It will be one of my 30" barreled S x S .410s, Gene. It's just become a tradition for me now to opening the season with a "little gun". So, either the Dickinson or the FAIR Iside Tartaruga.
I have a kind of personal methodology for doves and gauges of guns used on them. I've proven to myself over the years that 1/2 oz. is the minimum load that can be used effectively on doves by me, and that 1 oz. is the top end, having never found a situation in which I needed over an ounce of 7 1/2s to kill even late season, high flying birds, if enough choke is used. Also bearing on the decisions is the fact that the first few shoots require less gun because the doves are just not quite as wary of the standers, and you tend to get closer shots. As they mature, migratory birds move down later in the season, and even the native birds become more wary, they require longer and higher shots to kill a limit. So, I vary my loads according to conditions. Lighter loads earlier and heavier ones later. If, at the end of the season, one of my 32" Fox 12s wants to get out again I will use only 1 oz. of shot in it, preferring to limit myself somewhat, in range. Most everyone I shoot with uses a 12 with 1 1/8 oz. Again, it's just a personal decision to limit myself to 1 oz. maximum.
Hopefully, this season will be a big improvement over last, during which the excessive rainstorms deliteriosly afffected our gunning for doves. The 28s, 20s, and the 16s will have to wait for a bit later in the season. But, hopefully, all in due time.
Best, SRH
