Frankly I believe it to be as much a matter of fashion as function. I have and use 26 and 30" guns and shoot them equally well (or badly). It is a matter of balance and practice. I know a guy who wanted a 32" skeet gun. I found him a 26" 28 ga.. He didn't have a 28. Guess what, it still broke as many birds as the 32" gun he had borrowed to try before. People worry too much about choke and barrel length, just shoot the gun a bunch.YMMV