Hey everyone i will soon be purchasing my first rifle: a marlin xl7/xs7. I really like the looks of this rifle but i can't decide on the caliber. I will probably use it for some varmint hunting and i want to get into deer hunting also. The cailbers i'm looking at are
.243 winchester- this looks like a great cartridge for varminting but i'm just not sure if it has enough power for a beginner deer hunter
.25-06 remington- i also like the looks of this one but i am a little worried about the availabilty of factory ammo for it since i don't reload
.270 winchester-i am leaning slightly towards this one as it has plently of power for deer but can be loaded with lower power 100 gr loads for varmints however it still might be a little much even with the lighter loads
All of you thoughts/experiences would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance
.243 winchester- this looks like a great cartridge for varminting but i'm just not sure if it has enough power for a beginner deer hunter
.25-06 remington- i also like the looks of this one but i am a little worried about the availabilty of factory ammo for it since i don't reload
.270 winchester-i am leaning slightly towards this one as it has plently of power for deer but can be loaded with lower power 100 gr loads for varmints however it still might be a little much even with the lighter loads
All of you thoughts/experiences would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance