I shoot doves with 23/4, 1 ounce #8's, modified choke.
I soot ducks with 3" #3 steel, modified choke, which makes it a full choke using steel.
Both Winchester Super X.
First time I went to Canada with a 20 the guys laughed their butts off, next year they were all shooting 20's.

 

Take a look at BOSS Shells. Can't buy at a store, only online. They are copper coated bismuth and come in a little over $1/shell. I have my son (8) shooting their 2 3/4" #5s in a 20 gauge. I consider his shells about equal to my 12 gauge #3 steel loads. I hunt a lot more than he does so the extra cost for the BOSS would add up quick, but I otherwise woudl shoot them too.

It is not quite as good as lead, but pretty darn close.

 

You don’t need fancy high dollar shells to kill them in the timber even with a 20 gauge, if you’re shooting them right.

 

This is true but I still like to shoot a quality load and would rather kill them dead instead of having to finish off cripples. The same thing can be said for turkey hunting where most of my shots are 20 yards or less but I switched to shooting TSS because it's all around better than standard lead loads.

 

I use federal speed shok #2 steel shot in my 20 gauge and it did the job on a goose. It was my first goose so I don’t have a lot of experience with them.

 

Boss #5s

 

I patterned my m2 20 with Kent bismuth 4s and boss 4s with a Carlson cremator mid range. Very similar patterns at 35 yards and around 80% within a 30 inch circle. Bout the same cost per round, but boss has a copper coat which helps the brittle bismuth. Boss got my money for a case shortly after.

 

I just ordered 2 boxes of the Kent Matrix with #3&#5 shot and a box of the Boss #4's
Hopefully I'll get time to pattern them a little out of both my guns before we go hunting. I have modified, full, extra full and Carlson's chokes for both guns.

 

I use Kent 3” #4s in the timber out of my wife’s 20.

 

Boss 3 inch 5s

 

Lol can't believe you going to a 20 when our 12 guage shooting last year was well......

 

Apex blended loads with #9 Tss over #4 steel is pretty mean in a 20 ga. if you absolutely, positively, want to kill them dead.

 

Idk about y’alls mallard mafia or spoonbill syndicate, but I am a known member of the pouldeau posse.