Opinions wanted, looking for my first whitetail deer gun, 25-06 or 243, 270 Win

Yes, if we stick to the three calibers that you have noted, and not knowing "where you hunt" or for sure that you will stick exclusively to Deer, I would go with the 270 as my first choice, then the 243 and lastly the 25-06.

I would personally choose the 25-06 over the other two (and do own a 25.06 and 243 - haven't seen a need for 270 because I also have a 7.08), but I reload - variety or "even finding" 25-06 on the shelf "might" be challenging unless you are close to a well stocked gun shop, and it's often sold at a premium price (like 7.08) for no other reason then "it's less common". If you are at the corner of Middle and Nowhere you can likely find 270 and 243 ammo.

The 270 is better if medium to larger game is what you want the rifle for.

The 243 would be ideal if Bambi was the "largest" critter you wanted to shoot (but also spend time popping ground hogs or coyotes).

The 25.06 is capable enough, but would be tougher and more expensive to feed if you are buying off the shelf.
 
308 easy peasy. Ammo everywhere and easy to reload. My Xbolt absolutely loves 165gr boattails and BLC2 powder. As well it has just enough extra thump to take something bigger. You just never know what you will come across in the bush that you have tags for and it would be a shame to pass up a chance to take home something you were not looking for. That said there are a lot of cals that work well for deer. They are thin skinned and fairly small animals usually. Get what fits you and you can afford. FWIW more deer have been taken with the lowly 30-30 than anything else so go figure. Depends on where you hunt, how you hunt and especially how much you have shot your rifle. If it were legal you could even take a deer with your 223. I hunt BC with a 22, 223, 308, 30-06 and a 12ga pump. Anything that flies or crawls is fair game. I hunt for meat not glory. I clean all my takes myself rather than pay a butcher to do it.
 
Here's my reply. Keep in mind that this is the very first group fired from this rifle and with some ammo slopped together for scope sighting. I expect better with a bit more work.

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I've shot a lot of deer with .30-06, .270, and .243. I own a .30-06. Either a .30-06 or a .270 will be an excellent choice for any large game in Canada. A .243 is a good deer calbre, but I wouldn't be using it for any larger game than a white tail.
 
I'm in the same boat as you. Sorry to say I don't have any experience yet.
Was set on 243 but after a lot of reading I'm leaning towards 270 or 308.
Think about it when you hit that deer you want it to go down. I'm sure a lot of guys to great with 243 but that's just my thinking.
Interested in hearing what you decide on through.
 
Of the three cartridges you mentioned, 270 Win, 25/06 Rem & 243 Win, in that order. That's if you want to hunt game larger than mule/whitetail deer. Otherwise, reverse the order.
 
Of the THREE you mentioned I gotta say the 25-06 gets my vote. Flat shooting. Hard hitting. I have half a pail of empty brass at home, in other words I've never had trouble finding ammo for it. Hand loading and or premium bullets allow you to take almost any hooved animal in NA. I have shot plenty of deer with one and have never needed a follow up shot. I did shoot an elk twice with one simply because it went 30 yards after the first hit and offered a second broadside shot. Either hit would have done the job, it expired ten yards after the second hit. Sst's and complete pass thrus.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
If it is your first gun and are looking at all options don't handicap yourself by just picking those three for choices.

You can add .260 Rem , 7mm-08 Rem , 7 x 57 , 6.5 x 55 , 257 Roberts , a bit more obscure but still options.

OR

.308 Win which is chambered in almost every rifle out there and lots of factory ammo to choose from.Heavy or light.

However out of your three I would go .270 then 25-06 then 243.

I like the Weatherby Vanguard in the budget you kind of mention.

Optics , that is up to your eye , go and look through as many as you can.You will know what is best once you look through and compare. 3-9x40 is most common and very versatile.
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Good advice. Personally I would go 7x57, 270 Win, 6.5x55 then 243. First three cal's give you more versatility. Don't skimp on optics. Go with the best you can afford.
 
You know they all run in the same herd and are so close to each other out to 300yds you can swap them out. If you reload you can make any of them work miracles. I collect brass for a 3000 member club. What I find in rifle cartridges is almost always 308 and 30-06. The others are there but only a few. 308 can be loaded down to 110gr if you want to shoot varmints with it. The 243, 22-250, 7mm-08 and all that were originally spawned from the 308. Just like the 25-06 and 270 were developed from the venerable 30-06. I like a nice heavy 30cal bullet to get the job done. Benchrest shooters have used it for years.
It has been the go-to deer round since it came out. It works and it does the job very well. They all do and remarkably well. But for the extra bit of insurance I want the extra thump. As well if you reload I would suggest that 30cal has by far the widest range of bullets and weights by a long shot. There is ALWAYS a bullet that will work. I dont own any of those other cals. I wanted to do it right first time. 308 is just the easy choice. I asked all the same questions you are. I have never looked back. Keeping mine.
 
bogie said:
The 243, 22-250, 7mm-08 and all that were originally spawned from the 308.
22-250 isn't from a 308 i is from the 250 savage hence the 250 part of the 22-250

Just like the 25-06 and 270 were developed from the venerable 30-06.
There is also a 280, 6mm-06, 6.5mm-06, 338-08 and so on in there
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Added some stuff
 
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