Mr VJP

You won't find an 870 or an 835 for $200. Look for a 3" Mossberg 500. Those can be had for $200 and will do everything you want it to do. I had one as my first firearm and used it for everything. I sold it. That was 45 years, and about 50 other guns ago.

I am acquainted with a hunter in a deer hunting club in western NJ that only does deer drives, and only allows buckshot to be used. Apparently it's a safety issue with them. When on stand and a deer runs your way, when it gets into your 50 yard zone, you shoot. They feel you are LESS likely to hit another hunter with buckshot. I've seen the photos they take every year at the end of the season. 25 guys with 25 BIG deer, EVERY year! Never had 1 accident in the 50 year history of the club. These guys will attest it is effective AND safe!

Smartest Gun Law? That's like saying the sharpest ball in a bag. They're all dumb!

The article also mentions lots of other hunters were out hunting for this albino buck too. The only reason the kids getting crap is because it was posted on the internet, where there are thousands of azzholes.

I love to shoot coyote. If I get the chance, I shoot.

They become bipedal.

If you only got 5 inches of blood on the arrow, I believe you hit it high in the shoulder and probably missed the lungs. If you hit the spine, it would have dropped, but I think you were below it. You may have hit the shoulder and the arrow didn't penetrate into the vitals. Unless there is a blood trail or obvious tracks to follow, all you can do is look in the direction it was going when you last saw it. If that doesn't find it, you can walk in ever expanding circles from the last point of sign and hope you can locate it. If all else fails call for the trackers with the dogs to help you.

Did you see any blood on the ground that you could trail?

The question is, are the rifled sights factory installed or were they added by someone afterwards? The barrel on a H&R single shot usually has the choke marked on it on the left side of the barrel by the chamber area near the receiver. It may say CYL, MOD or FULL, maybe even SLUG, but it should be marked.

I was under the impression Amish hated guns and shunned them. Maybe these are "Progressive" Amish that think laws are flexible under the "living" Constitution.

If you go to gunbroker.com you can find them in excellent condition for $400 or so. Local boys sell them for about $400 all the time. New In Box Synthetic Stock 7600 guns sell for $600 now. Here's one for ya..... http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=449597100

It's a fair deal and the 7600 is a good rifle. Chambered in .308 is also a good option. If the rifle is like new, it's worth $400. Be advised, if you want to put a scope on it, it's VERY important to put Loc-Tite on the scope base screws when you screw them into the receiver. If you don't, the base screws will loosen after some shooting. The receiver on these pump guns, as well as the semi-auto Remingtons, isn't very thick metal and bases are know to come loose without Loc-Tite.

Got my bear in 2010 and ate all of it. Mine was 300 pounds and living in the forest eating mostly nuts and berries. I know guys who took bear that lived near a garbage dump, and that really affects the taste of the meat. A bear tastes like what it eats. It's also very important to cool the carcass down as quickly as possible. The meat will start to turn quickly if it isn't cooled fast. So gut it quick and skin it in the woods if it is warm out, especially in the spring. If it's big, quarter it and carry it out. Cook it well and you will not have to worry about anything. It is also a good idea to trim all the fat off the meat when you cook it as the fat tastes gamey and will make the meat taste that way as well.

I don't think fence sitters would be that vile in their replies, if they would even take time to reply at all. Fence sitters are convoluted in their feelings and need time to think about how something makes them feel. Anti's attack to degrade and condemn, so the non-committed won't even think about approving of it.

Free range hunting more often pays off because of luck, than hard work. Perhaps a hunter just has access to a better hunting spot than most others, or has better friends. Shooting a big buck in the wild doesn't require skill if you get lucky, as many average hunters have. Heck Milo Hanson shot the world record whitetail and is making millions because he did. But if you know the story, it was pure luck. Sometimes it's better to avoid working hard, and just work smarter.

I have never hunted a deer farm, or a high fence operation, or even with a guide, but I do not judge those that do. Hunting is a leisure activity. How a man chooses to spend his free time is not for me to judge. If a man wants to spend his earnings shooting a BIG deer inside a fence, that's his business. It's legal and available. Some people don't have all the time in the world to chase free range deer to the point of it becoming an unhealthy obsession. Some guys spend more money, and give up more income, chasing wild deer without success, than those who pay to shoot one behind a fence. Does that make one hunter better than the other? To those who seek trophies on their own to build their egos, it does. To those who look at it pragmatically, it doesn't. Regardless of which side you favor, passing judgement on others is best left to the almighty.

Sorry to tell you Four Season Whitetails, I was rejected on my "Like" for this post with this error message: You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day But I still like your post

Wow Dude, brush up on your reading comprehension. Papist was trying to tell you it's the other guys on here that will make you regret asking because some don't like facts. His post wasn't supposed to be an insult to you. It was aimed at others. Besides, offense cannot be given, only taken. Don't take offense without understanding the post first.

I believe those that bash buckshot have never used it, but feel obligated to trash it based on hearsay of others who have never used it. It's legal lots of places and it is used by lots of hunters to great effect. JustRob, I wasn't referring to you about those who want it to be banned, I was referring to those who have said it. If you don't want to use it, fine. But don't start attacking those who know what it can do, pattern their guns well and have used it to kill many deer already. If you have no experience using it, you don't know what you're talking about.

If I had the chance to shoot a big buck that was an albino, you can bet that white fur would be sporting a blood stain. Those who believe an albino is something akin to a pagan idol, rather than a recessive genetic mutation that is rare in nature, are not hunting with a full deck.

I doubt it's possible as well. However, nobody, never and always are words that should be eliminated from the English language. BTW, the stereo-typical guy from NJ usually moved there from Staten Island or Brooklyn. I'd have to say I've met many more guys from NY that are full of sh!t.

Having idiots in the woods is an issue with any type of weapon or projectile. That doesn't justify making something illegal if it can be used properly by the majority of hunters who use it. Buckshot happens to be the most recommended round for a shotgun used for defensive purposes. Why is that if it isn't effective? If idiots could cause things to be illegal, hunting would be illegal too. Be careful when you wish something was illegal. Something you like may be the next target for a ban.

When asked if I "caught" a deer, I reply: "No, I'm too old now to run after them, so I just shot it and made it dead. That makes it easier to get it." LOL!

I have no burning desire to shoot an albino buck, but if a big one gives me a shot, that white fur will be sporting a blood stain for sure.