Fiocchi’s Golden Dove Duplex is a well-engineered, blended-payload shotshell that patterns well and delivers close- and long-range killing power.
by Jace Bauserman
I don’t think I slept a single August 31 eve between the ages of 13 and 18. I tried, but when I closed my eyes, all I could see were flocks of doves dive-bombing waterholes and grain fields. And though I now spend most September 1 days somewhere on an elk mountain, I still find time for a few barrel-melting sessions.
In my youth, hell, into my mid-30s, I paid zero attention to my dove loads. As long as the shotshell was a low-brass 2-3/4-inch hull with a 1-1/8-ounce payload of #7-1/2 or #8 shot, I was good. Walmart’s four-pack was my go-to. Back then, I could get 100 rounds for under $25.
Those shotshells worked, but looking back, I realize how poorly they worked. They dirtied an autoloader faster than a backed-up chimney, and when you shook one, it sounded like a baby rattle.
The evolution of the shotshell, even for light-game loads for doves and other small game, has been nothing short of remarkable. Many ammo makers started creating blends that pack two different shot sizes into a single hull. Fiocchi’s Golden Dove Duplex is one such load.
What Is Golden Dove Duplex?
Currently available in 12-gauge, Golden Dove Duplex is a 2-3/4-inch shotshell packed with a blend of #6 and #8 high velocity lead shot. The 1-1/5-ounce payload is heavy for a dove load, which I like, and the muzzle velocity is 1,275 fps. My average three-shot muzzle velocity using Garmin’s Xero C1 Pro was 1,282 fps.
Why Did Fiocchi Make A High-End Dove Load?
I’m fortunate to live in the country. Grain fields and dense stands of cottonwood and catalpa trees surround my home in southeast Colorado. For the first three weeks of September, every morning sounds like a war zone. We sit in a remarkable flyway that attracts many hunters. Dove shooting is typically high-volume, and the federal framework’s 15-dove daily limit is liberal.
Like whitetail and turkey, doves are prevalent across the U.S. and in many locales worldwide. Today, dove hunting is legal in 41 states, so thousands of hunters hit the woods each year to fill their game bags with these tasty migratory birds.
Fiocchi makes great ammo. I’ve had stellar success with its Golden Goose and Golden Waterfowl. I think Fiocchi has created a legacy load with Golden Dove Duplex. By combining two shot sizes into a balanced payload, Golden Dove Duplex creates dense close-range patterns that puff birds while maintaining downrange energy for follow-up shots. Doves are thin-skinned and light-boned, so a pellet or two will do. The #8s cover close range, while the heavier #6 shot reaches out and hits doves at a distance.
Fiocchi Golden Dove Duplex: My Thoughts
Dear Fiocchi, please send me cases of this ammunition. If I were writing a letter to Fiocchi, that’s how it would start. I patterned Fiocchi’s Golden Dove Duplex through three different shotguns (Browning Maxus II, Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I. Cerakote, Tristar Viper G3) with improved cylinders and modified chokes between 15 and 60 yards. The high-velocity lead didn’t meet a barrel/choke combination it didn’t like. Patterns were consistent, and though these high-brass dove loads pack a little more punch to the shoulder, they’re worth the quick jab. Some pellets, shot from 30 yards, penetrated through the 1/-4-inch plywood backdrop.
Until a few years ago, I only cared about hitting my 15-dove limit every time I hunted. I didn’t care how many shotshells it took me, or how poorly my shooting was. Looking back, that saddens me a bit. Today, I couldn’t care less about killing 15 doves every single time I hit the woods and fields. My goal is to take quality shots, pull more doubles and triples, and not burn through ammunition like a madman. Twice, using Golden Dove, I shot 15 doves with 17 shots. Those are personal bests for me. Six of those shots were extremely far.
I appreciate the lengths Fiocchi went to make these high-volume loads clean. I’ve gone through 125 rounds, and though I’ve spread them across three shotguns, I’m impressed by how little film is left in the chambers and bores. Golden Dove Duplex loads cycle well, the hulls kick far, and I appreciate that Fiocchi went the extra mile by making the hulls orange. The orange hulls stand out on the ground, making it much easier to retrieve your spent hulls. You spend less time searching the ground after a high-volume shoot.
More Than Just Doves
While I’ve spent my life chasing doves, I’ve realized the same engineering that turns a tough dove shoot into clean triples makes Fiocchi’s Golden Dove Duplex an absolute game-changer for quail and other small game. That duplex payload—blending #6 and #8 shot—is brilliant. The #8s fill the air with a dense, forgiving pattern for lightning-fast quail flushes, while the #6s carry the energy to reach out when a bird tries to put distance between you and the brush. With reliable ignition and a consistent 1,275 fps velocity, you won’t have to guess where the pattern will go. It’s clean, dependable, and offers the kind of downrange authority that turns “should have had it” shots into birds in the bag. That kind of versatility is hard to beat.
Fiocchi Golden Dove Duplex Specifications
- Gauge: 12
- Shot Size: 6 and 8
- Shotshell Length: 2-3/4 in.
- Muzzle Velocity: 1275
- Shot Type: Lead
- Shot Weight: 1-1/5 oz.
- Density: 11.35 g/cc
- Usage: Upland
Final Thoughts
I’ve burned through enough cheap dove loads to know that not every shell earns a place in my vest. Fiocchi’s Golden Dove Duplex does. The #6 and #8 blend gives this load a useful mix: a dense pattern for birds that flush close and extra pellet weight for those that keep going. At 1,275 fps, it’s quick, and in my testing it patterned well across three shotguns and a range of chokes. I also appreciate how clean it ran after 125 rounds, and the orange hulls are easy to spot when it’s time to pick up the field.
No shotshell can fix a rushed mount or a bad lead. I’ve made plenty of both. But when I do my part, this one gives me confidence for doves and quail alike. It packs a little more punch than bargain loads, but the performance makes the trade-off worth it.
