Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which rifle caliber caliber to choose???

One more vote for the 25-06.
75 grain Vmax for varmits, and 100 grain SP or X bullet for deer.
Virgil B.

243 Winchester or 25-06. I shoot both for deer and varmints.

If you are going to keep your shots within 300 yards the .243 will do. I like 70 gr. Sierra match hollow points for prairie dogs and 95 gr. Nosler balistic tips for deer.

For ranges past 300 yards (way past) I use the 25-06. I shoot 100 gr. Sierra Game Kings for both deer and varmints. One bullet, one load for everything.

If you are planning on lots of varmint shooting (prairie dogs) and small deer don't over look the 22-250 or 220 Swift. It's no seceret I think the Swift is a hell of a deer cartridge. I like Sierra 63 gr. semi-points for deer and hollow points in the 52-55 gr. weights for prairie dogs.

I think the 26 caliber is best for this application followed
by the 25 caliber.

Jhoutdoors,
I'll stick my neck out and suggest a good ol' .30-06, which is the grandaddy of 'em all an' still available in most styles and major brands, at a store near you for a song price wise. Whether you reload or not, you will be hard put to find a larger bullet selection in any other caliber that covers just about anything you might want ta do up to Elk hunting. One gun fits all? Nah! But my good ol' .30-06 sure covers a lot of the bases including varmint hunting if you can stand the noise.

Flower Child

Sometimes older IS better!

I'll throw 1 more in, how about a 250 Sav? Not much recoil & the old 1 I have is plenty accurate for varmint even with 90gr cast bullets out to 150-200 yrds.

I like what the 7mm mag does to 'yotes @ 200. I can use the same rifle for everything. Of course, the '06 will do the same.

Except get there as fast,impact as fast,shoot as flat,buck wind as well and recoil as softly.

Barring that,the '06 really makes grand sense................(grin)

You need to get 2 rifles . Make life easy for yourself . Get a .220 swift and an 06 . I've had and have many rifles in the 45yrs I've been liveing and reloaded for all of them. The swift and 06 are the best and all you will ever need.