Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

Do you miss a lot? Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Modified cylinder and an Improved Cylinder is? What about the difference between a 7.5 or 8 shot load? All these questions can be answered with a couple of boxes of shells, some paper, and time. Patterning a shotgun can be very valuable to any bird hunter. Let’s look at how.

First off let’s be clear, I’m not trying to show you how to pattern for gun fit, I’m trying to help you identify how to make your gun, as it is, the most effective when dove hunting.

1. Get set up: Find a place that you can shoot without being pressed for time. Acquire some 4′x4′ poster board or sheets of paper (no less than 40″ squares) and put one on a sheet of plywood for a backstop. Make sure to bring the chokes and shells for the type of game you will be patterning for. Set yourself up at a distance that you normally shoot from. For dove, probably 20-25 yards will be your best bet.
2. Start Shooting: Unfortunately, you can’t do this by shooting one time with each variation and think you are done. You can shoot the same choke and same load five times and each will be different, but there will be significant patterns to pay attention to. Label each shot and mark the area where the pellets are most concentrated and then draw a large circle around the rest of the pattern (12-15 inch radius depending on how tight a pattern you are shooting). Shoot at least four to five times for each variation you wish to evaluate, i.e. four shots with modified 8 shot , modified 7.5 shot etc. etc. After you’ve wore out the plywood, it’s time to study the results.
3. Evaluate: As you begin to look at these pieces of paper look for consistency. Everyone will be a little different but there wiil be patterns in each variation. Imagine or make an outline of a dove a put it inside the circle in various places to see if you have places that would have only landed one or two pellets or  missed completely. If so, use smaller shot, or a heavier load. When looking at the difference between chokes, pay attention to how deadly the pattern is on outer quadrants. Chokes can go bad. If you notice a significant void in the same area of the shot, shoot a few more times to be sure. If it’s still there, replace the choke. Better to replace the choke than miss the dove and start the mental war that comes with missing. For more on shooting, click here

I know. this sounds like loads of fun, yeah right. However, you might thank me on the next hunt if you find a problem before you go. Knowing how your gun shoots is vital to being consistent in field.

 Time to RELOAD!

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