohecken]

Yes, dove shooting can be humbling. They say the average shooter will shoot 3 boxes of shells to take a limit of dove. That's probably about right. I had a great first morning, this year, and got my limit along with about 10 others. The birds were flying well, and we were lucky in the fact that the grass was mostly short, and the doves were easy to find, after dropping one.

I was using a new Browning Citori 625 that I had never hunted with before, or even shot very much, and I was very pleased with the way it shot. I bought it for Sporting Clays, however, I have never been since I purchased it. It's a fine gun for dove hunting, where one does not end up packing it a long ways, but for Pheasant, I will be sticking with my beloved side by sides.

By the way, I probably shot 3 boxes of shells, to get my limit on the first day, but I wasted a few shots, but I don't go to save ammo anyway, I love to pull a trigger.

[Lastmohecken]

Nice looking Parker, I love those old side by sides, and that's usually what I use, except I usually shoot an L.C. Smith, or J.P. Sauer, but if I find a nice Parker at a decent price, I just might have to own it.

[Rusty]

Always save your shotgun shell boxes... you can use them to take your doves homes in.

[TedH]

Always save your shotgun shell boxes... you can use them to take your doves homes in.

[JohndeFresno]

Yes, dove shooting can be humbling. They say the average shooter will shoot 3 boxes of shells to take a limit of dove...

Wow, am I glad to read this.

I carried a pistol gripped, short barreled scattergun officially for several years, being required to demonstrate some proficiency regularly. But judging from my performance the last two dove seasons (first times for dove since my teens), I had concluded that I have become a very poor marksman with my pellet launcher, and needed to take the time to practice with clays. Now, it appears that I'm not such a mess - my relatives and friends are just very good! Thank you, I feel better. I still plan to drop a few bucks when I have time and do the clays thing.

Didn't go hunting this year due to responsibilities, but I ate my fill of birdies harvested by a sharp-shooting relative!

[Griff]

Yes, dove shooting can be humbling. They say the average shooter will shoot 3 boxes of shells to take a ... dove...

There, fixed that for ya! At 1280fps and decellerating, it's very hard to hit 1,000mph and accellerating birds!

[fordwannabe]

In my youth my hunting mentor took me dove hunting and explained the "proper way" to aim at dove.
"Take what you think is the right lead, double it ,and add three feet then pull the trigger." It's been working pretty well for 3 decades.
I shot my first dove in prolly 5 years this fall. I was walking in the woods with my Great Grandfathers Montomery Wards SXS and two doves came up and asked me to take them home, so I did. I know for a fact that gun has not been hunted since at least the 80's. It felt really good to shoot those dove with this gun, and only 2 shots. Tom

[FWiedner]

Dove hunting is a cinch when you wait for them to light and then use a .22.

[Bogie35]

Yes, dove shooting can be humbling. They say the average shooter will shoot 3 boxes of shells to take a ... dove...

There, fixed that for ya! At 1280fps and decellerating, it's very hard to hit 1,000mph and accellerating birds!

[Bogie35]

My dad would typically get his limit with 1 box of shells!

I, on the other hand, would rarely even get my limit. On a typical hunt with my old Remington 1100 20 gauge w/modified choke and 28" barrel, I would bag about 6-8 birds with 2 boxes of shells (dad wouldn't let me shoot more than 2 boxes. hehehehe). THEN, I got my Browning BSS 12 gauge w/skeet and improved cylinder chokes and 26" barrels, and I would get my limit with 2 boxes of shells (or less). I think it had more to do with the chokes and barrel length than the gun or even the gauge.

BTW, my dad shot a Model 1100 12 gauge w/improved cylinder choke and 26" barrel...and of course, with both eyes open. And when it came to quail, I don't recall him ever missing.

bogie

[bdhold]

if they could just teach those birds to fly straight...

[Old Savage]

Good start , took me 14 to hit my first dove but it went better after I got on to how they fly.

[RIHMFIRE]

its like they can see the shot column coming and just dodge it....
our neighbors had a dove field on the sod farm behind our hunt club...
and went a few times....since i was a guest....i was sent to the
"far end" of the field....which was 1/2 of a mile long...and watched
many a dove make its way though the entire field.....to me...

[BAGTIC]

For me dove hunting is like catch and release fishing. Lots of action but nothing to clean at the end of the day.

[Nath]

What pictures

N.

[cshold]

What pictures

N.

Sorry Nath,
This is a resurrected post from Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:41 pm.
I don’t leave pictures posted for an extended period of time…

[Chas.]

There's just something about that BP smoke and smell that
makes everything seem so right in the world. [/b][/color]

I would add that the smell of outboard in the morning also does that to me, particularly the old ones with the rich oil mix.

Dove hunting is exasperating, like golfers tell me golf is. One day, I'm hot and can't miss. The next day, I can't hit the ground with my hat.

[KCSO]

The best dove hunter know shot 15 doves with 23 shots one day, including 3 doubles! I couldn't believe it.
I really felt better later that year when he MISSED a standing turkey at 15 yards.

I The worst dove hunter was explained to me at Doc Carlson's Shop one afternoon in dove season. Doc told me about the guy who came in at about 9;00 AM and bought a box of dove loads and went out the door. He was back at 11:00 and said,"say what's the limit on doves?" Doc told him 15. He then said,"well better give me 14 more boxes of shells please".

[El Chivo]

I'm going through the same thing with quail, except for the first hit - I haven't had that yet. My latest shot was at quail on the ground - and nothing. One last attempt this weekend, if I don't get one, that's it for me.

[BAGTIC]

I'm going through the same thing with quail, except for the first hit - I haven't had that yet. My latest shot was at quail on the ground - and nothing. One last attempt this weekend, if I don't get one, that's it for me.

Hey. I think I have spotted your problem. You'll never get any quail with that scope mounted rifle. Get a real bird gun.