Depends on the brand, one manufacturer's size 8 may be different to another's. I would estimate that an ESP raptor size 10 would be about right.
As for hair rigged or banded that depends entirely on what you prefer, one is not 'better' than the other; with hard pellets I use bands, soft baits I hair rig.
their conversation doesnt really offer anything to 'stretch' the imagination either, so i'm just going to ignore them from now on, but don't bandy it about.