6lb 3oz Parker with original type pad handles 1oz loads without discomfort. 5lb 9oz 16ga Sempert-Kreighoff and horn butt plate handles 7/8oz loads without discomfort but the 1oz loads get painful quickly. 6lb 2oz 20ga B.Rizzini with checkered butt is fine all day with 7/8oz target loads on sporting clays. So it depends on what weight load and velocity you choose. I hand load 3/4oz 20ga loads with 7 shot for desert quail and find they are indistinguishable from 7/8oz loads as far as taking game.