From my understanding and experience, chokes are much more important than barrel length. My "all around" shotgun is a Benelli Super 90 with a 21" barrel. I have hunted with it for 11 years and killed everything from deer and hogs to ducks, doves, and quail. Barrel length seems to be a personal preference. I have friends that like the longer sight plane of the 26 and 28 inchers, but for me, that is too much barrel.