Thinking about an all around rifle. Am I thinking right?

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bagel77

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I know this is my first post but I have ben floating around here for a little while taking in all the knowledge. Anyway, I am looking fo a rifle to hunt Gound hogs first (only thing I can really use a rifle for here in NJ) but I would like to be able to hunt hogs some time and Maybe a whitetail hunt down the line. My biggest catch is I can only use 100 gr bullets(max) for ground hogs. This kind of limits my cal. choices. The 243 I hought of first but I keep hereing` they will be to small for deer. Then I was thinking 270 but finding a 100gr in 270 is tough...real tough. Which brings me to the cal. I have come to settle on. 25-06 I can find shells in 100gr and If I did my research correctly it is a good compromise all around. My question is...Is my thinking correct? or should I be considering something else?

I was also looking at a savage arms rifle...good choice?

Thanks
 
I've tagged some two dozen bucks with my .243. It's "plenty-nuff" gun for deer. Maybe a bit light for the larger Maine whitetails, but plenty good for what could be called "normal" whitetail. :)

I highly recommend getting into reloading, regardless of your decision. It allows a lot more shooting for a given amount of money. Me, I'd check Craig's List and gunshows for good used gear. Absent stupid abuse and rust, the gear doesn't wear out.

100-grain bullets for Bambi; 55-grain for coyotes on down to prairie dogs.
 
Welcome to the forum.

I'm with Art as the 243 will work well for most whitetail and hogs, and won't hammer you as much as the 25-06 with multiple shoots at ground hogs.
 
You answered your own question...get the 25-06.

It will do most anything a 270 will do (some things better, varmints)...and it will do most anything the 243 will do (some things better, deer)
 
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If you don't reload the two best choices are the 243 and 25-06 as already stated. If you do reload you have more choices. 6mm Rem, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts (my favorite) and others. If you are using it mostly for varmints the 243 is probably a better choice and if you are good enough to reliably whack groundhogs at range making a well placed shot on a deer or hog will be easy. Just use the right bullet for the job and rezero for the bullet weight.
 
have you considered a 22-250rem I don't know how it does with the hogs but ive shot deer with mine and awesome for varmints
 
Welcome aboard.

I agree with .243, good choice.

Also, I have 3 Savage rifles, have been very impressed with accuracy and quality.
 
Either the 243 or 25-06 will do fine. 243 is on the light side for deer, but certainly not too light, and perfectly legal in every state that allows rifle hunting. As mentioned, reloading will help the versatility of your gun selection. And it's almost never a good idea to be using you your deer/hog loads on varmints due to the dangers of riccochets. Still, you can find good big game and varmint factory loads in both of those chamberings.
 
I use the .22-250 Rem for just about everything. I've dropped deer, hogs, and well.. anything that walks/crawls/farts/flys... dies. .243 Win works REALLY well too. You have the option of using lighter bullets (55 grain) at speeds up to and probably above 4000 FPS.. with groundhogs using light weight bullets for more rapid expansion makes for fun shooting.. and impacts :)

the 36 grain barnes varmint grenades and 40 grain hornady vmaxes work excellent in the .22-250.
 
I have killed several mule deer with the .243. It got the job done very effectively with one shot in the tracks kills.
Jerry
 
Go with the .243. 55-75gr for varmints, 95-100gr for deer/hogs. As noted above, the lightly constructed varmint bullets are much more likely to disintegrate on impact rather than ricochet, so use them on the varmints and use heavier big game bullets for deer/hogs. My friend's dad has killed two black bears here in PA with his .243, one shot each.
 
Don't know if you've considered which rifle yet...but maybe something like the TC's or Savages. You could set yourself up with a Savage .243...if you want a .308 for a deer+ hunt, then it takes about 15 min. and 150 worth of tools and barrel to swap to a .308.
 
Well I have to admitt I didn't think I would get so much of a push for the 243. Now I need to think a little more about which one. I was all set for the 25-06. I was looking at a savage because of price, reviews and upgrades...depending on the model. in that order. But keep the comments coming

thanks
 
I can't count the number of deer I've piled up with a .243, and now my son has that same old .243 and continues to pile them up.
 
I hunt deer with a .243 and have never felt that it lacked take down power. I have also shot prairie dogs with it. It does both just fine.
 
Why just one?

Get one of everything! A .243 is a good start, find excuses to get more:D

If you get a Savage .17 HMR or Marlin .22Mag for the PDs "its cheaper"
You can get a .243 for deer "its sufficient"
Oh darn, you need a .308 or an "od 6" for Elk "its necessary"
Better get a 30-30 or a 45-70 for the thick brush....... "smarter"

Better get a handgun...... incase a cougar jumps you.....

Ruger MKIII.22 for PDs, any 9MM with a big magazine for urban combat, a colt .45 ACP for the bedroom, a Colt Cowboy action .45 for elk and deer season, and the .410 Judge for the front door.........

Oh darn, I better start reloading, dang, I need a gun safe.....can't quit now.


See, lots of excuses :D
 
I will echo the suggestion for reloading, but if that's not an interest the .243 Win and .25-06 will do very nicely.

For an all around rifle it's hard to beat the .257", .264" (6.5mm) and .284" (7mm) cartridges, but since ground hogs are the primary target, 7mm is a bit much.

If I could only have one rifle for ground hogs, pigs, and deer it would be a .257 Roberts, .25 WSSM, .260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmore. (.25 WSSM is ballistically equivalent to the .25-06.) Savage is now making a Lightweight Hunter in .260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmore, and I wish I had a reason to buy one. Loaded to +P levels the .257 Roberts approaches the .25-06.

Any of these will work, just match the bullet/load to the intended target.
 
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