My close friend, who practices early release on flight trained birds (August release) uses 9s, but I prefer 8s. These birds, by late October, often flush wild just like native birds. And, we occasionally bump a covey that really are wild birds. I've never seen where I was handicapped with 8s. My first barrel is choked .006", and the second .016". Been using this 20 ga. Fox for three seasons, now. No extensive meat damage yet.
However, there is a school of thought about choking bobwhite guns that decries open choke for the first barrel, citing collateral damage to other birds in the covey, which may result in a cripple being lost, that the shooter may well not know was ever hit. I can respect that line of thinking, on covey birds. Indeed, the first covey rise with my little Fox resulted in a double on the first shot and another bird with the left barrel. Hard to come up with perfect answers.
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