Lots of good advice here, but since you're looking for ideas you may not have considered, I'll offer another one. Since you're getting a good rifle for X-mas, I'd consider getting a good 12 guage shotgun with a rifled deer barrel now. You'll never have a more versatile weapon...deer, turkey, ducks, squirrel, you name it, you can hunt it. There are millions of good used Remmingotn 870s out there and they are terrific guns. The first add-on barrel I bought for mine was a deer barrel with rifle sights, smooth bore, with a screw-in choke. I think it cost under $100 (several years ago). For years I put in a rifled choke for deer (shot a sabot slug) and a mod cyl choke for turkey. I love the rifle sights for turkey...much better than just a bead. Now I have a fully rifled deer barrel...but I still use the other one for turkey. And when I want to go for ducks I just pop on the original barrel the gun came with. You could probably get a good used 870 for $100 or less and the add-on barrel for under $150. Heck, you may already have a good shotgun and you could just buy the barrel I like mine for deer so much I've left my rifle in it's case for the last 8 years You will be AMAZED at the accuracy and knock-down power of this weapon/sabot slug combination. Good luck.