28 and 20 work fine for quail and smaller birds but i'd go with 12. little more range and power for large birds such as pheasant that might take off farther ahead. I'd work with the chokes to see to find something that will work for ya and not destroy your birds. I go with IC and Modified in mine. The only other thing I'll suggest is that you make sure the gun fits you and if the recoil is still too much then consider buying an addition recoil pad.