# What kind of gun do you hunt Dove and Quail with?



## moviegoer

Not a gun owner yet.. Well, I own a BB gun and a German WW2 pistol that I inherited from my Grandfather. But I have a Vizsla and am looking to start hunting her. My main interest is Quail, but also, Dove and Pheasant and Duck too. Is a shotgun pretty much what everyone uses to hunt? I'm completely ignorant - I've hunted about 6 or 7 times in my life, with my grandaprents/ uncle when I was under 14. So I don't really remember. Anyway I think we'll start fairly soon and go out to a lease to hunt Dove and Quail.. Any recommendations on a good starter gun for use in this type of situation hunting with a Vizsla? Also I'm in Texas. (In terms of the environment, it's fairly open) Thanks!


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## Aimless1

I'm certainly no expert, but you have a wide variety of game birds there with different shotgun needs. Not to say that you can't use one gun for all species ... you can.

The classic quail gun is the 20 gauge. I have never been dove hunting so can't speak to that. Pheasant and duck begs for a 12 gauge. However, I have always maintained that one shoot the gun that they like in the gauge they favor. In my case I shoot both an over under and a side by side 16 gauge for upland bird hunting and have a pump 12 gauge shotgun for ducks, geese and turkey.

I would recommend joining a gun club near you. You'll want to hire a professional to teach you the proper way to shoot. Explain what your needs are and they can help point you towards a shotgun that will work well for you. You may change your mind or add to your gun collection over time and that's both normal and expected.

Enjoy.


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## redbirddog

A 20 gauge over-under of quality has served me well with our Vizsla. Since I own a pointer breed, that hold the bird until you get right up on it, then at close range a 20 gauge will bring down most upland birds including pheasant.

This was a post I did over two years ago before I ever hunted.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/09/pheasant-hunting-with-annie-vizsla.html


Now I pheasant hunt about one morning every other weekend. It is about the dog and not the bird for me. If I miss, like I did this weekend, and the bird flys free. Well that is ok with me. Bailey holds steady through wing and shot. We are still working on the retrieve, but that's something we have plenty of time to hone.

RBD


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## gunnr

Moviegoer

A lot about shotguns is situational. A gun used in the close cover of New England might not be the best choice for the open fields of Iowa. Another factor, and more important is the size of the shot.

To bring down quail, or doves #6-#7 is more than adequate. A pheasant would require #5-#6 in close cover, and maybe #4-#5 in an open field. Jujmp shooting ducks on inland ponds could be done with #4, but shooting ducks over open water, you'll move up to #2,and maybe duplex loads. Geese over decoys in a field and geese over water are duplex loads of 0,00 BB and #2. Waterfowl also require the use of Non lead shot, so the choices may move up a size.

The next thing to consider is shot shell size.
You mention ducks in your post, so you've definitely moved to a 12 gauge,and I would recommend 3" chambers. You need the shot size, density and speed.
The Lower the shot number, the larger and heavier the pellet, and the longer the lethal range of the shotgun.
Upland Birds can be effectively shot with 12,16,20, and 28 gauge shotguns. It becomes a personal preference, and a skill level choice.

Given your hunting area and wide range of hunting opportunity, I would recommend a gas operated 12 gauge, with 3" chambers, as a first gun. A 26" barrel with screw in chokes and you should be set for awhile. It will shoot lightly loaded 2 3/4" shells,and the heaviest loaded 3" magnum shells, and if you drop it in the water or mud, you won't be quite as upset as you would if you dropped a double that cost a lot more.
You'll move on to other guns, but you'll never regret this purchase.


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## Aimless1

Gunnr recommended a good choice given the wide variety of birds you may seek ... except that a 28 inch barrel would be a better choice, especially for a novice hunter.

You could take the same recommendations and choose a pump shotgun as well. That would cut down on your out of pocket expense. Most people like auto loaders and believe they reduce felt recoil. Having shot and lived with several, I would rather have a pump action myself. My personal preference.


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## gunnr

Aimless1

I personally like the 28" barrel, but I know that most of the screw in choke systems these days are more commonaly fitted onto 24"&26" barrels. The 28" barrel has to be ordered.
I have a 30 year old Remington 1100, modified choke, with a 28" barrel. I've yet to hand that shotgun to a novice and not have them be successful. The combination of weight, and barrel length slows down their swing enough and makes a very stable sight platform.
I have many O/U's, but that "cheap" Remingtom is still a favorite. It was also my first shotgun.


