All around gun

[quackkiller]

Ok so I have a .17 that I have been using for coyotes for about 4 years now. I am looking for a gun with a lot more knock down power!! I recently bought a 300 and am going to keep that just for deer. I would love to hear some input.... I have wanted a 22-250 forever but recently have been looking into a 25-06 just so I can use it to hunt as well. Well it would be for the woman but is it a good gun? How does it compare to a 243? Any other suggestions? Thankyou very much!!

[nwwanderer]

Not going to argue caliber, a lady showed up with a 338 win mag and handled it very will, while my grand daughter is spooked by a 22.  Pick the one she handles and shoots will and yes I am working on the grand daughter, she will figure it out with a little help.

[quackkiller]

Thanks for the reply! Good idea, I am going to have her shoot a few first. Do you know much about the 25-06?

[Wazukie]

.25-06 is a great caliber.  It will not have a problem dropping anything in this country.   

[Reidus]

I'd go with a 243 over a 22-250. 55's out of a 243 will be faster and a better BC than 55's out of a 22-250. You can also shoot heavier bullets and use it for deer. 243 will be much better at longer range and in wind as well.

[quackkiller]

What about a 243 vs a 25-06?

[buckfvr]

Go to a few gun shops and see how many 2506s are on the shelf compared to .243s........also see how much loaded ammo is available for each.  Cant hardly beat a .243.  Also easy to re-barrel a Savage or Ram from .243 to .260, 7mm08 and 308 with out changing anything except the barrel.

[Reidus]

A lot more bullet options available in .243. 25-06 is a neat round too. I would say if your going to do more big game go with the 25-06 and if your going to do more varmit hunting go with a 243. I think the 243 would fill your gap between the 300 and 17 pretty well. Probably a little more velocity and recoil in the 25-06 for similar bullet weights. I think either would work fine.

[carpsniperg2]

243 or 25-05 sounds like a good choice for you.

[ribka]

And the 260 rem would be a contender too

[Bob33]

What about a 243 vs a 25-06?

The parent case of a 243 is the 308. The parent case of the 25-06 is the 30-06. The 30-06 family has a larger case and holds more powder than the equivalent 308 family calibers. They have more energy, and more recoil than their 308 family counterparts. The 30-06 family requires a long action, while the 308 family uses a short action.

They're both wonderful cartridges.

[buckfvr]

And if you decide you like the 06 family, its extremely difficult to argue against the .270................

[porcupine]

I'd vote for the .243. The .260 rem is another good choice, as well as the 7mm-08. All three use the same case and have light recoil. With the .260 and 7mm-08 you can shoot heavier bullets.

[DaveMonti]

I have both.  While I love the .243 more than any other cartridge, I'd go with a .25-06 because you can pack more powder behind it and shoot a slightly heavier bullet for longer range big game.  Plus, it really cooks with lighter bullets.  The .25-06 has been around for a while and is a fairly common round, but not as common as the .243 when trying to find factory ammo.  I reload, so finding factory ammo isn't a problem.

[bobcat]

I vote .243.