Do shotguns need chokes

Answer 1

It is possible to fire a shotgun without a choke, but it is highly not reccomended, and they don't cost that much

If you select a barrel with no choke (cylinder) it will cause the pattern to be looser than for a barrel of a shotgun that has a tighter choke. The extreme is "full choke" which keeps a tight pattern out to the effective range. Full choke is typically used for waterfowl.

A shotgun that is pressed into double duty (shot for small game and slugs for big game) would work well to have modified choke. Slugs have to be designed to fire through a full choke without blowing the barrel but you will certainly shorten the life of the barrel by firing slugs through a choked barrel. If you can afford an extra barrel, then use a cylinder (no choke) for slugs.

Remington and other shotgun manufacturers have interchangeable choke tubes (see link) that allow you to screw in the appropriate choke for your quarry.