Dove Hunting Gear: the Shotguns, Ammo, and Accessories You Need

September 16, 2022 | 0 Comments

Dove Season is right around the corner! As we get to the end of summer and move into the beginning of dove hunting season, it is important to get make sure you have all the dove hunting gear you’ll need. In this blog, we’re going to go over some of the dove hunting gear you need to make this season a successful one!

Picking The Perfect Gun

If you ask hunters what their ideal dove hunting shotgun is, you’ll receive a lot of different answers. And while this might not be the most helpful, it demonstrates that there are a lot of good options for dove hunting shotguns. So when trying to find the gun for you, there are a few things to consider.

The Type of Shotgun

First, if you’ve shot before, consider your preference of a shotgun. You may like over-under shotguns, double barrel shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, or pump-action shotguns and want to go with one of those. While pump shotguns often provide shooters with a more affordable option, semi-auto shotguns may make it easier to take quick follow-up shots when need be. These are all things to consider based on budget and skill.

Choosing a Gauge

Most shotguns will be either 12 or 20 gauge, but many dove hunters prefer 12 gauge. A 12 gauge shotgun delivers bigger and denser shot patterns because the shell can hold more shot. They also deliver versatility, with a 12 gauge allowing you to hunt bigger game in addition to doves. The 12 gauge shotgun has a great variety of uses compared to the 20 gauge.

While 20 gauge shotguns don’t deliver as much versatility, there are some benefits worth noting. They can easily take down doves as well as quail and ducks, which is the application we’re looking at here. Additionally, as you may know, 20 gauge shotguns also deliver less recoil than the larger 12 gauge, making them a great choice if recoil is a concern. Plus it is important to think about what you shoot. Are you more of a bird-only hunter? If so, then the 20 gauge will be great for you!

The Best Dove Hunting Shotguns

The great thing about most shotguns is that they usually have a 12 or 20 gauge version. Whether you want 12 gauge or 20 gauge, you can look for any of your favorite brands to find the best shotgun for you.

The Mossberg 500 All-Purpose Field Shotgun 12 GA

One of the best shotguns for any dove hunter is the Mossberg 500 All Purpose Field 12 Gauge Shotgun. The Mossberg 500 shotgun has been seen as a classic by most hunters for many years, delivering reliable performance and taking down lots of game over the years. Additionally, we have the Mossberg 500 All Purpose Field 20 Gauge Shotgun for those that want a 20 gauge version.

The CZ Readhead Premier Over-Under 12 GA

A great choice for those who prefer an over-under shotgun is this CZ Readhead Premier shotgun. It also delivers a quality finish that’s inspired by classic shotguns, allowing you to experience a vintage look and feel at an affordable price

The Beretta A400 XPLOR 20 GA Shotgun

Beretta A400 XPLOR Action 20 Gauge shotgun is well suited for a variety of hunting and target shooting tasks. This Beretta shotgun is light and trim, making the it a great choice for a high-quality shotgun

Browse Shotguns for Sale Online at GrabAGun!https://grabagun.com/firearms/shotguns.html

The Best Dove Hunting Ammo

When it comes to choosing shotgun ammo for a dove hunting trip, we understand you want the best, along with a wide variety of options. Most hunters use 2.75-inch dove and field loads that are cost effective and consistent. There are many options you can choose from through GrabAGun!

Sizing and Dove Ammo Load

For any new dove hunters out there, we would recommend using 2.75″ shotshells loaded with 7 ½ or #8 shot. These sizes will provide a uniform shot pattern and plenty of pellets downrange. These shot sizes offer a dense pattern, which is perfect for agile birds like doves.

Doves aren’t necessarily the hardest bird to take down, but they are fast and unpredictable. Using the ideal shotgun shells for dove hunting can enhance the performance of your shotgun and provide the best results in the field. Options like the Fiocchi Field Dynamics High Velocity 12 Gauge , the Fiocchi Field Dynamics High Velocity 20 gauge loads, and the Winchester 20 gauge rounds are great examples of this. They provide optimal performance and come in a variety of gauges and loads, making it easy to find exactly what you need.

While there are more sizes of shot, you’ll find that experienced hunters usually stick with the 7 ½ or 8 shot for dove. Experiment for yourself with Remington 12 gauge ammo or 20 gauge ammo for sale to find what works best for you. Regardless, it is important to have several boxes of ammo with you in a variety of options since your environment can change.

