Researching new rifle

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go_fish

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I am looking to purchase a new rifle, I just keep talking myself out of what caliber to purchase. I have an 06 for larger game, and several 22's for plinking etc. I was looking at a .243, but am wondering if I should go .270. I like the balistics of these calibers and variety of ammo available. But, I suppose I want one gun to do everything. I now reside in Arizona, and I am wondering which would be a better choice for javelina's, and varmit or other hunting in the state. I may go antelope or deer hunting out of state also. Would it be better to go .270 and purchase lighter loads for smaller game? Or go with the .243, then just utilize my 06 for larger game? Also, for javelinas in Arizona, what do most hunters use? I have a .357, and I was going to try my luck with the next handgun hunt. thanks
 
I'd suggest that since you've already got a .30-'06, a .270 would be a bit superfluous, as your existing rifle will do just as well for most things for which you'd need a .270. I'd rather go for either a .243, or something a bit more "in the middle", like a 6.5mm. cartridge. My preference would be the 6.5x55mm. Swedish Mauser, but there's also the conversion of the .30-'06 to a 6.5mm. bullet, which is an excellent choice. There are also short-action options.
 
The .270 and .30-06 are very similar balistically. I have deer hunted with both, and love them both. I would use the .30-06 for your larger game and go with something smaller for varmint shooting. The .243 isn't the cheapest to shoot, but it is definitely cheaper than the .270. You might look in to a .223 Rem. for that. I have 2 .223's and they are great little rounds and cheap to shoot too. I don't know how resiliant javelina are, since I'm from Missouri. Good luck!
 
Preacherman's giving out some good free advice. 6.5x55 would be a good middle of the road choice, flat shooting with great accuracy and little recoil.

But any good 6.5 would do well. Also the .243 is a nice round, maybe a little better choice if varmint's were in your sights.
 
Go_fish;

I'll also suggest looking at the 6.5 X 55 Swede. It's what I gave my son for his first centerfire hunting gun over ten years ago. I've loaded for it & seen the very terminal results.

However, I'll drop the red challenge flag on the .243. Take a good long look at the 6mm Remington before you buy a .243. Particularly if tough animals are on the agenda. The 6mm can drive Speer's 90 grain spitzer faster, giving more energy. That particular bullet was made by Speer to allow the old .244 to kill deer. Therefore, it's built tough. I took two deer with it in '04, both dropped like they were slapped down by something way bigger than a 6mm. Both times the bullet went through solid bone & didn't blow up. Both shots were in the 150 - 175 yard range.

900F
 
if you already have a .30-06, i'd recommend the .243 for javelina. pretty much anything larger than that can ruin the meat.

i hunt javelina with a .223 or a .357, depending on season. my dad uses a Contender in .221 fireball, and he's been hunting javelina for over 40 years.

in my opinion, the .243 is about the most biggest you'd want to use on arizona pigs, and you already have an '06 for the mulies and whitetails.
 
thanks again for the advice, I appreciate the input. I want to take my time before the purchase, I saved some greenbacks for the purchase and I really do not want to have to buy two guns to do the same job, if ya know what I mean.
 
FWIW, look at the .25's. Don't own one myself, but they seem to fit the bill you're looking for. A bit more oomph than the .243, but not shoulder smashing.
.25-06
.25 WSSM
.257 Roberts
.257 Weatherby Magnum
 
Dude....

These guys are spot on....

270 or 30-06....good call either way...270 is just a neck down 06 case...

I lean toward the 270....although I shot an '06 as a first rifle....

243 is a great choice....did I read somewhere...they are used for military sniper duty?

Shane
 
good stuff...and either too many choices or not enough money to get all the toys...Anyway, I am impressed with the 25-06 balistic tabels. It seems to carry more punch and a little flater shooting than a 6mm. I think the 6.55 is larger than what I'm looking for since I have an 06 to use for larger game. On the other end I was impressed with the 22-250 compared to the 223. However, the 243 can shoot a lighter varmit round that seems to shoot flater with more smack than the smaller calibers, it is just lighter than the 6mm or 25-06 on the upper end. I would like to settle on 1 gun and not 2 since I think it would be better to get real familiar with the one you spend time with during hunting season. Is that solid thinking...other than upland bird and duck hunting, I am not very experienced with game hunting...so the input is appreciated. thanks
 
I've never heard of .243Winchester pulling sniper duty. But it's a good round in general. It's a .308 case necked down to 6mm. A 200yd zero will be a couple of inches high at 100yds. 100gr SP will do for whitetails. I've seen it.
 
