RE: What load for phesants with a 12 ga.
My advice for pheasant loads is simple. If you hunt game farms like the one I run, I would use #5 or #6's with a modified/ improved cyl. . These birds ussually flush closer. If you hunt wild birds...well this depends much more on your shooting style. Do you shoot quick at birds that flush or do you let them get out a bit? If you shoot quick I would use the same load as at game farms. If you let the bird get out a little bit or you hunt them later in the season I would shoot # 4's or #5's with a modified or even a full choke.
I spent a lot of time at the trap/sporting clays range. This allowed me to really determine my style of shooting. I also pattern all my guns with different ammo to determine best results. Most people don't have to take it to that degree but I'm just relaying what worked for me.
Best of luck. Congrats on the new gun to be. What gun did you decide on?
-Mathewsconquest2