Browse Shotgun Shells for Sale Online at GrabAGun.

Dove Season Accessories

One thing experienced shooters can tell you is that conditions are always changing. You may find yourself moving around a few times just to get a decent shot. That’s why, as part of your dove hunting essentials, it’s necessary to have the correct gear, choke tubes, and decoys to get the most out of your hunt.

Every dove hunter wants to make sure they have a sturdy chair for hours of sitting out in the field. We have a great list of hunting chairs that are all lightweight, but heavy-duty and waterproof. These chairs come in a variety of colors and some have great storage space to make sure you make the most of your hunting area. For more storage you can also get shell pouches, bird hunting vests, or coolers for a fun and easy hunt. Need a way to bring the dove to you? We also have great dove decoys that move and act just like a real dove to catch the attention of passing birds. Whether the birds are flying high or coming to decoys, GrabAGun has a huge selection of choke tubes for the distances you need to shoot.

Dove Hunting Gear at GrabAGun

Dove hunting is an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. New hunters that want to have a successful season need to make sure they have everything ready to go. Luckily, we can help you out with all the gear you need! So remember, whenever you’re looking for a new firearm or firearm accessory, check out GrabAGun!

–Destinee Norman

Deer Hunting Tips

December 6, 2013 | 0 Comments

Tips for Hunting Whitetail Deer

Deer hunting is one of the top hunting sports. With deer populations soaring many areas have increased bag limits and/or provide an extended season to allow for thinning of the deer population to provide better health for deer. GrabAGun online gun dealers has compiled a list of tips from successful deer hunters nationwide and are happy to provide the top 10 favorites.

1. Use effective scouting. Scouting can identify bedding areas, food sources, water holes, funnels, and deer trails. Gone are the days when scouting by foot or 4 wheelers were necessary. These means of scouting, while effective leave scent and spook deer. With today’s technology hunters can use game cameras, aerial photos and in some areas game maps are available.

2. Get the most out of game cameras. Set out mineral blocks or feed to bait your cameras locations. This maximizes your cameras potential to locate areas frequented by deer. Keep in mind your states hunting laws and don’t attempt to hunt game at cameras, baiting game is illegal in many states.

3. Hang treestands 20-ft. or higher, as you are more likely to be detected by sharp eyed deer at lower levels. At this height a deer has to look up to see you. This allows you to have some movement and get away with a little noise, and may make your scent less detectable. Better yet, use multiple treestands in several locations. Take wind direction into account for placement as well as the choice stand of the day. If you locate a stand on a frequently traveled trail for example, use the tree for shielding as an extra advantage. Exercise prudent precautions and wear a good quality safety harness when hunting from tree stands.

4. Avoid walking through direct areas where deer frequent. This will prevent introducing your scent to the area. Rake leaves, and trim branches in a planned path to and from the stand that avoid bedding areas and game trails and to prevent making noise as you travel to your tree stand.

5. Assure that you have a clear shot from your hunting stand or blind by trimming tree limbs. Use prudence, take away too much and the deer may avoid the area entirely. Use the branches below, along and slightly above your stand. It provides cover to break up your outline and helps to keep you hidden. Fresh cut cedar, spruce and pine can also help to mask your scent as well.

6. Many hunters swear by odor elimination, others hunt without it with successful results. If you don’t want to spray down on the hunt, use wind as your friend. If you stay downwind of deer they aren’t going to smell you. Be clean and perfume free by all means, but keep in mind many hunters have successful hunts without having to scrub up and spray as if you are a biological weapons manufacturer.

If you do find you have better results by utilizing scent eliminators, then by all means use it. Shower using scent-eliminating soap and shampoo. Use unscented laundry detergent on all hunting clothing and store them inside a sealed plastic bag. The odor-free group of hunters recommend while hunting to routinely spray down with a high quality odor eliminator, and not to forget your shoes!

7. Don’t forget to clean gear. If you store your gear in a garage, attic, basement or closet reeking of gas and grease, perfumes or other scents your gear can absorb the odor. Clean and air out equipment ahead of time. If bags can’t be laundered clean them with a scent eliminating soap and allow plenty of sunshine and air to clear the scents out. Spray with odor eliminators as necessary.

