I agree that you should shoot with whichever one you feel more comfortable with. Also, take that advice about getting a big buck only at long distances with a grain of salt. There are a lot of uncontrollable variables including LUCK. Although, how much time does your buddy spend in the field, does he watch for sign and patterns? There are a lot of things you can do to improve your odds and I think the first (and most fun) is just getting out there in the field. Just my two cents... Good luck and welcome to the forum.