Traditional Dove Shoot Results....

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Sparkitoff1

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First, some of you may have read my post elsewhere. I consider this my small town home whereas the "other" forum is the big city that has more resources when necessary.  Anyway, I want to share here too as others may benefit from my experience:


Since I have decided to go 100% front-stuffer for hunting this was my first bird shoot (other than a Turkey). The White-Wing Dove season opened and I was in the "Dove Capital" of Texas with a limit of 15 birds.


I had never used Pyrodex powder before but I found two pounds of RS for a good price and figured it would be ok in the smoothbore. I got CCI <a href='/tags/11' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #11'>#11</a> Mag percussion caps. My 19 gauge side x side had IC/MOD choking. I ordered some OP wads, Cushion wads, and OS cards. The cushion wads were dry so I stood them in a little olive oil overnight and they became saturated about 3/4 up without being soppy.


In order to be able to load quickly I rolled 25 paper tubes from an old phone book and tied one end with wool string, filled with 1-oz of shot (<a href='/tags/7' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #7'>#7</a>) and tied the other end. I then used the same 1-oz cup to measure out Pyrodex and I filled 50 plastic vials with powder.


Once on site, I also put on the ground in front of me a little divided tray with the OP, and OS cards and cap tray in it and a separate little container with the cushion wads. I used a metal ramrod that I kept next to me.


For my initial two shots I did not use the paper shot tubes or pre-measured vials of powder, I just used the scoop and loaded loose.


First shot was an incomer at 25-yards and the IC barrel dumped it perfectly. This was a nice satisfying start. As the shooting went on a few interesting things and observations occurred. First, I did not notice any smoke from the Pyrodex. For turkey I used Goex and there was a lot of smoke and for big game with ball out of this gun I used Triple 7 and there was noticeable smoke. The next thing that happened about half way through was that I got the ramrod stuck. I don't know how or what it stuck on. I thought maybe it penetrated the OS card. I used some pliers to twist it and I poured a little water down the barrel to soften whatever it was holding it. Eventually it came out and that shot fired just fine. I had no mis-fires. I had one slight delay. I had one sort of dud, it went off but not with full force. One time I shot the left barrel first and the cap came off the right nipple.


I did not clean or swab during the shoot. I fired 31 shots and took 7 doves. The first few were single low incomers and fell quickly. Once the flocks started and the shooting picked up all around the birds were in groups of 10-50 and much higher. The last few birds were incomers between 30 and 40-yards. The choke, shot size and even gauge may not have been ideal for the range, but I figured out to lead about twice what I was used to with a conventional shotgun. Once figured out I connected on the next few. When I ran out of paper shot tubes I just loaded a scoop of shot loose. I did notice that my first shot and two of my last shots connected, so I don't see any advantage to shot tubes other than the speed of loading. Maybe psychological, but I think the loose shot worked better. I've patterned both at 25-yards and they were very similar. Maybe further out there is a difference.


There was one couple that had a lot of modern technology including fancy colored choke tubes, headsets with communications in them and chairs with shell pockets and a dove cooler. They were a generation or three below me and sneered at me, made a few comments about "wasting my time" and "scaring the birds away" and asked at one point why I bothered. A few older guys respected my efforts and were somewhat impressed in my determination. Personally, it was a lot of fun and quite satisfying to stick with it and be successful. This shoot lasted about 2-hours. If I had done the morning and afternoon shoot I probably would have had a daily limit, same if I had two guns and a loader. For me, it wasn't about the number of birds but rather the "figuring it out" and the mild success with old school technology.


Back at home I did the soapy water flush and with just 4 passes in each barrel the patches were clean. I followed with light liquid WD-40 and greased the nipple threads. When I pulled the locks they were perfectly clean already - the fit and finish it tight and nothing got in there. I store this barrel-down and will run a dry patch and another with protectant in about 3-days.


One of the other shooters snapped a picture of my gun while I was picking up another bird. He sent it to me later in the evening. I guess he was curious enough to capture the scene.
 
 
ML-Dove.jpg
 
Im still waiting on the 14 to start my Dove hunting Im in the Texas south Zone so my season hasnt started yet except white wings, there are plenty of them but are so mixed in with the mourning doves its not worth shooting wrong birds to me. I have plans to do the same thing and use my pedersoli 12 gauge this year like I did last year. I got bunch of the plastic tubes to speed load wish somebody offered them with a divider in middle and caps on both ends .
 
You know I live just two towns over from you so if you need a partner to make more smoke just let me know.....if we block the others view we will have the birds to ourselves. :D
 
I really need to get a BP shotgun but I want a single barrel.  I've never been able to hit squat with a side by side and I've owned  a couple of them.
 
Theres not many places to hunt dove down here unless you have a lease or pay by the day hunting . I have a small year round lease by Sinton has some doves but tons of Hogs and coons.
 

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