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

Gatehouse said:
For deer, you can pick just about any centerfire cartridge and it will kill it. Most practical for a non handloader is the common stuff like .308, .270, 30-06, and even the lowly .243 with good bullets is a good deer killer.
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Come on now, the 243 isn't that lowly!
About 2200 foot pounds of energy with a 100 grain bullet, compared to about 1825 for the 30-30, or at the speed most 130 grain bullets are driven in an average 270, maybe a touch over 2400.
 
wasrupzuk said:
I would consider the gun your putting it in. T3's are all long action so I don't think I'd take the 243 cartridge in that gun, a different gun might give a different answer, but...
A 270 in a T3 with a Nikon scope is a pretty solid setup that is very popular.
Note: I've selected none of these cartridges, ever, but I have nothing against them it's just that I went down other paths.
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I would for sure get a short action cartridge in a tikka. Make the bolt stop for a long action and get a long action mag. Then you can load the bullets out as far as possible. As it is with a short action mag you are very limited by the mag length. I thought the mag on my m70 was short but the tikka is a lot shorter with a longer throat.
 
H4831 said:
Come on now, the 243 isn't that lowly!
About 2200 foot pounds of energy with a 100 grain bullet, compared to about 1825 for the 30-30, or at the speed most 130 grain bullets are driven in an average 270, maybe a touch over 2400.
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Naw, it's not that lowly. Stick a TSX bullet in it and it's even a bigger cartridge. It's just not one I would pick, as I think the .260 is better. :)
 
I have had all three of these cal's. The M700 243 was down the road pretty quick, I really liked the T3 25-06 but it ended up down the road also. I ended up with a Kimber classic select 270 as it covers everything I want to hunt with it, it shoots almost as flat as the 25-06 and I have it in the rifle I wanted in the first place. With that said if I found the kimber in 25-06 then I would have bought it instead. I have other larger cal rifles if I need anything bigger. If it's your only gun then go with the 270, if you have a bigger cal to use go with the 25-06.
 
hometownhero said:
I would for sure get a short action cartridge in a tikka. Make the bolt stop for a long action and get a long action mag. Then you can load the bullets out as far as possible. As it is with a short action mag you are very limited by the mag length. I thought the mag on my m70 was short but the tikka is a lot shorter with a longer throat.
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Yes, but now your customizing the gun and the bullets for it.
Perhaps I'm wrong but the OP seemed to be after an off the rack solution...
If we were going down reloading road I probably would have suggested something I use...
You definitely have valid points though.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
That's the spirit. If nothing else works, then a total pig headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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I'm just hopping that you're understanding here the greatness of the .270 Winchester. Nosler in fact makes match bullets for the 6.8mm. Not that it needs them though since the .270 will still out shoot a .308 with Federal Power-Shok VS what ever you want to try because its the greatest cartridge in the entire world. It can in fact shoot around corners and skin and dress the game for you.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
I'm just hopping that you're understanding here the greatness of the .270 Winchester. Nosler in fact makes match bullets for the 6.8mm. Not that it needs them though since the .270 will still out shoot a .308 with Federal Power-Shok VS what ever you want to try because its the greatest cartridge in the entire world. It can in fact shoot around corners and skin and dress the game for you.
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On acid bro?:p
 
wasrupzuk said:
Yes, but now your customizing the gun and the bullets for it.
Perhaps I'm wrong but the OP seemed to be after an off the rack solution...
If we were going down reloading road I probably would have suggested something I use...
You definitely have valid points though.
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Modifying the bolt stop took me 10 min on a dremel and the only thing with mags is they cost $90+

Just tried some hornady american white tail ammo in the mag for the short action there is only a few thousands of room in front of the bullet.

In my opinion with the cost of quality ammunition it is hard not to get into reloading. $35-50 a box or 20. I'm loading 50 rounds for $40 with better speed and accuracy.
 
If it's just for deer, both the 25-06 and .270 seem like over kill. The 243 is more than sufficient. If you want to go after larger game, then the 243 lacks. From your post I gather you don't reload, so in that case I would go 270 or 308. 25-06 ammo can be hard to find, but you can get 270 and 308 at just about any store that carries ammo
 
I'm not a 270 fan but of the 3 you listed it makes the most sense.

If I was going to only buy one rifle though I'd buy a 300 wsm or win mag and learn to reload and cast. You can shoot pop cans at 100 all day long with cast and a few grains of unique for next to nothing. You can load it like a 308 with 125 accubombs or 130 TTSX and minimal recoil while you are learning and you can crank it all the way up for big bodied bucks, elk and Moose and shoot it like you are supposed to shoot a 300.
 
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