kg42... I understand your friend's dislike for bowhunting. I don't care for it myself. Like I said earlier... "different strokes for different folks". Don't misunderstand, I'm not one of the "bleeding heart" variety but I've known of too many good animals that got away after taking an arrow. In my experience even the best of archers eventually have something get away for one reason or another. Naturally, it can happen with a firearm, too. But my feelings are that with anything like a well-placed shot from an appropriate gun and it's not going to run off and die unrecovered as often as it will with an arrow. Besides, I'm hopelessly addicted to the smell of burnt gun powder! I can get all the challenge I need by using pistols. If it gets too easy with a scoped Contender I'll grab an iron -sighted revolver. I do have to be real sneaky and careful to pull off a good shot then but I know when it takes a half-inch diameter slug through the boiler it's not going to get away and it won't suffer long, either. I sleep better knowing my animal didn't suffer much and is in the freezer.