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No.9's On Doves

select-fire
Everyone knows No.9 shot works fine on clay pideons,, what about Dove hunting with it. Too Small ? or should I go with 8's.
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8 comments

Date Votes
  • Snellstrom
    9'S Work fine except for the long shots. As you probably already know small shot loses energy a ways out there, faster than the larger shot sizes. I've used 9's in a 12 guage on doves and quail quite a bit but where I was hunting I didn't have to worry about those long passing shots. If you want impressive long shots on doves go with 6's.
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  • MAD DAWG
    9s are OK between about 20 and 25 yards. Much closer and all you get is a puff of meat - no feathers. Much further and a good hit just generates a puff of feathers - no meat. Hunt dove a lot with a 20ga. One year I loaded ten boxes of 1oz loads with #9 thinking the increased shot count might make up a little for decreased load volume. WRONG ! ! ! The rapid loss of energy and penetration of this very small shot leaves it essentially ineffective beyond about 25 yards. And much closer than 20 yards - the short range, small, dense pattern is the ultimate illustration of 'overkill'. This resulted in about two seasons of very selective shooting. It doesn't take a lot of pellets to bring one of these 'almost' song birds down. But the pellets have to get in where it counts. Depending on your guage, choke and general range - 7 1/2s or 8s are a much better choice. Applies to Quail, too. I've never had the opportunity to hunt Woodcock.
    Best..........!
    MAD DAWG
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  • select-fire
    Thanks for the replies. I am sticking with 8's in heavy dove in a 1 oz load for my 20. One barrel will have skeet and the other improved cyl.
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  • TRAP55
    7 1/2's and the dog and kids don't have to work so hard.[;)][:D]

    "Aim small...Miss small"
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  • OleDuk
    select-fire, the responses contain good advice. I like the 2-1/2dr 1oz 8's load in the 20. Might go to the same load of 7-1/2's if the 8's weren't available.
    OleDuk[:)]
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  • 1armbandit
    I use a 20 ga. for dove hunting. I found #8 Remington SureShot loads best in my side-by-side. In my Browning over/under and Remington 48 semiauto, #7-1/2 Remington Express loads work best.

    I dont like to see that poof of feathers and then the bird fly away. Its wounded and will later die of infection.

    I think you will need to experiment to find the load that works best in your particular gun. And yes, you will be able to take longer shots with larger shot.
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  • allechalley
    Speaking of #9 on clays. I was shooting .410 into the wind on a crossing clay at about 20 yards. I could occasionally hear something as I missed again. It turned out it was pellets bouncing off the bird. Switched to 8's and 7 1/2's and started breaking a lot more than I was( just improved some). Also went out to pick up once thrown rabbit targets. A lot of them had iddy biddy holes (9 shot), sometimes 3 or 4 but didn't break (and the range on these was about 15 yards). You really lose energy quickly on 9's.
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  • bambihunter
    I'll second the opinions stated, and add that I too dropped #9's even from my .410 loadings for all but skeet. For 12 gauge it is simply silly to use such a small shot size.
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