Yesterday we had .70" rain. Yeah, I know, that's not much rain, but it's enough to stop peanut and cotton harvesting for a few days, so I took the 30" AE 16 to the field today for a real wring out on doves. I wanted to use it last season, but a problem prevented me from really giving it a good testing. Today seven of us shot a sunflower field that hurricane Isaac had blown down. We had a couple good shoots on this same field prior to the "blow", but this was the first time we tried it since. Friend had scouted it and pronounced "There's not many birds". But, it being the last Saturday of the middle season, and me knowing that I'd be back on a peanut combine Monday, I arranged it.
I was using 1 oz. of 8s, a RIO loading, and had seen a problem with misfires with this flat of shells last year. I had some attention given the AE, and hoped the same shells would work now. Well, they didn't...........at first. When we went out in the field at about 3:30 pm I took a couple shots walking across to my stand. First with the rt. barrel went off fine. Next try with it............misfire. Good dent in the primer, but no action. Left it in the chamber. Next dove came by, it fired perfectly. I had two more misfires in the right barrel that cost me birds, both going off fine the next time. Then, I found my groove and it did, too. No more misfires the rest of the afternoon. Final tally was a limit of 15 doves with 20 shells. Extremely good shooting for me, especially given the misfire problem. Stuff like that usually tends to get in your head and screw up your shooting.
Beautiful afternoon...............cloudy, with a break in the clouds at times..............high 50s temperature, and a brisk wind all afternoon for the grey rockets to ride in on. Just a great afternoon, all around.
SRH
First limit for the AE 16
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Re: First limit for the AE 16
Nice limit, Stan! I think the second half of our dove season comes in on the 10th. Still warm here, high 70's and low 80's. Should still be a lot of doves around.
Jim
Jim
Goodbye Mandy, once in a life time hunting dog. I miss you every day.
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Re: First limit for the AE 16
I don't care for the way 1 oz. loads shoot in this gun. I think I may stick with the 32" LC Smith 16 for the 1 oz. loads, and shoot 7/8 oz. in this AE. They aren't uncomfortable, and they worked well on the doves, but I could have killed every dove in that limit with 7/8 oz., and the heavier one ounce loads make the little Fox jump around a lot in my hands.
JMO, YMMV. SRH
JMO, YMMV. SRH