Congrats to your son on a fine whitetail. I had one of those Contender Carbines in .223 back in the 90's. I killed a ton of groundhogs with it and then got a 7-30 Waters barrel thinking it was the answer for deer hunting. I sold the thing before I ever got the chance to blood it. Another one on my foul ups in life.

Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want!