I've shot hundreds of pheasant out here. I like #6 for close and #5 for farther, I feel that 5's carry energy better. The shotgun ballistic tables bear out that 5's retain energy better. Don't hunt many ducks, but that was my experience with ducks also except I would go to a 12ga for bigger than #5 shot. I think a 16 is pretty well maxed out for a good pattern with #5 shot. I use #6's on the quail we have out here, they don't die very easy either. These birds out here you have to hit hard to kill and if you don't they will crawl away and you can lose them.
By the way, I hunted SW Kansas at the end of Nov, guided really, and took back up shots except when I was the only hunter near the bird. I exclusively used the 7/8 oz #5 shot handloads and did not lose a single bird in three days, limiting out for three days running. Now my shooting didn't deteriorate that fast .....the difference was that it was later season and the birds were heavier feathered and got up farther away. Some of the Nov shots were long distance after being hit by others. That's why I was so frustrated in Jan to lose birds and went to max loads.
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