I rarely run mine above 7.5-8.0 on the smartcraft trim gauge. That's on a 1-10 scale, and I do have wedges. I suspect this is one area where the heavier motor is a little bit of an advantage. When I first swapped from a 2.5 to a 3.0 on my last 21, I caught myself over-trimming several times. It definitely required less positive trim to carry the boat with the 3.0. Prop may play into that a little too. When I experimented with over-hub type props on my 21, they didn't have enough bow lift to carry the hull and I found myself having to trim more, too.