what would be the best pitch for a ranch style home that is 52' x 48' with a gable roof.

On a home that big a 4 pitch would look good.
That will give you about 96" of headroom in the attic under the ridge.

Yup.

Don't go below a 4/12 pitch.

Suggest you lay out a gable end on a piece of paper (to scale) and decide for yourself whether 4/12 or 6/12 would look better.

I find this method to be a real eye-opener sometimes (results can sometimes be surprising).

As a home builder.I likeatleast a6/12 pitch.it looks good,sheds water well,and it's not so steep an average handyman can't walk on to make small repairs.