Help Me Pick a 20-Gauge for Doves

[Gregory]

Benelli M2 is hard to beat.

[Black Bart]

Black Bart- has this thread cleared things up for you. BTW, that 686 is my favorite O/U. And PSA has been running a deal on Beretta 300s for $600 and change. I like the 300/400s pretty well and they’re very reliable.

It's actually been pretty informative. Enough so to where I'm gonna hold off on a 20. Maybe I'll get another 12. Or an electric reel, lol.

[Black Bart]

The wounding versus killing factor was a big determinant.

[BRR]

The wounding versus killing factor was a big determinant.

Shoot good shells the gauge doesn't really matter. I haven't used anything but 28ga and .410 the last several years. With good shells it doesn't take much to kill a dove with every shot.....if you do your part.

P.S. I handload nickel plated 7.5's in the .410 and there isn't a factory load that comes remotely close to the performance.

[Palmetto Duck]

The wounding versus killing factor was a big determinant.

I wouldn’t let that bother me unless you’re not a very good shot and need the extra pellets a 12 ga shell will hold vs a 20. I’ve shot a .28 ga for years and would stand beside you and shoot any shot you’d take with your 12 and kill them just as dead. I shoot 71/2s out of the .28 ga. 9s don’t shoot as well. I shoot a Beretta Silver Pigeon, probably my favorite shotgun for doves. I bought it when I shouldn’t have been spending that much money on a shotgun and the only other thing I owned was a 12 ga 870. Never looked back and have enjoyed the hell out of shooting the over under.

[Palmetto Bug]

Doves are like baitfish. They only live a few years and reproduce multiple broods each year. They're like potato chips of nature. I don't like to lose a bird but it won't have a big effect on the population.

For me, a bigger issue is when you wound a dove, you may also be giving a hawk or eagle lead poisoning. Birds of prey have a very low tolerance for ingested lead With their low reproduction rate and lower population, their populations can't recover as quickly.

If you're an average shot, you'll be more effective with a 12 gauge. If you become a very good shot, only then should you consider downsizing. There's a reason clay tournaments consider a 12 gauge "standard" and everything else "subgauge". Subgauge targets aren't usually as long as regular targets.

[BRR]

........For me, a bigger issue is when you wound a dove, you may also be giving a hawk or eagle lead poisoning. Birds of prey have a very low tolerance for ingested lead With their low reproduction rate and lower population, their populations can't recover as quickly............

I'm not seeing the down side here... two birds with one stone. Good predator management...

[huntinghagen#12]

I’m not saying birds of prey don’t die from lead poisoning, but the most I’ve ever seen in any one place are the major roosts that get shot 1-3x per week in Argentina. Shotguns are like a dinner bell for them.

[huntinghagen#12]

I’m not saying birds of prey don’t die from lead poisoning, but the most I’ve ever seen in any one place are the major roosts that get shot 1-3x per week in Argentina. Shotguns are like a dinner bell for them.