I like an O/U or SxS 20 gauge (28 ga. works too) with 26" or 28" barrels. One of these will weigh in around 6 - 6 1/2 pounds with great handling characteristics. You also have two choke and/or load options available to you.

I grew up as a teenager stomping cover for rabbits and quail packing a Remington M870 12 gauge with a 28" fixed modified barrel. Great gun but long in the thick stuff and blew up a lot of meat at the short ranges you get presented with from stomping brush piles. I got my hands on an Ithaca SKB 20 gauge SxS when I was in my early twenties and found a real revelation in that little double gun. Currently a Weatherby SKB O/U 20 gauge with 26" barrels and screw in chokes in my gun safe would get that job. I still have my old 870 but it feels like a fence post compared to that little O/U. Personally I like the stack barrel O/U because I shoot them a bit better than the SxS and for me the slim receiver carries a bit easier. That is subjective of course. One nice thing about a break action gun is they are so easy to make safe when crossing a fence, jumping a small stream, ect.

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.