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## KonasPop

Doing similar research moviegoer and found this link 

http://hunting.about.com/od/shotgun/l/aapheasantgunsa.htm 

for pheasant anyway...I'm getting a 28" for sure, but have not decided on 12 or 20 guage o/u.
Good luck - getting my Hunters safety re-upped in a few weeks and then i'll go to a used shop and see if i cant find something reasonable rather than forking over for new.


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## gunnr

Konaspop

If you're willing to go used, and bypass a screw in choke system, some very nice shotguns are out there.
I was in Cabelas last week and they have a lot of nice O/U's, used, for sale. A lot of guns from the 70's and 80's are hitting the used markets. I guess that population of folks is getting to the point in their lives where they don't hunt any longer, an d may not have someone to pass the gun down to. The economy isn't helping either.
I've seen a lot of used Browning Citori,s from that era, specifically.


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## KonasPop

I want a citori pretty badly - new woudl be great, but pricey and in the market for new truck 

Will check out used section of my cabelas...thanks gunnr


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## mason

I just purchased a Benelli Legacy 28G semi-auto. Wow! Its one of the lightest shotguns on the market which makes quail hunting much more fun! It's probably not the best shotgun for pheasants but I have a feeling it will work just fine!I know I won't be using it for waterfowl, it's just too pretty. 
Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in...


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## Aimless1

I've seen pheasants taken by a 28 but you better center them!

Nice quail/woodcock gun!


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## bobbyh09

I recently bought a Benelli Vinci 12ga.. I bought it for pheasant hunting and duck hunting. I have the black synthetic model with a 26" barrel. This gun is so light and easy to pull up for quick shooting I wouldnt' use anything else unless I buy a browning over under.. but this gun is an all around great gun.. plus being synthetic it will hold up in all types of weather..


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## Aimless1

Benelli makes some very nice auto loaders. Looks like it will serve you well.


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## moviegoer

Thanks for replying, eveyone! This was a really informative thread.

So now I have this dilemma. I don't own any other guns. My thinking is, I'm going to purchase one gun that accomplishes three things: 
1. Use for bird hunting (Upland birds, especially quail and dove)
2. Shoot for fun at targets, skeet etc.
3. Home defense

One other thing - I'm 5'6, fairly skinny/ small. Lugging a really heavy 12 gauge around all day seems a little unappealing. Should I get a 20 gauge? Is a 20 gauge lighter and does it kick a little less? Or would a 20 gauge just limit me too much in terms of available ammo, the kind of birds I could shoot, etc. Someone on another board was mocking a 20 gauge, and joking that real men use 12 gauges. Is that a real perception out there, or is that just one arrogant poster? Thanks so much.


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## tracker

I would say that is an arrogant poster for sure, but similar to other posts on this thread there are many different situations that required different guns. 

12 guage will take down the dove and quail for sure, but there may not be much left to eat if they are flying at close range.


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## Aimless1

Too much needs to be written or said in response to your question. Lots of variables, misconception, falsehoods & etc to deal with.

Let me cut to the chase.

1. The poster on the other forum is an ass.
2. If all you're going to hunt is dove & quail then the 20 gauge is fine.
3. If you don't want to be limited in the future or may hunt pheasants, ducks or geese, then follow Gunnr's advice. It was excellent.
4. Felt recoil depends on many factors. The gauge of the gun may or may not affect it. In general, the heavier the gun the less felt recoil. A typical 12 gauge is 7 1/2 to 8 lbs.
5. You really need to shoot before you choose your weapon. Get lessons at a gun club from a certified instructor. Understand that much of their advice will be how to consistently hit clay targets and may or may not translate to bird hunting. However, choosing a shot gun with experience trumps choosing a shot gun without ever having shot one. 
6. Your first shotgun is most likely not your last.

My advice? Get lessons to learn the right way to shoot a shotgun. Hint? You point it, but don't aim. Borrow or rent a gun to use until you are comfortable. Then, and only then, choose one for yourself.

Good luck!


