Perfect Pheasant Gun?

[Mills]

Several friends have been discussing this issue lately. What do you consider the perfect pheasant gun? What gauge? What attributes do you look for? What guns/gauges are too heavy/too light?

I have shot with a 16 gauge, 12 gauge and 10 gauge. All seemed to require no. 6 shot. The 10 gauge was the one that delivered consistently clean kills. Unfortunately, my pheasant hunting has been limited to tower shoots and released birds, so I have zero experience with the real thing. We hope to get out west for the real thing sometime and want to be prepared. Hence, a reason for this thread.

Here is a photo of my 10 gauge with some very dead pheasants.