Dove Season – Powered by Winchester Ammunition

The end of summer comes with mixed emotions for many people … vacations are over, kids are headed back to school, and routines are changing. For hunters, however, this time of year means the kickoff of fall. For most, dove hunting is the start of their hunting season and a way of dusting off the cobwebs as they take a crack at high-flying, fast birds.

The key to a successful dove season is preparation. It’s important to spend time taking inventory of what shotgun shells you have or need and take a trip or two to the shooting range and practice on some clay targets. Let’s cover how to best prepare for dove season.

Pre-Season Practice

After spring turkey season, it’s a long wait until fall hunting comes back around. A great way to keep your skills sharp and get some practice for dove season is to find a gun club with a sporting clays course. Shooting a round of sporting clays is an ideal activity to simulate wing shooting. With fast flying targets and multiple presentations, shooting sporting clays is a perfect way to replicate fast flying doves. For sporting clays, Winchester AA target shotshells have been an excellent choice for sport shooters for over 60 years.

Winchester AA shotshells have been recognized as one of the best target shotshells ever developed since their inception in 1965. The legendary AA wad system and lead shot alloyed with antimony commands the best in performance and consistency. New to the AA line of shotshells is Winchester AA Super Spreader. This line extension is the same AA load that champion target shooters rely on, but with a unique wad system that opens up the pattern substantially as soon as the shot leaves the barrel. This quick opening pattern makes it easier to crush close range targets.

Pre-season sporting clays will go a long way in improving your success in the dove field.

Gun Cleaning & Cases of Ammunition

Short of being out-of-practice, two factors that can derail your dove season are a dirty gun and running out of ammunition. As opening day approaches, get that shotgun out of the safe and give it a good cleaning and oiling. Auto-loading shotguns are especially prone to carbon buildup and fouling which will surely lead to gun jams.

Ammunition – Stock up. Doves are fast and seemingly have forcefields around them at times, which means you’ll be sending a lot of ammo trying to fill your limit. The last thing any hunter wants is to run out of ammo before the hunt is over. That said, be sure to get to your favorite retailer long before the season starts to stock up on shotshells. Full shelves will become empty fast in the few days prior to opening day. Winchester has several offerings that are effective on doves, including a new shotshell, Magnum Dove.

Available in 12 – and 20 – gauge, Magnum Dove is a high-brass shotshell engineered for serious dove hunting. On top of heavy payloads and high velocity, Magnum Dove features a custom blend of #7 ½ and #9 lead shot that creates dense patterns those fast flying doves can’t escape.

Dove Bucket Essentials

Whether you plan to head out on opening day, or later, think through all the essential gear and pack up!

We’ve found the best way to get your gear into the field and have a spot to sit is a classic five-gallon bucket. The list below includes some suggestions on gear for the hunt.

Dove season is a time-honored tradition for hunters across the country. Good luck and be safe as you get out there with Winchester this dove season!