Welcome to the "Hair pulling, screaming,crying, pouting, insanity". We call dove hunting. Try shooting clays for practice.Good luck(you'll need it) and good hunting.

TAKE A SINGLE FULL PAGE NEWS PAPER AND PLACE IT OUT ABOUT 30 YARDS OUT AND SEE WHAT KIND OF PATERN IT SHOOTS AND IF THE PATTERN IS CENTERED ON THE PAPER

All good tips, but that single shot you have likely points like a woodstove. What is it? How long is the barrel?

I have a 870 Wingmaster and I hit my target most times. I use a mod. choke most of the time. Last weekend I shot 18+ cowbirds, a crow, and 5+ pigions. I used 7 1/2 shot and 8 shot.

Test your pattern like Clay advised to make sure you are not blowing a pattern with a ruined choke. Most likely, your choke is OK. You are probably missing them because they are one of the most difficult birds to shoot on the wing. Doves are one of the fastest game we shoot next to teal. They fly about twice the speed of a clay pidgeon. Tune up on clay pidgeons to get used to your shotgun. Then go out and shoot at doves as much as you can. If they are crossing, you need to lead them a lot... pull out in front of them about two feet and shoot. Keep pulling out further with a longer lead until you hit one. If they are cruising at forty yards, they may take a three foot lead or more depending on your shot size. You should be using 7 1/2 shot to fill the pattern and have enough momentum to make it 40 yards. Once you are able to hit doves consistently, you will probably never miss a pheasant. Compared to a dove, a pheasant flies like a five gallon bucket. Hang in there and don't give up... Most of us missed a ton of doves before we figured it out.

I remember getting to this dilemna as a kid myself with a 20 ga. Do you follow a lead while shooting doves? Also, the size shot and the pattern influenced by the choke will play a role in your hunting. If its not any of these, just practice trap and skeet constantly. Its what I did, and I got better.

I HAVE AN OLD ITHICA,SINGLE SHOT 20 ITS SERVED ME WELL.STILL BRING HER OUT.TO HUMBLE MYSELF AND TO SAVE SHELLS.THESE GUYS ARE CORRECT.TESTPATTERNS,AND PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. GOODLUCK.

You didn't say anything about your gun. Some are better than others. Start out by sending it to maybe Magnaport and have forcing cone(s) lengthened. It makes a significant difference. Go take skeet lessons, shoot at nothing farther than 25 yards. That will do it. Make you look like an old hand.