I prefer the real thing only because of the volume. I can make a lot more noise with the real thing. My philosophy is the louder I rattle, the further away my sound will be heard. This leads to more ear being reached and a potential for more bucks to be called in. It's worked well so far.

As for the authenticity of the sound, I don't think it really matters. My grampa once shot a buck that came running in to the goose-like sound of him blowing his nose. That's a true story! A buddy of mine called in a buck last weekend by simply making a "baaaaaah" sound. That one's now in the freezer. My point is that I don't think deer are too particular. They're pretty curious no matter what you use.