25-06 or .243 Plet dammage?
- Thread starter Lorne778
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The 55 won't burn out the barrel due to their velocity, but you do use more powder with such a light bullet (3 grs more Varget with 55s compared to 70s) but it would seem unreasonable that anyone who uses a .243 as a do everything rifle would restrict himself to a single load. The .243 has a reputation as a barrel burner in the realm of target shooting, but hunters are not interested in quarter minute rifles as a rule, so I think a couple hundred 55s out of your .243 each year won't make much difference. I've shot a couple of thousand out of mine an it still shoots half minute groups.
I blowed up a few punkens with em, and I hit a coyote a little far back and had to fire a second shot... no damage at all.
Curt! You missed the .284!!!
OP, go with the .243 for both deer and yotes, if you're having problems with pelt damage, use a less-rapid expanding bullet, even a FMJ ( can you get FMJ in .243? never actually looked myself). That'll help keep you're exit wound small.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
No, it is illegal to hunt big game with a FMJ. Mono-metal bullets like the Barnes solid has no jacket, but it depends if your game laws specify FMJ or non-expanding bullets in their legislation. As far as I know there is no limitation on the bullet type for hunting coyotes or fur bearers.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Actually, I'm currently doing it with a .243.
I use a 65 gr vmax for gophers and coyotes. When I can't find them, I use a 62gr varmint grenade doing about 3600 fps.
For deer I use a 95 gr sst and I think it's going about 3000 fps if I remember right.
Back to the OP. I agree with what others have said. If you already have a .270 look at getting something smaller like a .223 or 22-250. If you're heart is set on the two that you mentioned, go with the .243. That 25-06 has a bit too much pop for coyotes.
If you do go with the .243 and find you're having too much damage, slow down the bullet. Maybe start tossing them at 3000fps instead of the 3600.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If you are a handloader, one cartridge does do it all.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
indeed, but, anyone else find small calibers more sensitive to bullet weight/twist rate, than larger calibers?
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
In .22 caliber I've found that the twist, particularly with older rifles where you could find 1:16 is often insufficient to stabilize heavier or mono-metal bullets. Most recently some 53 gr TSX I loaded for a fellow showed yaw and poor accuracy from a .22-250 he intended to use for caribou. Conversely my old 1:7 twist Gaillard .222 shot everything well, regardless of weight, and I could keep 52 gr MKs in a single hole at 100 on a still day. The exception was the light weight SX and Blitz bullets that sometimes wouldn't make it to the target due to being spun too fast for their construction.
I have used both. I now use a 243. The 25-06 is distructive. Ive shot a few in the last couple of years with my 45-70. Pelt damage does not matter as the fur auction still has (had) coyotes from last year and are not paying enough to make it worth while. Skinning & preping the hides is a lot of work that many find unpleasent. The 25-06 is one of my favorite deer guns.
In Alberta we're only required to use expanding bullets for big game, solution: Move to Alberta!
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I was out in the fields today doing a little load development with my .25-06 and RL17. I spotted a coyote a LONG ways off, which I was only able to see because of the contrast against the snow. I got set up with the sand bags, set up the rifle with my trusty 100gr MK load, and lasered the dog at 942 yards, verified via Leica LRF1200. I put the specs into my ballistic program on my iPhone and dialed the correction into the turrets, and set the Burris FFII Tactical 3-9x40 on 9x. I waited for the coyote to stop moving for a few seconds, and let one rip. First shot, cold bore hit. The coyote squirmed a little bit and went down for good. Not bad for a lightweight hunting rifle (Tikka T3). I drove up to the fence, and then walked the remaining 500 yards to the downed coyote. The exit hole in the offside of the rib cage was about 3" in diameter. Not only does the MK expand on game, but it expands violently even at 942 yards, when the velocity is down to about 1640fps. And yes, the .25-06 is not only adequate on coyotes, but even still makes a huge mess, even at that range. I would buy a .22-250 or a .243 (with 55gr BT) if you want to salvage the hides.
Here's a pic from where the shot was taken, to where the coyote was standing when he was shot, and another through the scope. You can actually see the coyote through the scope- it's just to the left of the cross hair (about where the thick post meets the thin cross hair) and underneath the cross hair at about the level of the 3rd dot on the ballistic reticle. The coyote is pretty small, so you have to look kind of close.
Here's a pic from where the shot was taken, to where the coyote was standing when he was shot, and another through the scope. You can actually see the coyote through the scope- it's just to the left of the cross hair (about where the thick post meets the thin cross hair) and underneath the cross hair at about the level of the 3rd dot on the ballistic reticle. The coyote is pretty small, so you have to look kind of close.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Good report Jordan . . . and nice shooting!
I will say though that my experience with 55 gr BT in the .243 has shown them to be pretty harsh on small game. I found that their accuracy drops off at about 600 yards to where getting hits is pretty haphazard, so a 95 gr match bullet from the .243 might work better under the conditions you illustrate, but the results might be similar as well.
I will say though that my experience with 55 gr BT in the .243 has shown them to be pretty harsh on small game. I found that their accuracy drops off at about 600 yards to where getting hits is pretty haphazard, so a 95 gr match bullet from the .243 might work better under the conditions you illustrate, but the results might be similar as well.
