tabby & 338 - see my comments above, do they make a little bit of sense?

1/2 mile = 2640 ft. = 880 yards

rifles can easily take game at 300-400-500 yards+ and can go much further
i could aim at a slight upward angle and have the bullet land miles away

the topography in PA is quite a bit more "rugged" and mountainous than a good porttion of NY. that terrain and those mountatins make excellet bullet catchers

i still stick with my opinion that shotguns are "safer" (however I understand the points about shotgun volleys, but you can volley with a rifle just as easily)