I think the weight thing is all relative to the person .
At the moment I have a trio of 12 gauge Parkers . The previousely mentioned VHE #1 with 30" pipes , a VH #2 also with 30" and a GH #1 with 28" . I do relatively well with the VHE and the GH but generally if we're at the club shooting Jap Wobble Trap I will wear most anybody out with the VH #2 and that's the heavier gun . I can usually do just as well with my EH #2 10 gauge or my old W&C Scott 10 gauge and they both weigh more then my VH #2 12 gauge . But then I shot skeet for many many years with a 9 1/2 pound tube gun . I might add at that time my trap gun was my skeet gun with a different barrel and of course I used a monte carlo stocked K-32 at that time .
When I was younger and bird hunted a good bit I used a Citori 16 gauge Upland Special , a WW Greener grade 40 12 gauge with 27" and a Westley Richards 12 gauge BL with 26" pipes .
Now back then and actually I still feel if a person shoots quite a bit and the gun comes anywhere close to fitting the person or they can readily conform to it they can usually shoot it well .
All that stuff about you need this for skeet or that for trap and something different yet for live birds etc etc etc . Clay birds anywhere or feathered birds of any kind are ALL targets period , you see the thing you shoot and you break/kill the thing pure and simple
If your hand to eye coordination is good and you actually "see it in focus" whatever it is it ain't as hard as some folks make it !