I don't hunt much with the gun anymore but do take a lot of deer with the bow. I hadn't shot a deer in several years with the gun. This morning I decided to take the shotgun out and do a little prowling as we have a lot of new snow to sneak around in. I shot a bedded buck across a little ravine at about 90 yards. Because of the angle I started it right at the front of his hind hip and the slug traversed up through him sticking under the skin on the back side of the off front shoulder. He jumped from his bed but only went about 10-15 yards. The next slug caught him at the base of the neck.

My question, here's a picture of the slug I dug out from under the skin. This thing looks like it's never been fired except for the back end sleeve or wad or whatever you call it on these Brenekes is a little chewed up. The front of the thing just looks slightly sandblasted. Is this normal performance? I expected this thing to mushroom a little but it's almost intact. Is that the way they are or is it because it was from about 90 yards away with a smooth bore Browning light 12? It was kind of nice to feel the old recoil of a gun for a change and see one drop like a sack.