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## gunnr

That's just one arrogant poster.
International skeet is shot with 12,20 and 28 gauge shotguns. The larger the number, the smaller the barrel diameter, the more skill required. Add in the .410 also to the gun requirements. In between these gauges is the oft' forgotten 16 gauge, not used for skeet competitions, which is too bad because it is one sweet shotgun.
The gauge of the shotgun is the diameter of the number of equally weighted spherical balls that would weigh one "english" pound.

Shotgun loads and recoil are expressed as Cupric units of pressure. So While a 20 gauge shell will "generally" have a lower powder weight, and discounting the type of wad used, will "usually" be a lighter load than an equivalent 12 gauge. However, the rub is that the cross sectional area of the butt, and narrower, sharper,stock comb, can combine to give just as much perceived recoil as a heavier , bigger 12 gauge. Either gauge can have the recoil tempered with a recoil pad "system". There are a bunch to choose from.
A 20 gauge will be fine for Dove and Quail, and in fact many Pheasant every year are taken with a 20, as well as Ducks. It's a very capable shotgun. It will require more skill though for the ducks. A lot of skill actually. There is no shortage of shell selections for the twenty. You'll go dizzy figuring out the best ones for you.


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## zigzag

I am also new to shooting/shotguning and am searching for the right gun, the right ga. I plan to shoot only upland not much intrest in Duck hunting. I am also a Lefty so my affordable choices are narrow. Plus the non toxic laws are going to be a major factor for me in Oregon. So I should pick the 20ga browning BPS hunter 28inch barrel. But I'm a non conformist and want the 16ga upland special 24inch barrel. I know when it comes to buying ammo I'm gonna kick myself.


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## Aimless1

I choose to shoot 16ga only for upland birds. It truly is the sweet 16. That said, if I had to shoot non toxic only I would probably choose another more popular gauge. You'll find non toxic shells both hard to come by and expensive even by non toxic standards.

I few years back I was in a back woods hardware store and found a couple of cases of Kent tungsten matrix cheap. Hits as hard as lead shot.

If you can find a longer barrel for that 16 I would highly recommend it. I owned a 12ga upland special and was never very happy with it .. combination of being too light and therefore whippy to handle and the short barrel was a handicap for me swinging through my birds. YMMV.

An excellent resource is 16ga.com and billhanusbirdguns.com.

Good luck.


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## zigzag

Thanks. Yes it seems like a tricky gun, I'm still not sure if I want to pull the trigger on it yet


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## gunnr

Aimless1

I used to shoot Skeet and Sporting Clays, which made me buy my own reloaders, and make my own shells. When I went into Cabela's to buy some hunting loads last year, probably the first shotgun shells I've bought in 10 years, the prices were uhh, staggering, especially for the 28ga. Wow! I had no idea shotgun shells had gotten so expensive.
Looks like I'll be "rolling my own" shells from now on. I still have a 28 ga. reloader, but I'll need to get a 12/20 reloader.
ZigZag
If you're leaning toward a 16 ga., and there are a lot of good reasons too, consider reloading your own shells. It's a big upfront cost, but will pay for itself in time. Get a nice progessive reloader.


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## texasred

The best thing you can do before buying your gun is shoulder a few diffrent shotguns and see which one fits you best. My go to gun is a Browning Citori O/U 12. It just fits me and I just change out chokes and ammo depending on what I'm hunting.
I wish I had started out with a lighter gun. I pickup the 28 gauges and think how sweet it would be to use one on upland, but my down fall is I over swing a light gun.


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## redbirddog

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-time-to-get-gun-song.html

Here is a nice little gun owning song.

Happy trails,
RBD


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## R E McCraith

Go to a great gun broker-they will fit the gun 2 u-lop-cast-drop-ect-as 2 gu-20 is great light recoil ect-get 1 that can take a 3in shell-can shoot ducks on down-most versitle is 12gu-shoot anything with it-love my browning sweet 16gu-comes 2 shell cost-12's n 20's are the best buy-o/u s/s or jamamatic-it's just what u like 2 shoot-have the gun fit 2 u &u will b happy-as it comes 2 price-the sky's the limit-a good gun is not a cheap gun-on the low side the 870 remmington wing master pump-in the top 20 of the best shotguns ever made-still r-chose your gu barrel ect-shoot often n you will shoot well-still shoot my grandfathers 1896 olimpia hammered 12 gu-kicks like ****-reminds me of lessons well earned!


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