Gil: I am sorry to have abandoned the computer for a few days and not replied to your question. The load I use for doves is the standard Killer Bee data put out by BPI. It utilizes a small charge of Tightwad powder, low pressure be assured. One can use as little as 15 gr. and have a really low recoil round. (Great for women and beginners) The KB's are so low as it is, I think I could shoot all day in Argentina! Both will cycle an auto. Seems to burn clean. Now--for the reasoning...
Bob Brister had BPI originate the load because of his detached retina. If the recoil is low enough for that, it is LOW indeed. But the reason I like them is that they allow me to "DIAL IN" my instinctive shooting. Doves at 40+ yards are deceptively hard to hit. When my brain says shoot at 25-35 yds, no problem. The same unthinking, "concentrate on the bird" effort out yonder, and I am left wondering why I missed. The faster speed has corrected it for me. You can talk about how many thousandths of a second is saved--HAVE YOU EVER COMPUTED HOW FAR THE TARGET MOVES IN THAT GIVEN BIT OF TIME? Just enough for the dove to survive! There is only a fraction of a second required for the antelope to elude the cheetah. The cheetah will not be consoled by ballistic excuses for his miss if he is walking home hungry. I think you could vary the speed of the 3/4 oz. loads until you come up with the perfect solution to the diff. between what your brain says is trigger time and what WORKS. I am into what works, and THIS DOES. TRY IT! It requires the right wad (BPI suggests theirs, but whatever will fit the shot) the low charge of Tightwad, and your choice of shot size and quality. Nothing to it! And I am not into high pressure loads, so even if the recipes on the bottle of Longshot powder describe 1 1/8 loads going 1560 fps, I am NOT on board with the pressure or the sharp recoil. As far as I am concerned the increased velocity is for 3/4 oz and not more. And I have made enough 60 yd. shots with tight mod. choke (shots run long where I hunt) to really open some eyes...Steve