I keep a full in my 28" 870's all the time. I'm either gonna hit em, or not. Sailing birds in a tidal marsh can be a nightmare - hard on the dog, me, gotta get the boat now, birds working in and I'm not in theblind cause I'm chasing this damn cripple. Hit or miss, that's what I believe - and it gives you extra stopping power on the longshots.

To answer your question, I personally think a mod is fine for most any hunting condition, it's actually what benelli recommends as the tightest choke on their guns for hunting situations.