battue, interesting..5's have been my favorite for years..although with a bit more shot either 1 1/8 or 1 1/4...and the modified choke would be the one I would pick if I were limited to one choke..6's are also a top pick when I get to do some serious dove shooting..Next time I go to Az. for dove hunting, I am going to load 1 1/8 oz of 6'S..Maybe next fall..

Did some serious work a couple days when I was on with 6's in a hot Dove field. More than a few head flops that gives that sweet curve to the ground.

Pheasants/Grouse early I like 1 1/4 lead 6's out of my 12ga
When I used more lead I loaded 29.5 WSF with the WAA12F114 and W209 in a super X hull. Mod choke.

Late I like 1 3/8 lead 5's best all around load there is.
The fiocchi golden pheasant is the best factory I have used. Used M, IM, and rarely a Full choke real late in the year.

Unfortunately most all our public lands require steel shot for upland birds. I like to run 3" 1 1/4 #3 steel, #2's later. Early season you can get away with #4 steel, but I find #3 better. The blackcloud stuff is nice but not necessary. I'd probably opt for the "Hevi metal" #4's (not hevi shot) if I wanted to pay $20 for a box of shells.

For Doves I favor my 1 1/8 Handloads with lead 7.5's

Modified in the pump guns, I/C - Mod in O/U.
I shoot Federal Premium 4&6, cause I have a crapload of them.

Federal 1 3/8oz 1500 fps #5s out of a modified choke kills the vast majority of my birds.

My main BP cartridge load is 3 drams of FFG , 1 1/4oz of 7 1/2 in a cylinder bored hammer double.
16 gauge is 7/8oz of nickle 7 1/2"s going about 1,300FPS.IC/MOD chokes
20 gauge is used so seldom I can't remember , but it's 4756 and a 7/8oz load of nickle 7 1/2" at close to 1,400FPS SKT1/IC chokes
I also use 30 grains of H110 and 7/8oz of nickle plated 7 2/2 in my 28 gauges - IC/mod in my fixed choke guns.

I know, I'm boring!!
Cat

I don't have one favorite combination I use for everything.
For instance, for Blue Grouse in the back country, I like my 28 ga., 870 Remington with a IC choke, and 3/4th's an ounce of 6's or, if the Mountain Quail are common that year, I might use 7 1/2's for both.
Gambel's Quail, however, I prefer my old SKB, O/U, 12 ga. with heavy trap loads, 7 1/2's, with it's modified and full chokes. That's because I half of my shooting is beyond 30 yds. with them whereas I never do with Blues or Mtn. Quail.
Other game falls somewhere in between those two extremes as a rule. E

I used to use #6s w/full choke (fixed) for pheasant and grouse. The past couple or so years I have taken up duck hunting again. Most of the places I hunt upland game are in close proximity to waterfowling ops. So, to take advantage of this, I have gone to a 12g BPS and i/c choke. I have been working with Black Cloud this year in #4s for everything, last year and the one before, I shot #6 Hevi-shot with great results, albeit expensive.
Strictly grouse and I often shoot a 20g w/#6 or 12 with 7 1/2s.