Jones, I'm glad to hear you like 5's in the old "Super X" formula. I'd be seriously concerned if you were actually recommending that we shoot wild roosters at 40 yards with 7 1/2's!

But I do come out with significantly different numbers than you
do. Your 7 1/2, launched at 1145 fps, retains 1.03 ft-lbs of energy at 40 yards. (Most of the stuff I've read suggests that you ought to aim for a minimum of 2 ft-lbs retained energy on pheasants.) Bump that velocity up to 1200 fps . . . 1.09 ft-lbs. I'm not sure the bird is going to notice an energy increase of .06 ft-lbs.