I am looking to purchase 2 new guns. I already have one caliber selected and thats a 22-250. The other gun is going to mainly be used for deer and once and awhile for coyotes if a friend or relative that comes along and doesnt have a gun for yotes to use. If there is another midsized caliber you think i should consider please say something. I just want to be able to go into almost any store and have ammo readily available.
.243 vs 25-06 vs 308 vs?
- Thread starter bigmike22
- Start date
White Eagle
New member
25-06 is a good cal
243 is a good cal
308 is a good cal
243 is a good cal
308 is a good cal
hitman2565
New member
I would go with the 25-06.
huntsman22
New member
Another consideration, .260 rem would be my choice. Short action like the 243 and 308, the 95 gr. v-maxes do a number on dogs and 120 or 130 gr. barnes tsx's for on up to elk. Great caliber.......Don
jlindholm70
New member
The 243 is a more versitile cartridge IMO. It's a great deer cartridge and is also a very good varminting cartridge. The 25-06 is also very good, but at today's ammo prices, reloading costs become a factor. To me, it seems to be a bit of overkill for a varmint caliber. If you were going to use it for a deer/antelope gun, then the 25-06 is the way to go. If you have to buy any store bought ammo, the 243 is more available.
Grunter
New member
+1 for the 25-06!
Had mine for a few months and am thrilled with the accuracy and mild recoil. I just loaded a bunch of rounds for final testing. They range from 75 gr. V-max up to 115 grain Nos Partitions using several different powders and bullets. Soon as the snow is off the bench I'll let em fly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Think this is gonna be a great combo gun! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Had mine for a few months and am thrilled with the accuracy and mild recoil. I just loaded a bunch of rounds for final testing. They range from 75 gr. V-max up to 115 grain Nos Partitions using several different powders and bullets. Soon as the snow is off the bench I'll let em fly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Think this is gonna be a great combo gun! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
i prefer short actions, so i'd say 243 or 308, and i'm a really big fan of the 308. but if you don't need it to handle anything bigger than a whitetail, i'd go 243. i just think 308 is going to be more than you're going to want for a once-in-a-while coyote gun.
the other benefit of the 243 is that it's a really good round to use if you're introducing someone to deer hunting. my own perfect collection would be 22-250, 308, and 9.3x62 (i had to trade in my 22-250 recently, need to pick up another one).
the other benefit of the 243 is that it's a really good round to use if you're introducing someone to deer hunting. my own perfect collection would be 22-250, 308, and 9.3x62 (i had to trade in my 22-250 recently, need to pick up another one).
The ballistics of the 25-06 is almost identical to the 22-250, but you get more distance to work with, due to the heavier longer bullet.
For coyote and deer, all 3 are good rounds. Bigger game like bear or elk, the 308 would have an advantage. But bigger, heavier bullets are always better on bigger, heavier game. All 3 are readily available, and if you reload, so are components. The 243 has an easier recoil for women and young people.
I shoot both the 22-250 and 25-06 and I find them complementary to each other.
For coyote and deer, all 3 are good rounds. Bigger game like bear or elk, the 308 would have an advantage. But bigger, heavier bullets are always better on bigger, heavier game. All 3 are readily available, and if you reload, so are components. The 243 has an easier recoil for women and young people.
I shoot both the 22-250 and 25-06 and I find them complementary to each other.
The 243 is at the bottom end of the deer cartridge scale, great for popping deer over a corn pile or food plot. Bullet placement is very important.
The 25-06 has heavier bullets with greater penetration and more energy marginal shots will be much more effetive and blood trails a greater possibility. Great deer cartridge and realy shines in open country.
The 308 with 150's will work great in open country, with 165's or 180RN shines in the black spruce and cedar bogs of the UP.
They'll all kill coyotes with authority.
The 270 would work well also.
You want a gun to loan to a person that doesn't have enough hunting or shooting experience to have his own weapon. None of these guns have excessive recoil so I' suggest either the 25-06 or 308 depending on the terrain you most likely to encounter.
AWS
The 25-06 has heavier bullets with greater penetration and more energy marginal shots will be much more effetive and blood trails a greater possibility. Great deer cartridge and realy shines in open country.
The 308 with 150's will work great in open country, with 165's or 180RN shines in the black spruce and cedar bogs of the UP.
They'll all kill coyotes with authority.
The 270 would work well also.
You want a gun to loan to a person that doesn't have enough hunting or shooting experience to have his own weapon. None of these guns have excessive recoil so I' suggest either the 25-06 or 308 depending on the terrain you most likely to encounter.
AWS
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For what you are looking for I would suggest a 25-06 . The 25-06 is a great round ! If you want something to shoot .30 caliber bullets , there are many cartridges that will do it better than a .308 in my opinion .
The question about .243 vs 25-06 has been asked many times . I once read where a person put it like this :
" if you want a varmint rifle that you will sometimes use for deer , go with a .243 and if you want a deer rifle that you will sometimes use for varmints , go with a 25-06 . "
I am a big .25 caliber fan . The 25-06 is a great deer round and will whack coyote's with authority . Might not be a graet choice for yotes if you want to save the fur though .
The question about .243 vs 25-06 has been asked many times . I once read where a person put it like this :
" if you want a varmint rifle that you will sometimes use for deer , go with a .243 and if you want a deer rifle that you will sometimes use for varmints , go with a 25-06 . "
I am a big .25 caliber fan . The 25-06 is a great deer round and will whack coyote's with authority . Might not be a graet choice for yotes if you want to save the fur though .
Here is the point I would focus on. You said, you want to walk into most any store and find ammo for it.
I shoot all three of the calibers you listed and I can pretty much walk into any store and find 308 and 243 ammo but the 25-06 is not quite as popular in some smaller town general stores. That in it's self, could be a potential problem depending on how popular the 25-06 is in your particular hunting areas. But any of your choices will do nicely.
Good luck
I shoot all three of the calibers you listed and I can pretty much walk into any store and find 308 and 243 ammo but the 25-06 is not quite as popular in some smaller town general stores. That in it's self, could be a potential problem depending on how popular the 25-06 is in your particular hunting areas. But any of your choices will do nicely.
Good luck
Jay Johnson
New member
FALFire has made a very good point there. If you feel you really need something with an 06 put a 30 in front of it for the same reason.
I would suggest the 243 or the 308. pretty much the same brass. short action, leading to a more ridgid action which in turn give you a bit more consistant bullet placement vs the long action. I have personally shot 243 and 308 at both deer and coyote. They work great on both. 155g Lapua on both with the 308, the coyote will have a exit hole no larger than a 50 cent piece. I've shot coyotes with the 243 with a 60g hp and left larger holes. my opinion would lead you towards the 308.
xdeano
xdeano
