Your concerns are unwarranted.
Your instincts are fine.
I run setters
The only accommodations I make are purely for my own comfort, and that would be, if a bird is flying out over a swale I don’t shoot it.

I stay away from 4’s in lead loads.
Any close or incoming birds get pulped.
If I’m shooting on an area that requires non-lead ammunition, if I am not shooting bismuth, I will use a 12 gauge that is steel ready. And go down two shot sizes for convenience. It’s not my preference.

3” 1 1/4 oz 20ga cartridges are lower velocity and don’t seem to perform for me as well as 1oz cartridges do.

RST’s 1oz #5 or #6 loads drop plenty of birds for me in most any gauge.
Here are some I shot in Nebraska in January, that should be late enough season.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by ClapperZapper; 08/08/21 11:05 AM.
Out there doing it best I can.