Shot a few birds with a 20 ga. M2. Pheasants, ducks, canada geeses, dove, and grouse have been taken without issue!
Back in the 80s I was at an old duck camp in Louisiana. Some old timer had a Rem model 11, 20 gauge, it had been shot so much for decades, that underneath the ejection port, it was cracked lengthwise about 2" or more, about 1/8 to 1/4" away from port...parallel to it. Still functioned fine.
The owner said it's all he's used his whole life, Ducks, Geese, no matter.........no issue. Asked what shells, he said whatever he had, not matter! Lol. Not sure what choke he had.....but it was a 20..........
I do know I ran a few 3" thru an 870 Lightweight......and that really packed a punch, I smoked a dove a LONG ways out. It had a full choke, using 1.25 ounce of 7 1/2s as I recall, Winchester high brass. Dove going straight away so apparently caught the shot string front to back. That load really hammered them vs a 1 ounce load of 6s.
