I do the pen raised thing on occasion. I shoot a 20 ga. o/u, imp./mod. and usually shoot 7 1/2's. Pen raised pheasant vs. wild is night and day. The same is true with pen raised quail. You often have to wait for them to get a reasonable way from you before you shoot so that you don't turn them into hamburger.

I ended up shooting the 20ga w/ the 1oz loads of #7.5 (Remington Express). I THOUGHT I had a modified in the gun and an Improved Cyl in my bag when I packed the night before, but it turned out to be an Improved Skeet. It was 8 degrees F (windchill well below 0) in the morning and a high of 14, and the guide had great pointers. The birds were all holding super tight, so I went to the Imp Skeet and had no problems at all. Had one phesant that flushed way out and didn't get a chance at it due to my light choke (flushed to the woods and I wouldn't have had a shot until 40-45yards, so I didn't fire). Otherwise took them down just fine (although due to the cold I was wearing a little too much for fast gun work, at 5'7" I have short arms so I was snagging a little brining the gun up).

It was lucky that I brought a spare gun though, my buddy brought the wrong tube set (didn't match the gun be brought) and had a full in the gun, so he ended up shooting my 12ga w/ Imp Cyl.

I'd opt for fiocchi golden pheasant 2 3/4 1 3/8 ounce of 7.5at 1,500 fps.That extra speedwill help crush pheasants and at the preserve shots will be close so nickel plated 7.5s will work fine and provide densepatterns for the smaller quail. Lightmodified is how I'd be choked.

It seems many of the replies have centered around pheasant but you stated that you would probably see a dozen quail for every pheasant. I think some of the recommendations are overkill for quail. If it was me I'd take the 11-87 and shoot the 1 1/8 oz load of 7 1/2 through an I/C choke. That should be a great load for the quail and certainly adequate for pen raised pheasant. Hope you have an enjoyable hunt.

There are alot of if's to be considered when asking a question such as this
If you're hunting over a dog and if you are a good shotgunner and if you have self control to limit your shot selection.
If you answer yes to the above then 7 1/2 's in the 1290-1350 fps will do the trick for wild or pen raisedquail and pheasantwith mod choke provided you gun likes 7 1/2's.IF you limit your shots 40 yards and under.

7.5 Def.

I get into a lot of wild pheasant/quail combo hunts here in Idaho. I use a 12-guage with 7.5 high velocity shot. But because it's a 12 I do have to let the quail get out a bit before I shoot.

for close range i would carry a modified choke w/ #7 1/2 or #6 shot. and for long range i would use full choke w/ #6, #5, #4, or even better 1 oz. slugs