Rabbit/Dove guns

kudu said:

If I remember correctly, IMP Skeet is a couple thousands tighter than Improved cylinder, so between an IC and a Mod.

All standard target or hunting shells are around 1200 fps, whether it be 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 or .410. You can buy faster go boom shells that will get you into the 1500fps, but they tend to blow out patterns and your shoulder, generally having softer shot unless you go with copper or nickel plating, but for doves this is not necessary. The best thing you can do is buy decent target load whether it's Win. AA, Remington Premiers, or Federal Top Gun target loads. Fiochi makes some decent shells also but are not as common. I usually reload my own to imitate a target load for hunting purposes.

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Not really. Skeet 1, or also called Skeet in is .003, Regular Skeet is .005, Skeet Out or Imp Skeet is .008; IC ..010; LM is .015; Mod is .020

ohihunter2014 said:

Okay guys I ran into something and need advice. I found a ton of Federal high brass, game loads in #8 1oz and some other Federal and Winchester #8 1oz for the 20ga but no Winchester AA. I grew up grabbing a cheap box of shells and shooting stuff like pheasants and rabbits and never really put much thought into shot size/OZ. Is the Win AA a better shell because of tolerances, etc or would any #8 1oz shell work? I plan on buying 4-6 boxes and hitting the skeet range soon. If Win AA are the best I can get I will have to order from Midway or somewhere.

I'm pretty excited to do this again this September. I am debating on buying a vest or just a bandolier for shells. Last year I took a small cooler and put the doves in after shooting them and just grabbed shells from the Walmart bag as needed.

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Do not show up at a skeet range wearing a bandolieer-those guys look goofy enough without you adding to it. Beside, a nice game vest gives you something to put your grouse and rabbits in.

I6turbo said:

ohihunter2014, I agree with what others have said about patterning the different shell options in the gun(s) and at the distances that you will be shooting at the range.

Re: the brass height, I prefer low brass, all else being equal. High brass is really just a marketing gimmick, low brass is easier to resize when reloading, and I see no need to waste the extra brass.

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That, and all the 'high brass' currently produced is really steel that is brass washed. The only true brass based hulls made anymore are Win. AA, (Not the cheap Walmart 'Field and Trap' crap) , Remington STS, and Remington Nitro 27 and Nitro Gold Sporting Clays.

It was kind of a dig on Skeeters....

I shoot a 12 g double muzzleloader and have to agree with that 16turbo fellow about the charge affecting pattern. I was using around 80 grains of powder to an ounce of shot and not hitting consistently. Found out it had a huge hole in the pattern. I found a thread here about patterns with front loaders that said to square the load, equal by volume powder to shot. This reduced the charge to 65 grains powder to 1 oz shot, re patterned and no more big hole. I know most of this doesn't apply to modern ammo but the lesson is the same.

My favorite rabbit gun was my 870 Special Field 20 ga w 21" fixed choke bbl (Modified choke).
My favorite dove gun was my 1100 Magnum 12 ga w 30" fixed choke bbl (Full choke).
Dove was done on sunflower fields........F&W areas.
They eventually went non toxic.
So no more 1100 Full choke.
Note: Magnum 1100s had recoil pads, not buttplates, and would cycle 1250 FPS lead target loads.

I ran my dad's 1100 Trap a few times, and when I had a big hay field of private land, used it w lead there.
Will find a 28" mod bbl for it............take it to F&W area if we get drawn. Will run steel shot. Bismuth too expensive.

Last few yrs I ran an 1100 reg, w synth stock (pad) and Imp Cyl and steel shot. It worked but with synth stock and 26" bbl.............it was a little light.

I've tried other guns for dove.
Shame my Citori hit too high for me

I've made quite a few over and under dog guys mad..........shooting doubles w my 870 Express turkey gun (23" bbl).

Dove hunting............sunscreen, ear plugs and.................Excedrin before you even start.

It's brutal.

