I've no doubt that 9s work perfectly for any small game birds at 25 yards or less. It decks 'em. I've done so many times in the past, and seen my buddy do it. But, when you hit a going away quail, or woodcock, or dove, in the rear at 20 yards and you don't have him in the core of the pattern, and see him drop a leg but keep barreling away, then what have you got? You've got another load of 9s to now attempt to knock down a wounded bird at 35 yards? Not suitable at all to me.
Anytime we use anything other than a single shot gun on birds we should be considering what that second shot may be like, and giving it just as much weighty consideration as the first. We talk about hunting over dogs as if it guarantees close shots. Well, it does often close the distances to a degree on the first shot, at the flush. But, what then? How about second shots at a wounded bird, or even an opportunity to double, but the second bird is out of range of the 9s? How many will, or are happy to, say to themselves "Nope, can't take that shot with 9s"?
Stan, I'd guess that's why many hunters have a tighter choke in their 2nd barrel, and go with larger shot. That's what I do. Easy enough solution to the 2nd shot issue. But more often, I either put the woodcock on the ground with my first shot, or he's out of sight for a 2nd attempt. Two pockets in my vest: R for R barrel loads; L for L barrel loads. I do that with pretty much all the birds I hunt. Pheasants . . . if it's Brit 6's in the R barrel, then US 6 or 5's in the L. If US 6 in the R, then 5's in the L. The beauty of a double is that it's like having two single shots, each one set up for a different purpose. But in all the years I've hunted woodcock, usually with 9's or 8 1/2's in the R barrel, I can't recall ever intentionally going to the rear trigger for my first shot. But still, nice to have for a 2nd shot you have one.
Pellets in the meat . . . I guess I've never noticed they're that much of an issue. I definitely did notice that on a shot I had at a crossing woodcock with 10's . . . along with the problem I mentioned before about knocking down birds and having them fly off again.
