Advice taken from the Gamekeeper Podcast episode, IT'S DOVE SEASON, featuring former Olympic sporting clay shooter Tony Rosetti and Mossy Oak's Clay Davis.
DOVE HUNTING WINGSHOOTING ADVICE
Shooting a dove is tough wing shooting. They're fast as lightning and can humble you real quick before you have a chance to realize what happened. We caught up with former Olympic sporting clay shooter Tony Rosetti and sporting clay competitor Clay Davis to talk wing shooting tips and what folks can do to get their limit of doves.
Tony says, "There's two methods and strategies involved in wing shooting:"
Swing Through Method: Come from behind the bird and come past him to shoot. There's a theory that as soon as you see daylight between the bird and your gun is to pull the trigger. But don't stop the gun, keep swinging the gun.
Sustained Lead: You're holding the lead out in front of the bird the whole time. You're waiting for the shot. The downfall with this method is that by the time you're ready to shoot, the gun slows down and you don't hold that lead and you shoot behind it.
More Quick Tips for Shooting Dove:
- If you miss a bird, 9 times out of 10 you're missing behind them. Double your lead the next time and see what happens.
- Always keep the gun moving. You want to start behind the bird, find the bird, swing past the bird, pull the trigger and keep swinging. Don't stop the gun when you shoot.
- Keep your ammo consistent. A different shell will alter your lead and affect everything. Buy one shell and stick with it.
- Get the gun up when the dove is about 50 yards away. Don't wait too long to shoot. Their speed is incredible and they'll fly right by you in a minute.
- There's no need to shoot a 12-gauge. A 28 gauge will kill a dove just as well as anything. Most hunters prefer a 20-gauge shotgun for dove hunting.