Gotta ask: What brand of rifle is your .30-06?
Duplicate that in the .25-06 and you've got your new rifle.
( I like the 6.5x55 Swedish and .260 Rem., but I 'think' the .25-06 would give a flatter trajectory and the step down in caliber you are seeking... )
Have fun shopping!:D
 
My 30-06 is a Savage model 40. The balistic info for factory loads I have been looking at is from Petersens annual hunting magazine for 2006. They have a list of ballistics tables from .17 - .460. Nice having a starting point.
 
I think Plaster mentions it in his book...

ALong with thoughts on the 338 Lapua and I think he even mentions the 375 H&H...how about that...

Shane
 
go_fish said:
My 30-06 is a Savage model 40. The balistic info for factory loads I have been looking at is from Petersens annual hunting magazine for 2006. They have a list of ballistics tables from .17 - .460. Nice having a starting point.
Click to expand...

If you like Savage, you might look at the Savage Model 11 (which is in the Hunter Series on the Savage website) which is available in .243Winchester among other chamberings. I got mine- an M11GL (left handed)- for $400 counting tax and mine has the accutrigger.

I agree it is nice to have a starting point too with the load/ballistics data.
 
Found it

Thanks for the input everyone. Just in case anyone responded and was curious about what i decided...I purchased a Rem 700 sps stainless in a .243 This looks like it will handle everything that I do not need to wake up my
30-06 for.:)
 
I know I'm chiming in after the point but I'm just curious about the .243. Is there a popular parent case or is this something of a one of? Also, if you've got a 30-06 I would expect you've grown accustomed to expensive ammo. I'm fairly cheap so ammo cost is a huge part of my decision making process. Being that the .243 isn't a military caliber there's not much hope that cheap ammo will be plentiful anytime soon. Additionally, it seems to me that a great many 6 and 6.5mm calibers have been discontinued due to lack of popularity. I don't know much about the .243's history but it seems to have withstood the test of time when compared to other more obscure calibers. I hope you love your new rifle.
 
rockstar.esq said:
I know I'm chiming in after the point but I'm just curious about the .243. Is there a popular parent case or is this something of a one of?
Click to expand...

As has been stated many times in various threads, the .243Winchester is a spin-off of .308Winchester. The same is true of 7mm08 and .22-250 among others.

Also, if you've got a 30-06 I would expect you've grown accustomed to expensive ammo. I'm fairly cheap so ammo cost is a huge part of my decision making process.
Click to expand...

Not all .30-06 ammo is expensive. Shop around and good affordable hunting ammo is out there. Not all good hunting ammo falls under "Safari Grade".

Being that the .243 isn't a military caliber there's not much hope that cheap ammo will be plentiful anytime soon.
Click to expand...

$10-12/20rds ain't bad for hunting ammo. Handloading cuts the cost some more. No, it's not a military caliber/chambering. I'm sure deals can be had. Sellier&Bellot's 100grSP .243 offering is, at $8/20rds, in my experience, quite good on accuracy and reliability although it seems maybe a little hotter than Winchester's 100gr PowerPoint offering.

Additionally, it seems to me that a great many 6 and 6.5mm calibers have been discontinued due to lack of popularity. I don't know much about the .243's history but it seems to have withstood the test of time when compared to other more obscure calibers. I hope you love your new rifle.
Click to expand...

The .243Winchester came out in 1956 as a wildcat and got real popular and hung on as you just observed. I haven't counted up how many 6mm and 6.5mm chamberings there have been over the years, but it does seem .243 is the most recognizably famous.

Ditto on the good wishes.
 
Fella's;

Mustanger98 sez: "As has been stated many times in various threads, the .243Winchester is a spin-off of .308Winchester. The same is true of 7mm08 and .22-250 among others."

Sir, I beg to differ with your above statement concerning the .22-250. I'll cite Cartridges Of The World, by Frank Barnes. "There is some confusion regarding date of origin of the .22-250, which is based on the .250-3000 Savage case necked to .22 caliber."

If anyone thinks Frank got it wrong, a minimal examination of the dimensional layouts in the current Speer or Hornady manuals should correct that impression.

900F
 
I'll check Hornady. If I'm mistaken, I'll post back and say so. If not, I shall ignore. However, I am aware of a major Garand smith who barreled one in .22-250 so it must have the same rim as a .308 at least.
 
Last edited:
CB900F said:
If anyone thinks Frank got it wrong, a minimal examination of the dimensional layouts in the current Speer or Hornady manuals should correct that impression.
Click to expand...
Also, the 22-250 case has a visibly more pronounced taper from case head to shoulder than the .308.
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