If there is any game bird that will give the shotgunner a sure enough challenge it has to be the mourning dove. Considering their small profile, speed, and the ability to conduct aerial acrobatics that would dizzy even the most accomplished highwire performer, the dove is truly a gifted flyer. Add in the possibility of whitewing doves and you have the recipe for some excellent wing shooting. If you wish to enhance the experience even more why not use a small gauge shotgun like the 28-gauge TriStar Trinity over and under?
It’s always a bonus when your shotgun is well-made, functional and handsome to boot. Enter TriStar Arms, a Kansas-City based gun manufacturer, that imports a wide variety of Turkish manufactured shotguns and pistols. This company is serious about quality, functionality and yes even eye appeal in their upper lines of side by side, and over and under shotguns.
TriStar Trinity II LT
The Trinity II LT comes stock with many nice features that include an aluminum alloy frame with steel inserts at contact points for added strength. A sealed action to keep dirt out, self-adjusting locking lugs, top tang barrel selector and safety. Add to that a steel mono-block barrel construction and beautiful Turkish Walnut with semi-gloss finish along with a rubber recoil pad and you have a wonderful wing shooting shotgun in your hands.
TriStar also provides five interchangeable Beretta/Benelli style choke tubes (SK, IC, M, IM, F) along with a choke wrench all of which is contained in a convenient polymer box for easy carry in the field. All TriStar firearms are backed with a five-year mechanical warranty.
TriStar, in business now for 30 years, is well known for its shotguns. And rightly so. But there’s more to it than that. The company offers a full line of semi-automatic pistols. However, the shotgun line has evolved exponentially over the years. You can expect to find semi-automatic, over/under, side by side, pump-action, and lever action shotguns at TriStar. Hunting, sporting, trap, and home-defense models are all well-represented.
TriStar Trinity II LT Features and Specs:
- Light Weight Alloy Receiver
- Extractors
- Vent Top and Mid Rib
- Fiber Optic Sight
- Single Selective Trigger
- Chrome-lined Chamber and Barrel
- Engraved Receiver
- Turkish Walnut Stock and Forearm
- 5 Beretta®/Benelli® Mobil Style Choke Tubes (SK, IC, M, IM, F)
- 28ga weighs 5.7lbs (tested)
- Length of pull is 14.24 inches
- Also offered in 12ga, 16ga, 20 ga and .410
- MSRP $969 (28ga)
Wing Shooting with the TriStar Trinity II
Most hunters look forward to September and consider the month as the kickoff to the much-anticipated fall hunting seasons. New Mexico is blessed with not only great numbers of mourning dove, but also whitewing doves. The whitewing are larger than mourning dove, but never the less just as challenging to hit on the wing. The really fun thing is that if a hunter finds the right area, he or she will be able to take both species of dove at the same location. Be ready for some fantastic wing shooting in these locations.
This year was to be an excellent opportunity for dove hunting and to have the TriStar Trinity II in hand for the opening day of the season. The 28ga over and under proved to be extremely functional and a pleasure to carry in the field. Having never before hunted with a 28ga I found the experience nothing but positive. Minimal recoil coupled with the light weight of the Trinity II LT (under 6 pounds) made hunting and carrying this shotgun a true pleasure.
While hunting doves I found the TriStar came to the shoulder fast and picking up the front fiber optic bead even on overcast days was a breeze. I could easily select top or bottom barrel with the selector switch depending on the choke pattern most conducive to how the birds were flying. I settled on the modified/improved modified chokes for most of my shooting.
Ammo Used
I tried out two different 28 gauge shotshells. They included:
Both brands and loads of 28ga shotshell ammo performed well. I believe the Fiocchi with size 6 shot was preferable on the larger whitewing dove which tend to take a bit more energy to bring down. However overall, the Aguila 7 ½ shot was very deadly and day in and day out I prefer the 1-ounce load of shot over the ¾ ounce loads.
Final thoughts
My dove hunting with the Tristar led me to the field on multiple occasions this September with great success on both mourning and whitewing dove. I thoroughly enjoyed hunting with the TriStar Trinity II and found it to make dove hunting all the more enjoyable this season.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering dove makes excellent table fare when prepared correctly with proper seasoning and a good charcoal fire. In fact, it’s time for me to head to the field again. All dove taken from this year has already been savored!
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