Think sit in frying pan w bacon popping and somebody punching you.
Oh, it doesn't start out that way.
But you'll feel like it, when you're cleaning your gun that night.

Dove vest?

I take my deer hauler (two wheeled cart).
Big folding comfy chair. Camo netting and big green cooler.

Unload my junk in shade, set cart on side, add sticks to cart, hang netting.
Comfy chair is out a bit, not fully tucked in shade (need to see em quicker).
Cart is out a little bit, allow for chair to be moved fwd and away from cover a little if need be.

Chair, I shoot half my birds seated.
But what is seated?
Often one butt cheek on chair so I can swing.
Yes a stool would be better for that.

BTDT.

I have a messed up back, any down time? Needs max comfort for stamina.

All my crap is a PITA to lug, but it is a cart. I take a lof of water (heavy).

Last yr other hunters lugginf buckets and vests were HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, there will be carts out there this yr.

Gave my old one to a bud, it was OK........want a nicer one.
My other bud uses a 4 wheeled wagon.
Smaller wheels is a pain to pull.

Big bicycle type wheels roll better over uneven terrain.

Chair and cooler at min.
Still need cart to lug it.

Have done it hardcore.
Never again.

You do know you can just edit your initial post, right?

ohihunter2014 said:

Huh?

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Not you.

That was directed at Hookeye; he has a habit of posting addition posts as new thoughts hit him-Most of us just edit the post preceding that instead of adding an entirely new post.

Lot of good information here, thanks for that, never would have tried target loads for rabbits as I normally use #6 or 4 shot per advice I've gotten elsewhere. Just a heads up that if you are going to go with AA shells Winchester has a rebate going on for them right now.
https://winchester.com/Rebates/2019-AA-Loads-Rebate

I have taken lots of rabbits with target loads and 7 1/2 to #8 in shot size. Most of my rabbit kills were under 30 yards so the smaller shot was not an issue.

Back when i used to shoot a lot of wood pigeons and rabbits i used a AYA 25" boxlock and Eley Impacts, 1oz, English #6 shot. As i recall the AYA was half and quarter choke. From what i read on the interweb pigeons and rabbits have evolved into super creatures now and require at least a semi magnum cartridge to stand any chance of killing them. How times have changed. I still only use a 32grm #6 shot cartridge for pheasant hunting.

In my browning bss sporter 20 ga, I use 1 oz #4,s in the mod barrel and 1 oz #6,s in the full barrel. for rabbits at closer ranges the mod barrel with # 4,s kills them with out filling them full of shot and at the longer ranges the 1 oz of #6,s fill out the patteren out for good kills. for doves I just switch the shot, # 7.5 for the mod barrel and # 8 shot for the full barrel. in both I tend to shoot the mod barrel more. my bss has been hunting every year since the late 70,s by 3-4 generations of hunters and has fired thousands of rounds and even tho its a 20 ga 3" it have not seen many 3" shells and never needed any repairs, only cleaning.

Cleaning a gut shot rabbit with a shotgun is the nastiest, stinkiest down right utterly sickening thing I've ever done. You'd have to have a strong stomach to eat one after cleaning it.

95% of my rabbit hunting has been with a 22 LR. Granted, a running rabbit wasn't a high probability kill shot, but that's how I hunted them. Kind of like deer hunting in the miniature, I guess.

DDDWho said:

Cleaning a gut shot rabbit with a shotgun is the nastiest, stinkiest down right utterly sickening thing I've ever done. You'd have to have a strong stomach to eat one after cleaning it.

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That's why I hit 'em in the head, shotgun or .22. A former hunting partner gut shot a rabbit once, and freaked out when it (predictably) screamed. I had to walk over put my boot on the rear legs, and put a 16 ga. shell in it's head. Actually the shot column pushed most of the head about 1-2" down into the dirt. I turned to him and said, "Don't shoot 'em moving if you can't hit 'em in the head!" I didn't hunt with him much longer after that, but due to an incident with his brother.