.25-06 or .243 Help me decide

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djardine

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I currently own a Marlin XL7 in .25-06. I bought this gun for $290 and placed a Nikon 3-9x40 on it. This gun is very accurate, even with factory ammo. If I keep this gun, I will use this gun for target, deer, and the occasional coyote even though I have a dedicated coyote gun in .223. I will try to make a long story short. I sold a Savage Model 10 .243 in order to buy this gun. This debate would be over if I enjoyed shooting a .270 as much as I do these guns. I think the .270 is superior for Mule Deer, but I like to have a low recoiling gun because I spend alot of time on the range. The things that I like about the .25-06 include:
1. this gun's minimal recoil
2. how it has the capability to be a great deer gun
3. it is flat shooting
4. ability to shoot up to 120 grain pills (I live in Idaho so I hunt Muleys)
I do not like;
1. How expensive the ammo is, especially to shoot it at the range ($24.99 at Walmart).
2. The 22" inch barrel bothers me a bit- wish it had a 24"
3. I like the Marlin XL7 but I think I like the feel of the Savage better and the accutrigger
4. Ammo is a little hard to find with the ammo shortage that has been going on for a while-(It's getting better now though)
5. I cannot find good varmint rounds unless I reload

THE OTHER OPTION:
In order to buy the gun above, I sold my Savage model 10 synthetic .243. This gun was the package gun at Walmart-This gun was the most accurate gun I have ever owned- it was more accurate than the above mentioned .25-06. I am a huge fan of the accutrigger. I bought this gun for $377 at Walmart and immediately sold the Simmons 3-9x40 scope and replaced it with a Nikon.
I liked how;
1. Ammo was $13.97 a box at walmart
2. It's absolute accuracy even with factory ammo
3. The VERY minimal recoil
4. The accutrigger and overall feel of the Savages
5. The availability of VMAX varmint rounds (58 grain MOLY VMAX for coyotes).
I dislike;
1. The feeling that the .243 is a "borderline" Muley gun compared to the more powerful .25-06. I don't want to start a "Is a .243 effecient for deer" argument. I personally feel very confident in my shooting ability but still get leary of shooting a .243 at Muleys- especially at longer ranges.

CONCLUSION:
At this point, I only have enough money to have one of these guns. Walmart still carries the Savage model 10 in .243 for roughly $377. Should I sell the Marlin XL7 and buy this gun? I am torn on this one..... I don't know if there really is any help out there for someone addicted to buying and selling guns so much.... Input is appreciated although keep in mind that at this point I am only considering these two options. If I had more money, I would probably buy both and then buy a bigger gun for dedicated Muley hunting such as a .270. Thanks
 
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Honestly...

Save your money, buy another Savage. Keep the .25-06. I'm a buy and hold kind of guy when it comes to guns anymore.

After that, invest in reloading.
 
The .25-06 is superior to the .243 for medium and big game hunting, period. It is flatter shooting and harder hitting. That said, your performance is going to suffer a bit in a 22" tube. The .25-06 is typically loaded with slower powders, and performs better in 24-26" tubes.

The .270 would afford some advantage if you are going to pursue elk, but for Mulies and smaller, the .25-06 will make them just as dead with a slightly longer MPBR.

As for ammo cost, if you shoot more than a couple boxes a year, start handloading. .257" bullets are barely more than .244", and the extra powder consumption is not that much. Reloading will make the cost difference between .243 and .25-06 pennies.
 
My .25-06 is so much fun here in Idaho. I live in Pocatello and I do a ton of springtime rockchuck hunting. The .25-06 is by far the best long range rockchuck gun. Almost no recoil with light bullets. It shoots at almost the same point of impact at 200 yards. Its even better past 200 yards. However, I handload a ton so I have figured out what loads my gun likes. Here is a little video of the usefulness of a spotter when shooting at longer ranges. I was using a 2.5x8 leupold vx III in the video on top of a winchester model 70 in .25-06.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSwMQltnoZI
 
I like the idea of keeping the .25-06 because it's a great deer gun. That brings up another idea- maybe I should sell my Stevens M200 .223 and buy the .243. That way I can use the 55 grain Vmax .243 bullets for coyotes, use the .243 for the target shooting and then still have the .25-06 for big game. That's an option. I don't know how fast my Stevens would sell though- it's new in the box unfired but it has the camo pattern so it cost me $375.
 
What wrong with shooting coyotes with slightly larger pills? I prefer to shoot them with the same loads that I deer hunt with. That way I don't have to worry about what the scope is sighted for at the time.

That being said, I'd stick with the 25.06, just for the extra knock down power if you shooting deer at a longer range. The 243 is a fine caliber, but the guys that I know that shoot the prairie a lot for white tails use a 25-06 instead.
 
While the 243 probably has more options if you reload, the difference between the two leans to the 25-06. Hence the reason I bought my 25-06.

Take the money you would spend on the 243 and get into reloading. Then your 25-06 can really shine.
 
That brings up another idea- maybe I should sell my Stevens M200 .223 and buy the .243.
Click to expand...

Thats what I would do. The .243 will give you more accuracy at longer ranges with heavier bullets. However, ammo prices will differ a bit.
 
I've never shot a XL-7 but have heard great things about them. That being said I have shot a Savage model 10 from Walmart in .243. It had the Simmons Blazer scope that came with it still on it. I was impressed as I think it's the first rifle where my 3 shot groups were under 1" most every time. I shot a 5 shot group of 1.5" or so and I didn't let the barrel cool between shots or anything. It's one of my favorite guns I've shot and is my favorite bolt action I've shot. I'm not a huge bolt action fan but this gun just shot amazingly and had a good feel to it.
 