8. Practice makes perfect. There is no better tool to improve shooting accuracy than practice. Sights can break, fail and be bumped out of place. Learning to shoot deer hunting guns accurately minus the sights at various yardages is the best way to assure your aim.

9. In a perfect world you will have located your tree stand downwind of the deer. When the world isn’t perfect use the ancient trick of wetting a finger and holding it up to the wind to determine which direction it is blowing from, then get down wind of where you expect deer to approach from. A handy tool to have is a wind direction indicator, but lacking it taking note of the first to dry spot on a wet finger can accurately indicate the direction wind is blowing from and has worked well for many generations.

10. Don’t Smoke! Deer don’t smoke, and neither should you if you expect to tag a deer. Tobacco scent not only carries, it lingers. Many a soldier has met his death due to an enemy smelling burning tobacco. Deer have a much more sensitive sense of smell than enemy soldiers, so don’t smoke.

Make your hunt an enjoyable safe experience. Practice all hunting and firearm safety procedures, be aware of gun and tree stand safety, and inspect before and during the season for potential problems. Finally, be aware that though rare, deer can attack hunters, especially during the rut.

Inexperienced deer may allow a hunter to approach within 50-70 feet if the hunter appears non-threatening (no eye contact, slow movements, moving parallel rather than directly towards the deer), but the mature buck can and have been known to attack. Injuries can be life threatening or even fatal.

Get the best deer hunting guns for sale online from GrabAGun today! Shop shotguns for sale, gun sights, and scopes.

Shotguns For Sale

November 22, 2013 | 0 Comments

Shotguns for Sale

If you have a shotgun on your Christmas Wish List, GrabAGun has shotguns for sale. Semi-automatic shotguns, over-under shotguns, pump action/tactical shotguns, bolt action shotguns, side-by-side shotguns, revolving cylinder shotguns, single shot shotguns, and lever action shotguns are all available in a number of name brands.

We sell hunting shotguns as well as tactical shotguns for home defense and law enforcement personnel. GrabAGun also carries tactical shotgun accessories including pistol grips, drum magazines, upper receivers, lower receivers and much more.

Shotguns have always been popular for hunting and competition shooting. Often handed down through the generations, shotguns are generally durable and reliable firearms. Recent advances in gun manufacturing have created shotguns that take the abuse of dusty or wet environments and keep on shooting, as well as significant reduction in recoil and extreme accuracy.

As popular as the deer rifle is, there remain a few die hard shotgun fans who successfully hunt deer with a shotgun. Though many would scoff, when hunting in areas with houses in close proximity that prevent hunting with large caliber rifles, a shotgun is a viable alternative. As with any firearm the key to success is practice and then more practice on the range.

GrabAGun offers shotguns for sale from a number of popular manufacturers such as Beretta, Browning, Mossberg, Remington, and Winchester.

Get the best shotguns for sale online from GrabAGun today! Shop hunting shotguns and tactical shotguns.

Hunting Guns For Sale Online

November 4, 2013 | 0 Comments

Leaves of red and gold litter the forest floor this time of year, and while a beautiful sight it is nature’s advanced warning system for keen eared wildlife. Most hunters simply can’t execute a path through the forest without sounding like a herd of elephants coming through.

Few individuals know how to maneuver quietly, much less silently with a toe-heel step rather than the heel-toe. Modern shoes do little to help in this situation with their stiff & unbending soles. Modern shoe designers have yet to tackle foot gear for silent travel through branch or leaf litter. Ancient designers mastered it of course long ago with moccasin style, soft soled footwear. Unfortunately, they tend to allow rock bruises and cold, wet feet.

Most hunters set up in blinds and treestands and this resolves the problem of loud feet once you arrive. Until flexible and specialized hunter’s shoes are deemed a necessity, a hunter’s best approach is silence and cover, accuracy and a good hunting gun.

The inexperienced hunter could benefit from knowing that lower grain ammunition may be fine for target practice in some weapons, but a poor choice for an efficient hunt. In some guns, cheap low grain ammo can lead to misfires or even damage to the gun. Always buy a good grade of ammunition, even in lower grains for practice. Practice with both your hunting ammo as well as practice ammo if they are not the same. The recoil may be different, especially if one is a higher grain than the other.

GrabAGun understands the thrill of the hunt and the anticipation of the first kill game on the grill and table. We offer fine quality rifles, pistols, and handguns for sale. GrabAGun provides top brand guns for sale online.