and for the most part choke selection isn’t either when shooting at targets.
I can agree with that, as long as the barrels are choked tightly enough to crush any target thrown, regardless the distance. My MX8 is choked .020" and .020". No barrel selector needed, no fiddling with choke tubes, no wondering whether I have enough pattern density to break a target. Just load, focus, and kill it.
But, initially, I was talking about hunting conditions, and I think Robertson was, too. IMO, different chokes can be very important in many hunting scenarios, Michael McIntosh's statement notwithstanding.
One more point, the amount of muzzle flip has to do with a lot of things besides the shooter's ability to detect it, including the load and how the gun is stocked. You have to compare apples with apples.
