pheasant
#15

Here in South Dakota, our birds have been educated and are very wary. Opening weekend I might put 6 shot in my gun, after that, its fives and fours, usually 3 inch, and I have plenty of boxes of shells with 1 5/8 oz. shot. I think I have seen 1 7/8 oz. shot for sale as well. But like I said our birds are very jumpy, and in the late season they get very thick skin. They would be laughing at you if you tried to bring them down with 7 1/2 shot.
#18

hahahahhaa OOPS! lol i guess i didnt as carefully as i thought. yes i agree 7 1/2's a on the weak side for pheaants. our bnirds in maine are all stocked and not skittish at all and i wouldnt use anything smaller then 6's. personally i like 1 oz of #5's and a mod choke. works well
#20

Rimjob's right, our pheasants would probably swing back past you againjust to rub it in if you tried 7.5 shot :-) Unless you're plannin on shooting them right off the end of your barrell, (good luck getting that close) more shot isn't going to make a difference when it's light anough to deflect off them!