Muzzleloading doves this season

[Newtire]

Just came across this picture today. Just picked up another one of these Whitney type shotguns today. Here is one I used this last dove season.

Used a load of 1-1/8oz of homemade #7 (and equal volume of Black MZ) made by one of our former members who's hopefully hunting and pouring shot in the great range in the sky.

[skeettx]

AWESOME Post
Thank you for sharing
Mike

[Hellgate]

Hey Newtire,
We are starting to see more of those European collared doves. They are light brown/tan and about as big as a pigeon. There's no bag limit or closed season 'cause they're an evasive species here in Orygun. Are you seeing them over in Idaho yet?

[Newtire]

The collared doves are everywhere. They are tough as nails and fast like a flock of bluebills when they would come in to the voodoo mojo decoys. Smallest shot I would use is #7. 6's would be better. The ones I saw around town seemed slow & lazy but those out in the field we hunted were like bullets.

They are about the size of a small pigeon & taste just as good as the mourning doves. If I had a place to go here, I would be out after them whenever I could! Need to get a jug choke job on one of my shotguns!

[Hellgate]

I forgot all about a jug choke. You might be able to do one with emery cloth in a slit dowel chucked into a drill or using a hone. I'm sure there is someone better than me on YouTube that can show you how to ruin a good shotgun.:-D My ML 12ga is a "Brand X" made inexpensively in India with the maximum load of 90grs BP & 1 1/4oz shot stamped on the barrel. I could not (in good conscience) cough up what they wanted for a Pedersoli even though they are much higher in quality. I have only occasionally shot my "injun gun".

[Newtire]

Indeed, the Pedersoli I bought off a guy here on our board is a beauty of a gun and light as a feather. It has a chrome lined bore and the one guy who advertises jug choking services (Caywood) won't do chrome lined or damascus bores. I have thought about getting a Navy Arms I have jug choked but it's a Pietta and a much cheaper made gun with pot metal lock parts etc. Seems a shame to throw alot of money into a gun that I don't like that much. I'll hang in there and one will come along...I hope!

[swathdiver]

...it's a Pietta and a much cheaper made gun with pot metal lock parts etc.

While cleaning mine recently one of the hammers didn't lock back right but still fired fine, pulled the locks and BOTH pot metal bridles were cracked in half! ARGHHH!!! Thankfully, Mr. Beauchamp has the parts. If only he had the tang err standing breech!

[Newtire]

While cleaning mine recently one of the hammers didn't lock back right but still fired fine, pulled the locks and BOTH pot metal bridles were cracked in half! ARGHHH!!! Thankfully, Mr. Beauchamp has the parts. If only he had the tang err standing breech! Isn't that great to be able to get the parts! I did find out that the Pedersoli bridles are made from machined steel and are totally interchangeable with the Pietta bridles so my Pietta locks now have Pedersoli bridles that won' t crack. All the people who have had your trouble (me included) have had cracked bridles. $40.00 each, ouch but now both locks are fixed and it's done!

[skeettx]

OK, jug choke NOT needed :)
Give this trick a try.
Are you loading with plastic shot wad on top of your cushion/nitro wad?
It will concentrate your pattern.
If you still want a tighter pattern.
One or two wraps of cellophane tape around shot cup
will give another degree of constriction.

Mike

[Newtire]

I will have to make sure I get the whole pattern on a piece of cardboard and get a better count. Didn' t think the shot cup helped much but will give it a fair try. The cellophane tape sounds like a good idea. I will try to get a few big sheets of cardboard to give the patterning a try again.

[waksupi]

Cal, increase your shot charge, usually 10-15 gr. measurement over powder charge.

[Newtire]

OK, will give that a try next chance I get.

[Hellgate]

Also, you do not need cardboard to pattern the gun other than to hang a sheet of freezer paper on it (staples or tape). Get back about 10-15 yards and you will see what the gun is doing. No need to go back to 30 or 40 yds to pattern it. You are looking for either center dense or an even pattern. A donut pattern will still show at close range. I just staple or tape a piece of butcher paper to a cardboard box and put a dot or an X on the paper with a magic marker/sharpie. You can draw a circle around what you guesstimate is 90% of the holes to determine the size of the pattern. At 10 yds a full choke is 10".