.243 or 25.06

[InTheNorthwoods]

Ive thought hard on this subject for many years and decided the 06 was THE gun. Now I want to yote hunt and its to big . So Ive been thinking about the 243 as a multi purpose for small to med size game. Anyone who hunts with me who doesn't have a rifle could use it or the wife could should she ever take up deer hunting.

FYI, a person can buy ammunition with as low as 110 grain bullets for 30.06. This would get more into the coyote or predator range without buying a new gun.

[HNTNBUX]

I would rather have multiple rifles than try to change ammunition based on species hunted. When my rifles are zeroed in for a particular round I am not messing with it.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

I would rather have multiple rifles than try to change ammunition based on species hunted.

Yep. Totally agree.

For the fun of it I tried some 90 grain bullets in my .243 at the range last year.

You talk about a big difference in shot locations compared to the 110 grain bullets I have it sighted in for!!!!!!!

At 100 yds, it was off by dang near a foot compared to what I had the gun zeroed in for with the 110 grain bullets. Needless to say, I put that box away.

Dont plan on messing with different weight bullets, unless you want to continuously have to resight the gun in.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I would rather have multiple rifles than try to change ammunition based on species hunted. When my rifles are zeroed in for a particular round I am not messing with it.

So would I. But its alot cheaper to sight in your gun with different ammo than it is to buy a new rifle. Not everyone has the luxury of purchasing additional firearms for different purposes.

[HNTNBUX]

Not really. The ammunition for my 7mm Remington magnum is 50 dollars a box. At that price it doesn't take long to pay for a new Remington 700 in a different caliber. If you want to stick with one rifle I would recommend one lot of ammunition for everything. Hard to do? It all depends on what you hunt and your goals.

[JeffB]

You have gotten a lot of good info on different calibers so I won't say more that that my personal preference would be either the 7mm-o8 or 308 would be my choice out of those for deer. I prefer a bolt action rifle, but if I was looking to reduce recoil an auto-loader will help with the recoil. I have a .270 bolt action and a browning BAR auto-loader, both are very accurate rifles and the bolt only gets and edge on a bench with sand bags. The auto-loaders take some of the bite out of the recoil.

[nofishfisherman]

Thanks for all of the info. I think I have plenty to choose from. I have time so I plan to wait for the right deal to come along. I'm probably leaning toward either the 7mm-08 or 308 at this point. I'll see what I can find though.

[Arctic]

If you are concerned with shoulder issues you might want to consider the 30-30. That round has probably killed more deer than any other for many decades. It's deadly out to 150 yards, and a lever action rifle (especially the Marlin model 336) is just plain fun to shoot.

[InTheNorthwoods]

Not really. The ammunition for my 7mm Remington magnum is 50 dollars a box. At that price it doesn't take long to pay for a new Remington 700 in a different caliber. If you want to stick with one rifle I would recommend one lot of ammunition for everything. Hard to do? It all depends on what you hunt and your goals.

Again, I'm not trying to argue with you, and I agree with you that I would rather have two different guns that serve individual purposes. But you are still ignoring several important factors when saying a new gun is cheaper than switching ammo. Lets consider the Rem 700 you bring up. A new Rem 700 will run about $500-600+ depending on caliber, and to put a decent scope (a low end Leupold for example) you can add another $200+. So you are talking $700 on the low end to buy a new rifle. Which brings me to my points:

First, no matter what caliber you are shooting (i.e., if you have two guns) you still need to have bullets, i.e., if you buy a separate gun rather than switching ammunition within caliber, you have to buy the bullets for the gun either way. Yes some calibers are cheaper to buy ammunition for, but that brings me to my second point. Our little back and forth started in reference to the 30.06. The 30.06 is a lot cheaper to shoot than many of the newer calibers or calibers with less readily available ammunition. At the same time, many of the "coyote" guns out there, such as the .204 rem, .22-250, aren't cheap to shoot (yes, the .223 is cheap, but so is the 30.06). Simply put, it will take the average shooter who maybe shoots a box or two (if that) a very long time (if it ever occurs) to make it more affordable to own two guns rather than to switch ammunition between guns. Plus, to have the two guns, you'll need the $700 to buy it now, which isn't easy to swing for a lot of people.

That is all I have to say about this issue. In the end, I agree with you that I would rather have two separate rifles, but it simply is not the cheapest solution for many people when they already own a caliber like the 30.06 which has a wide variety of bullet offerings to choose from.

[walleye365]

Id go with the 25-06 the performence of this caliber out ways the bullet issue iv had no problem finding bullets. REEDS has them

[iceman1603]

If you are concerned with shoulder issues you might want to consider the 30-30. That round has probably killed more deer than any other for many decades. It's deadly out to 150 yards, and a lever action rifle (especially the Marlin model 336) is just plain fun to shoot.

I totally agree.

I own both a winchester model 70 xtr sporter in 25-06 and a marlin 336sc in 30-30 and love to shoot both. The 30-30 has taken both deer and bear at less than 150 yds .The 25 has taken a black bear with hand loads and I am confident with it on deer in just about any situation. No matter what you get, just spend time with it and you and it will be a great team..

[fishuhalik]

I'll just throw in my opinion cuz i love my 25-06 so much. Never lost a deer, and it's the most accurate, reliable deer gun I've ever shot. Buy your bullets ahead of time. Don't wait till the weekend before opener like I did a few years ago, I almost didn't have bullets! They are usually a little more expensive, but as a deer hunter another $10 per box is not that big of a deal, and if you handload or know someone who does, definitely go that route.

Just remember, your accuracy will only be as good as the scope you buy. Don't hesitate to spend a little extra on it, even if it means saving for another couple of months. IMHO I love my leopold, but I know there are alot of different scopes out there that are great. And I'd get something with a little more zoom than the classic 3-9x since you'll have one of the flattest-shooting rifles ever made. There ya go, my .02