.243 VS .25-06?

GSPKurt

GSPKurt

New member
I have a Savage in .243, and just ordered a new Stevens 200 Camo in .25-06. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif Is this redundant? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif Input requested.
 
I think you're overlapping calibers/usage a bit. But then again I've got 3 30-06's in my collection and until recently topped it with a .270. I've also got 2 .243 and 2 .223 and several other matching calibers. I figure this way I can take a buddy with me and know he's well equipped.
 
Yes, 25-06 is targeted toward the same class of game unless you consider it large enough for Elk. It will buck the wind a bit better and has more knock down. You have to move up to a 270 to make a significant difference from a 243.
 
I wouldn't worry about it, having two guns no matter what caliber is better then having one! And look at it this way you now have a Savage in a long and short action so if you decide to try another different caliber you are not limited either way (long and short action endless posibilities).
 
GSPK.....glad ur walk'n a mile in a diff pair of flip flops.....everybody it seems has a 243.....i did....now that sako forester is a 250 IMP.....hav a #1 in 25/06....and a 25BR.....257 is a grand caliber....ask any 257 Roberts owner....how many 243Win owners are that proud.....
 
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I wouldn't worry about it, having two guns no matter what caliber is better then having one!



I think the man from Kansas knows what he is talking about.

I take a week or more off each year to go deer hunting. When I get up in the morning I have decisions to make. What am I going to carry today? My late grandfathers Lever action 30-30 with open sights, 270 bolt action with scope, 12/308 combo gun with open sights (Now has scope). Each gun got at least 2 days of use. This past season the 30-30 and the 270 were successful. Hopefully next year the combo gun will put something down.
 
Although my friend loves his Pre-64 Mod 70 Win in 243 for javelina, I still favor the 25.06 for big game. Part of that may be that it just sounds "cool"like you are a real hunter/rifleman (not everyone has a 25.06) Load a good 117 or 120 gr. like a Barnes X, Speer Grand Slam, Nosler Partitiion and you'll have all you need.
 
I consider the .25/06 a better choice for deer and for very long range (300 + yards) large varmint shooting. I have both, but normally the .243 is my choice for varmints if I want to use a sporter weight gun as, due to the gently rolling farm ground, it's tough to get a clear shot at a coyote or fox at more than 300 yards anyway, when you have a good, solid rest, around here.

I have a couple of friends who have had both, too, in heavy barreled Rugers. They preferred the .25/06 for groundhog shooting out around 400 - 500 yards.
 
Heck I got a .243, a .25-06, and a .257 WBY. Mag... So go figure.. Can never have too many guns, no matter what the caliber in my opinion.. But that is just me.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
+1 to the advice above...

I don't think you can ever have too many guns... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ballistically speaking, the .243 shines with the lightest and heaviest for caliber bullets. 58-60 grain varmint bullets @ 4000fps is a lazer from a .243! And with a fast twist, it can throw high b.c. 105-115gr bullets to 1,000yds easily. With the mid range 75-90grainers, it kills varmints with boring regularity, but I think it best used in 'hotrod' fashion, as described above. That's just my $.02...

The .25-06 is certainly no slouch pushing a 75gr Vmax along @ 3600fps. However, I think the quarter bore shines as a deer killer with 100gr TSX or Partitions. The .243 just can't hang in that dept...

For coyotes, either one would be a hammer, regardless of bullet weight! But I'll take the .25-06 over the .243 for bigger game any day. The extra knock down power trumps the .243's slight ballistic advantage, IMHO...

I'd keep 'em both /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
The 25/06 blows coyotes up...I like it. The 87g Speer SP, 90g Sierra BTHP were my bullets of choice. If you are shoot'en in close, the Speer 100g Hp(fly'en trash cans) will make a gut rug out of a yote.

The 25/06 hammers yotes hard way out there, I have shot a few at 300+ and have seen them flip with all 4 legs in the air.


Enjoy your new rifle, it's a cannon!
 
Yep, I'll take a 25-06 over a 243 for a true dual purpose coyote/deer rifle for longer ranges. The extra velocity and energy do make a difference. If your not shooting much past 300 yards, you probly dont need the 25-06, but its still better for deer.

I've had both and I think the 2 both have there place. The 243 is great with light fast bullets, shoots like a laser as stated. Its a great coyote round IMO, but the 100g bullet at 3100fps is a little lacking for deer at the ranges I regularly shoot at. That is where the 25-06 with 200-300fps gain in speed comes in with the 100g bullet, or bump up to a 115g at 3200fps and its no contest as to whats better for deer. I've long used the 115g nbt at 3200fps to take coyotes, deer and black bears out to 600 yards with no problems. Most were DRT and the very few that weren't only went 20-30 yards. Never recovered a 115g nbt from anything. I've used the 75g vmax at 3800fps and 85g nbt at 3700fps for a while on coyotes, also the 100g nbt at 3350 for coyotes/deer. Have tried them all from 75's to 85's, 90's 100's, 110's, 115's, 117's, 120's, 125's, with virtually every powder from IMR4895-Retumbo. Am now liking my new found load with Retumbo and 100g NBT's. I am getting right at 3500fps and 1/2 MOA out to 400 yards from a 24"shilen barreled 700. That load will be hel on coyotes, (dont care for the hide anyways) and will be equally as good on deer from 200-600 yards. My last 5 shot group at 620 yards was 5", with 4 of them going into 2".

If you plan on shooting some distance and want the thump to back it up and put them DRT, just get the 25-06 and never look back.
 
I don't feel they have to necessarily overlap. I have my .243 set up and sighted in for 65 grain vmaxs for coyotes and my 25-06 is set up and sighted in for 117 grain soft points for deer. This way there is no messing with re-sighting in a rifle when I could be hunting. Each rifle has its single purpose and load, and each rifle is sighted in and ready to hunt. When hunting season comes I am ready to hunt, time spent at the range during hunting season is time that could be spent hunting, therefore wasted, IMO.
 
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I don't feel they have to necessarily overlap. I have my .243 set up and sighted in for 65 grain vmaxs for coyotes and my 25-06 is set up and sighted in for 117 grain soft points for deer. This way there is no messing with re-sighting in a rifle when I could be hunting. Each rifle has its single purpose and load, and each rifle is sighted in and ready to hunt. When hunting season comes I am ready to hunt, time spent at the range during hunting season is time that could be spent hunting, therefore wasted, IMO.



Me, too. Only I don't have a 243 Win, but rather a 6mm Rem.
I have the 6mm Rem. set up for a 65 gr. VMax, which gives
"red mist" new meaning on small varmints like chucks and
feral cats. My 25-06 has two loads. One is a 100 gr.
Barnes TSX, for whitetails, and a future antelope trip, and
one is a 115 gr. Barnes XLC, set up for a back up gun for
some future elk trip, and for some future black bear tag.
Besides my Tikka M695 25-06, in stainless/laminate is
too pretty to haul around the brush calling coyotes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The Savage 16, with the custom 6mm Rem. barrel is
set up for rough duty. It is not fur friendly though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
It is my "killing with extreme prejudice" varmint
rifle.

Squeeze
 
Thanks, everyone for all the great opinions! My .25-06 should be here Friday!

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