243 or 25-06

StevieK said:
But the 25-06 gives a little more range and the possibility of reducing down from 2 guns to one.
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What kind of crap advice is that - reducing from 2 to 1? Absurd! Never listen to such advice. ;)

I think, for the uses described you can get the gun you like and ignore the caliber choice. Either cartridge will do what you want. Get your favorite gun as soon as you can, and start using it.
 
Well Stevie, I would say you fall into the same class as occupied by 90% of all shooters. You pay too much attention to ballistic tables!
Since being a teenager, I can spout off ballistic tables in my sleep. But I like to think I am in the other ten percent of the shooters, in that I sure don't get excited, or pay too much attention, to ballistic tables. Ballistic tables are a vital tool for those in the industry who must come up with a "better" rifle/cartridge/bullet/etc, every second year, at least, or else be left behind and gone from the industry.
In the years before I was a teenager, I saw, and knew of, moose and elk being killed by virtually every calibre of firearm that blew a bullet out the barrel. The vast majority of the men shooting those rifles knew absolutely nothing about ballistics. Ask ten men who fed their family from game killed with the 30-30 they used and I would be very surprised if even one of them, knew the approximate velocity of the bullet from their 30-30!
The 243 was really a new cartridge when it came out in the 1950s. It received a tremendous amount of hype, some of which was true. Remington's 6mm was a bit better on paper, but by the time Remington got the proper twist in the barrels, it was too late. The good 6mm Remington died, burried by the superior Winchester advertising machine.
The 243 is still an excellent, light rifle cartridge, good for many purposes, including shooting deer and antelope, at least. I have seen goats an moose shot with the 243 and they died without even knowing it was the skimpy 243 that downed them. Above all, the 243 is a very nice rifle to shoot, thus it is often shot with greater accuracy than is a heavier calibre.
The 243 is on it's death bed, due to the hype dolled out to such rifles as the 25-06.
So Stevie, this is just my usual long way of advising you to quit looking at the ballistic tables and get the calibre you want. From reading between the lines I can deduct the calibre you really want is the 243. Get it and I'm sure you will be happy, if you quit reading some chart that "proves," their product is better.
 
haha...H4831, I think you hit the nail on the head. I have been keeping my eye open for a 6mm rem, But I have not found one in a gun that I like. I think that the gun is more important than the cartridge. I think that I will be going to epps next week and coming home with the featherweight in 243
 
I would only add to the above- don't get the caliber or cartridge you want- get the RIFLE you want. Both of these cartridges will get the job done...

If you want the sporter, then wait for it to arrive. Either that or buy the FW and then when the sporter gets here, buy that too! If the funds are'nt there for both, then sell the one you like the least at that time.
 
I like the way your thinking :D

guns are like golf clubs.... you need a whole bag full of them :D but you could just use one for everything.

I have a good spread for hunting

22-250 yotes
25-05 deer
300WM moose

7mm RM general backup gun
308Win backup backup gun

30-30 truck gun and random hunting (Win 94)
30-30 backup to above (savage 340)

303 Brit Enfield sporter/bubba - just because I might want to use it for hunting

and a pile of milsurp collection guns :D but not really used for hunting, but I may take the 577-450 Martini Henry out next fall for deer :D


I'm thinking I need to get some more to fill out the gaps in my line up :D I've been lookign at a 6mm of some sort the 7-08 is someting that I think I will get sometime down the road as it really appeals to me and a 375 or 416 just to have someting big in the lineup :D


Buying a new gun with the intention that your new gun will replace 2 you own is just crazy talk
 
I use:
Win. Mod 70 Featherweight .243
A-Bolt SS .25-06

Both are great to shoot and both kill dead. The .25-06 has a bit more recoil for sure but is still "comfortable.

I switch back and forth on deer. For caribou on the tundra the 25-06 is my "go-to".

My advice is to buy both calibers in the rifle(s) you like best and enjoy them as much as I do.
 
I was leaning towards a 25-06 but ended up ordering a .257 Roberts AI barrel. It doesn't give up much to the 25-06 yet used less powder. I'm hoping it will be a fun gun to shoot.
 
Sounds good Stevie. Just make sure the rifle you get is not marked, "244 Remington." They have a 1 in 12" twist and won't stabalize heavier bullets.
In 1963 they changed the rifling to 1 in 9", wich will stablize all normal bullets. They renamed the cartridge at this time to, "6mm Remington."
 
I have both and they are each an excellent caliber. Slightly more recoil with the 25-06 and you can go to a heavier bullet. Neither has a significant amount of recoil and can be shot all day at the range.

Finally, they both kill really well on deer size critters.

My .243 is a rem 700 and the 25/06 is a tikka t3.

Both would serve you very well.
 
I have both, in a few different rifles. 25-06 shoots a little flatter, makes a bigger hole. If you are predominately going after large game, that's the one I would pick. If you will use it mostly for varminting and the occasional deer hunt, then go with the 243. I still say try them both though. Keep in mind, however, that having an opinion about any caliber based on owning (or just trying) one gun in that caliber is like basing all your knowledge of ### on that quickie in the back of the car you had in high school. - dan
 
It is hard to go wrong with either. The .25-06 shines will a longer barrel, and the .243 is short action ... 6 of one, half dozen benefits of the other. Get whatever suits you better. If it is just for deer hunting either will be fine. I personally think they are both at their best with heavy for caliber bullets, ie: 100 grain in the .243 and 117-120 grain in the .25-06.
 
So I ended up finding a 6mm rem. I would have preferred the new model 70, but Hungry, one of our wonderful moderators pointed me to a local deal that was too good to pass on. A 700 BDL in 6mm Rem topped with a bushnell elite 3200 for $625 is pretty good in my books. And I much prefer the 6mm rem to the 243. I like the oddballs, maybe cause I'm just a little odd myself :D
 
StevieK said:
So I ended up finding a 6mm rem. I would have preferred the new model 70, but Hungry, one of our wonderful moderators pointed me to a local deal that was too good to pass on. A 700 BDL in 6mm Rem topped with a bushnell elite 3200 for $625 is pretty good in my books. And I much prefer the 6mm rem to the 243. I like the oddballs, maybe cause I'm just a little odd myself :D
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Steve, I think you got lucky. Excellent scope for it, but the rifle, those 700 BDLs of that age had a great reputation, especially for accuracy and a really good trigger.
It would take me all of 2 seconds to make up my mind between one like you got and a new Model 70.
 
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