Taking 3 boys on a hunt near Lubbock this year. All are experienced on ducks and dove, but this will be the first hunt for bigger birds.

Anyone have 20GA shells they can recommend for this? Know it's a little on the light side but we'll focus on close shots and dads will be there for clean-up if needed. Don't want to injure birds and don't want the boys to have a bad experience of hitting and not dropping birds.

Hevi shot or tungsten matrix is what I'd be shooting.

Boss shotshells.

Heavy metal Nr 2 or tungsten matrix

What's been your experience with these?

All good. I think they're worth it, and the company is a great company. I like to support the smaller guys that are in business to take care of their customers, and they do that.

I recommend listening to the whole podcast, but if not, listen from 53 to 55 minutes. Stuff like that is what sells me on companies.

All I've ever shot is double barrel 20ga (see my user name). For sandhills I use 3" in either #2 or #4, killed just as many as the 12ga fellas. Specifically for geese, if snows or smaller canada's 3" (steel of course) and same size #2 or #4s, if I expect the greater canada's it would probably be the same, never tried anything different to be honest. I'm not one to overthink it much, I just wait for clear shot and give it to 'em. Have fun, they'll do fine. I've shot everything from quail to swans and little rats to coyotes to feral hogs with 20ga, they'll all be the same kind of dead.

Thanks guys. Will get some ordered. I was more worried on the #2s. Used to shooting BB or BBB at geese but that's not available in 20GA.

If you go on a straight crane hunt, you might check into turkey loads. I used turkey loads last year on my crane hunts and it was crazy how effective those loads are on the big birds.

This.

And on windy days, when the head at 50 yards is just too small for a target, i use 3 1/2 inch hevi shot dead coyote.
It knocks em stone cold steve austin upto 60 yards

I've got a case of the heavy metals on order. Thanks guys. That should get 3 boys through 3 hunts each.