Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .243 or 25-06 for yotes/southern whitetail?

hey guys, lookin at pickin up a new rifle soon to try my hands on yote hunting(never been) and also use on the whitetails im gonna hunt next year in southern ms..tryin to decide between the .243 win and the 25-06..im leaning towards the 243 and runnin some 90 grain pills thru it and it should be more than enough for both animals, and prolly would use it on an antelope hunt i plan on going on after i get back from my deployment next year..it might be more the rifle than the caliber, but im also considering the 25-06 in a ruger #1 laminate/stainless..the gun im looking at right now is a tc venture in 243 that would be pretty affordable,and they have a 1 moa guarantee which is nice to know on them..for a scope im probably gonna go w/ a 3.5-10x50 vortex viper like i have on my ruger m77 300 wm...and the rifle is going to double as a "truck gun" also, so id prefer to not get something super fancy to just be tossed around or bounce in the back of the truck. id prefer the gun to have a 22-24 inch tube on it and not be overly heavy..would like to keep it less than 8.5lb w/ scope,sling, and full mag..not completely set in stone on what gun i want either, but the venture has my attention if it shoots like it says and feels good in my hands...what other rifle would you guys recommend for what i plan on using it for?
thanks fellas
brian

Stevens, Savage, Tikka T3 lite (in those 2 calibers can be found for ~ $500) would fit your bill and are often praised for out of box accuracy.

ive even thought about looking at a few year old savage 110 in 243 more than likely and restocking and barrelling to like a shilen 24 or something barrel and make it crazy accurate...but for some reason the tc venture is really catching my attention and a gun to check out

I'd pick something bigger for down south, not because the deer are harder to kill, but because they are harder to FIND, if they don't drop. A lot of guys here with more killin' experience than me say Bergers are the way to go for DRT kills on deer, I'd consider them.

navyman.....First of all, thanks for your service!

Since you even mention a possible speed goat hunt.....I'd go with a 25-06, if you want to choose between only those 2. Load up 75 Gr. VMAX's for the varmints and yotes and 100 Gr. TSX or TTSX for the whitetail and antelope.

But definitely nothing wrong with the 243 and the 85 Gr. TSX.

The TC venture is reviewed well although I have no personal experience. I've shot a TC Icon which is well made and accurate. I do have experience with several Tikkas and have nothing but good things to say about them. Good shooters and hunting rifles. The Savage 110's have a good reputation for sub-moa accuracy. I don't think you would gain much in a rifle like that by re-barreling with a Shilen or other custom barrel. If the TC venture fits you well, then go for it. Either caliber will suffice for what you intend to hunt. Well constructed hunting bullets and good shot placement matter more than caliber, esp two so close together.

I'm in Ga and hunt with both cartridges you're looking at I grab my M70 ftwt 243win loaded with 85gr TSX. Both are an excellent choice.

No need for more than a 243 for either. If one is gonna pack a long action 25, might as well be a 257WBY. I use the 25ROY on our really big Western Mule deer at long range but if limited to whitetails of smallish size 243 woould be the way to go. 25 anything is more than needed for coyote, by a lot. as above, 85gr TSX or 80gr TTSX will do it all form your 243 without having to ever change loads or re-sight/zero the rifle.

Get it in a nice bolt action rifle. + 1 on the Winchester Featherweight. Would be REALLY hard to top that combo.

thanks for the suggestions guys!!i am really hung up on what rifle i want, and really am considering spending the extra coin to get the ruger #1..if it came down to me goin on a antelope hunt reguardless of what the gun im looking tobuy is, ill have my 300 wm in the case on standbye if i come across shots i think i need more firepower for...the bullet combo i w as lookin at for a .243 is a 90 grain nosler bt..ive read lots of good about them on thinnner skinned game..does anyone have experience w/ a 243 in the ruger #1?..the other guns im considering that are a lil higher priced than im gonna tell the wife to be are the kimber montana or sako finnlight have also caught my attention...anyone have experience w/ any of those in 243? what bullets did they like,etc? thanks again fellas

25-06

Thats the 25-06 i am lookin at..mighthave to look at one in 243 tho since im heavily leanin towards that one

i suggest the 243. it will do all you ask.

Either will work fine. I'd get the .25-06 in the #1 and probably in the bolt as well.

Anyone have a kimber montana in 243? That would make a good walking gun weight only 5 lb 4 oz empty..i just dont know how they shoot

Get this and get it over with. Below wholesale and no shipping. Best of all you will never see another one like it because they did away with the Ruger#1B

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=219774187

navyman,

Check this one out with KMS, real nice guy to work with and this one might be right up your alley.

javman

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth.../1/FS_Custom_built_Savage_25_06_r#UNREAD

I would think that the .260 Rem would be just about the perfect rifle for what you are looking for. Good luck.

A Sav 99 lever in .250-3000 Sav would not be all that bad.

What Fotis said for deer and antelope...but get something else, a little smaller, say a .204 Ruger, for coyotes.
I have a Savage in .25-06, and love it!!! (I have 2 .17 Remingtons and a .223 I use for coyote.)

Fotis: never is a long freaking time. Anything can happen. Use 'wiggle words', like 'probably never' or 'may never'. Just sayin'...

Don't put a $50.00 saddle on a $5.00 horse.