I've never shot a wild pheasant in my life, over a dog or otherwise, but have hunted wild bobwhites for many years over pointing dogs. When they tend to flush wild, as I have heard pheasants are prone to do as well, you darn well DO have to sneak up on them, whether or not you have ever heard it said that way or not. Quail hunting here is one proper application of the more open chokes in the field, at least for the first barrel.
It is my decided opinion that tighter chokes, when used in clay target games, can make a shooter a BETTER shooter. I further believe that using open chokes to the extreme can HINDER that progress. Not everyone is, or can be, a "champion trap or SC shot", or even want to be. But we can all better ourselves.
Note, please, that I am NOT referring to practicing on live game. But, for those of us who truly want to better ouselves as wingshots, clays are very good practice.
SRH
