I tend to agree with Stan on the sensibility of using adequate loads appropriate to the bore size of the gun I am using. In general. I don't buy or carry a 10 or 12 gauge gun to shoot .410 sized loads. But there is some utility in handicapping yourself in practice with a smaller bore gun that has lighter loads, and a tight enough choke to still have an effective pattern. A pattern that is sparse and has big holes only leads to misses and crippled birds. Learning to hit consistently with a small bore gun that throws a tighter pattern hones your skills, and makes using a larger gun with heavier loads seem relatively easy in comparison. I've never been bothered by recoil, but agree that reloading and getting a lot more shots out of a pound of powder or bag of shot will permit a lot more shooting practice for your money.
But that advantage evaporates when very lightly loaded factory loads cost almost the same as more effective standard loads. I'm sure ammunition companies love it when people are willing to pay the same amount for less... like buying light beer or antifreeze pre-mixed with water. I don't get that, unless you are very recoil sensitive, or are supplying shells for a woman or smaller kid who is learning to shoot. And please don't try to tell me that lighter loads are just as effective or deadly as standard loads. Velocity, shot charge, and pattern density are still what matters most when killing or breaking targets is important.
