Mntman, looks like a 6 pt non-typical? What did that buck score?
I'm not sure what it scored, although I guess I could go measure it (I boiled it out for a euro-mount). It's not very big, it wouldn't score very well. It's a six-point (eastern count). The right G3 is broken, but is still about 1.5" long. It was the last day of muzzle-loader season. I worked a 12hr night-shift, then climbed into my stand, dog-tired. It was much colder than it appears in the photo, and windy. I was suffering from Bell's Palsy at the time, so my entire face on my right side was numb, and my eye wouldn't close or blink, so it was watering constantly. That buck came out, and I wasn't in the mood to wait for a better one...
The "coolest" thing about it that I remember was a sweet 75yd shot that passed through the buck (.530 round ball), bounced off the frozen ground, and ricocheted into the frozen trees beyond.
It scored a 10/10 on the dinner table though! My family generally goes through 4-6 whitetails per year. My kids used to think beef was gross, and the only way we could get them to eat it was to tell them it was venison, lol!
I'm thinking about getting a Mossberg 500 12 gauge or a .223/12 gauge Remington.
Which one should I get? I'm thinking the Remington since it would be more versatile for Turkey and Whitetails and even Coyote and Pheasant.
IMO, the .223 is awful small for whitetails. It'll kill them every time with a well-placed shot, but won't be very forgiving of any errors in shot placement (or judgment) at all. I'd recommend a plain ol' 12 gauge (I'm partial to my Rem 870 Wingmaster) before I'd recommend the combo. The 12 is already a "combo" in its own right. It's good for anything from clay pigeons and doves, up to geese and turkeys. It'll be fine for coyotes and foxes too. With slugs, it's great for deer out to 80yds or so. With an add-on rifled barrel (especially with a scope) it'll be good to 150 for deer. A 12ga is probably one of the most versatile, day-in and day-out firearms you can find. I prefer the pump over the auto; for simplicity, reliability, and ease of cleaning and care. It's probably not as good for deer though.
Mossberg is rated fairly well, also, I've just never liked them. I don't like the way they look, or the way the action feels and sounds. I know people who have them and love them though. It's just a personal preference.
If you want a rifle for deer, I'd buy one separately.
