Atta boy! Steve.
Only a few other things I'd add. Forget about trying to find a 5 lb little gun if you don't normally shoot a 5 lb gun in other gauges well. I've found a gun in the 6 lb range handles well for me and I shoot well with it. Extremely light guns require extremely good shooters, IMO. That's probably a fairer statement than "the .410 is an experts gun", IMO. People that insist that a .410 has to be light 'because that's the whole point' are missing the real point, IMO. The 'real point' IMO, is enjoying yourself, and I think the first time you anchor a hunted up quail, chukar, or even pheasant with a .410, you'll experience extreme enjoyment. Wild birds with the .410 are doubly enjoyable.
On the use of the .410 on wild pheasant, I've taken only one wild SD pheasant with a .410 3" #7 1/2 shot Federal. It fell dead with a head shot during its crossing flight. I can't say I can recommend it for wild pheasant roosters going away at over 25 yds or so, but I haven't actually taken a shot like that with a .410.
I did have very good experience with pen raised pheasant hens this last spring using the Federal 3" #6 shot load. I'm thinking of trying it on some wild SD pheasant this yr. That should be enough penetration for the going away roosters out to 30 yrds. Just for the record and the doubters, I took the second highest number of birds on that spring "all in" cleanup hunt for that farm. Second only to a truly fantastic shot with a 28ga. All the other hunters were using either 12g or 20g guns. I was the lone .410 in 15 hunters on 2 or 3 sections (sq/miles to you easterners)
Another factor is confidence. You have to have confidence that the gun and shells you are shooting will do the job. This was really tough for me initially. Not having seen a wild quail, let alone a wild rooster pheasant, drop from a .410 in my life, I lacked confidence. Several yrs of various clay shooting with a .410 helped, but still I was skeptical. Once you start taking game with one, the confidence will come and come in heaps. Do your job and the .410 will do its job.
And once again, I'll swear to you that I'm not an 'expert shot' by any means. In fact, I think I'm average for someone that shoots clay birds and hunts regularly. I think Jim Legg, Builder and others that have shot with me can attest to my 'average' shooting.
If you elect to shoot some trap with the 2 1/2" .410, use shot of at least #8 or larger. #9 shot will simply dust the paint on a trap bird going away at moderate trap distances.
