Does modern moderate quality gun need chokes?
Yes, it does.
Old guys such as Mortimer or F.O.Matska in St.Petersburg even knew how to make tight pattern from barrels without chokes (but for several shot numbers only). But it was expensive guns with expensive hand honed barrels. Moderate quality gun needs chokes still and especially where hunter needs very tight pattern such as turkey or capercaillie hunting or goose hunting.
I respect MM, but he dreams in this case imho.

Geno.