I chose a .243 Winchester as one of my Illinois hunting rifles since coyote is the largest critter you can hunt with a centerfire rifle here.

If deer hunting was legal here with a rifle, I would strongly consider building an M1 Garand in .25/06 as my primary deer rifle.
 
Keep the 25-06 or sell what you have and buy a 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 is the greatest deer gun I've ever owned -- low recoil, flat shooter, deadly accurate, and a .284 dia bullet which makes a much nicer hole than the 243. Then, buy a reloading setup and reload your own to save money and ensure availability of ammo. If you can't do either of those, buy the 243 and just work on being darn accurate!
 
I would not overlook any rifle in 243, new or used. Especially if you can find a howa with the hogue overmoulded stock, very nice. You can also get federal 243 ammo, 100 grainers, soft point, that will knock a muley over, and they are dead accurate, and as flat as a 25.06.
Also you can get factory vld bullets made by HSN or M , I think, that are 105 or 110's, and they will shoot flat, and loooonnnng, as they really cut through the wind. I can't see a bullet weight 10 or 20 grains more and only .5mm bigger in diameter, being that much more deadly on any deer, as long as you are a decent shot...

I am a huge 243 fan though, and the ammo is everywhere, and can routinely be found for between 14 and 17 bucks a box. I got most of my Federal when there was a huge blowout sale at Carters a couple of years ago; it was 11 bucks a box, and I went to every Carter's store in the Houston area , and bought it all!!!! But the federal is still everywhere in the plain blue box, it is still the cheapest I think, and the softpoints are quite accurate.

So if you shoot a fair amount, say 10 boxes or more a year, you will save at least 100 bucks in just the cost of ammo...
 
I have both and im happy . I can attest the two are screaming fast calibers, low on recoil and sweet shooters. ALthough i havent tried the .243 on game yet. But using WInchester X 100 grners softpoint ammo, my Remington Youth prints 3/4 of an inch at 100 yds. Im impressed for a $ 360 gun . Of course i mounted it with a Bushnell Banner scope .
 
I have a Browning X-Bolt in 25.06, and wouldn't trade it for the world. To me, it's almost the perfect North American all-purpose bolt gun. If you scope it well, it also performs handsomely in target shooting scenarios.
 
I like my 243, but in your case, I would keep the 25 and reload.

Unless you are like most of us and always looking for another gun........:rolleyes:
 
Having been a reloader for forty forevers, I just don't even think about the availability of factory ammo.

If a guy has a .223 and a .25-'06, the .243 is in-between but sorta close to the .25-06. Great cartridge, but sorta superfluous in this situation. If anything, I'd go up to either a .308 or an '06, thinking about mule deer or elk.

All in all, my "druthers" would be the .223, then .243 and then the '06. Definitely a 24" or 26" barrel on the '06, though. (Yeah, that's what I've been messing with since around 1970 or so...)
 
Art, I wonder what some of the Hornady Light Mags or Superperformance will do with say, 150s, from that 26" tube.... bet it becomes a real screamer.

As for the OP, as has been said, for a "just one", the .25-06 is IT to split the difference. Me, I have several rifles, so I divested myself of that caliber, as it was a superfluous 'tweener' chambering. Instead, I kept the .243 win (same externals with an 80/85 as the .25-06 has with a 100, and less recoil), and also kept 6.5 mm and 7mm rounds.

What I did was eliminate the ODD numbered calibers, the .25s and .27s, including .25-06 and .270. This just makes life simpler, keeping calibers limited to these only: 5.5mm (.22 cal), 6.0mm (.24 cal), 6.5mm (.26 cal), 7.0mm (.28 cal), and 7.5mm (.30 cal) for all .30 cal and lower chamberings. Eliminates the tweeners of .25 cal and .27 cal. So for hunting chamberings (small caliber - that are .30 cal or lower), I'm down to just .243 Win, .260 Rem, .280 Rem, and .30-'06. I don't consider the .223/.224 cal rifles to be hunting chamberings, since I don't eat what they shoot.

So it really just comes down to how many rifles you HAVE or intend to eventually have.
 
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I
do not like;
1. How expensive the ammo is, especially to shoot it at the range ($24.99 at Walmart).
Click to expand...
Start reloading.
2. The 22" inch barrel bothers me a bit- wish it had a 24"
Click to expand...
The longer barrel will do nothing for you -- a mere 50 fps or so in muzzle velocity is a negligible gain.
3. I like the Marlin XL7 but I think I like the feel of the Savage better and the accutrigger
Click to expand...
A trigger job or an after-market trigger will be way cheaper than a new rifle.
4. Ammo is a little hard to find with the ammo shortage that has been going on for a while-(It's getting better now though)
Click to expand...
Start reloading.
5. I cannot find good varmint rounds unless I reload
Click to expand...
Start reloading.
 
Thanks for the lead. I found that those rifles are the Stevens Model 200 which I allready own. They do not have the same triggers as the Model 10's accutrigger or the Marlin XL7s "profire" . I would be looking for one with the accutrigger or the profire.
 
Now that it was mentioned above, I totally agree; handload your 25; should have tons of good bullets, and it will def improve your accuracy...
and this coming from a 243 freak.
 
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