# .25-06 or .243



## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

So my wife is planning to do her hunter safety soon, in the hopes of going on a whitetail doe hunt with me in January (yes, it's out of state). And it got me thinking, which caliber would better suit her needs? Her 5'4" 110lb frame does not do well with recoil, so I thought a .25-06 or .243 might fit. In your opinion, which of the two calibers is a better choice, or is there another one that that you would suggest?


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## johnny (May 24, 2010)

I was going to buy a 243 but went with the 25-06 instead. I really like the caliber and it will do better with the heavier bullets than the 243. If you don't reload cost will be a factor, the 243 will be cheaper. I found the 25-06 easy to load for and have shot two antelope with it out to 300yrds without a problem. It will also be my go to deer rifle. I don't think you will have a problem with either for deer, but I would use at least 100gr bullets.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

.25-06 is the better killer hands down due to additional power. That said, out to 250yards or so, a .243 is a deadly weapon in the hands of a good shooter. My wife's killed plenty with her's over the years, Deer, Antelope... even a Caribou. She owns a .30-06 as well but doesnt like to shoot it as much and it only gets used for elk or in really wet conditions (it's stainless / composite).

Concider the .260 remington and 6.5x55 sweed... heck even 7mm-08 as alternative choices to the .25-06


-DallanC


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I'm pretty new to the 25-06, but it is one heck of a caliber. I killed a buck with mine last year with a 100 gr TTSX handload. Ammo will cost a bit more than the .243, but not enough to break the bank. I think either caliber would suit your wife fine, but the 25-06 will offer a little more oomph with the heavier bullets.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Love, love, love. 25-06. That way if she decides to hunt bigger game your covered. Not much difference in recoil between the two.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

My wife claims 5'3" and I say that is being generous. She shot a .308 this year for her first big game hunt and loved every minute of it. I had her shooting a box at a time while practicing and she could have kept shooting. Her gun is small and has a pretty nice recoil pad, which I think makes all the difference.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

I currently have a .308 and 25-06 and have had a .243. IMO the 25-06 is the hardest kicker of the three. For a doe hunt any are just fine. Pick the one with the best recoil pad and trigger (Remington SPS).


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Both are great calibers.

For her size, I think the shorter action and bolt throw of the .243 might be a better fit. The .243 will kill a whitetail slicker than snit…

Having said that, she can't go wrong with either one.

That hunt sounds fun. Enjoy.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

.308 with 43gr IMR 3031 under a 125gr sierra pro hunter = 2450 fps out of my 12 yr old daughters 20" barrel. Very accurate load and low recoil. My daughter is 5"4 and 116 lbs.


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## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

Thank you all for the replies. I'm liking the idea of .308 more and more; though I should say, it's not that she's too small for a little recoil, it's that she's a wimp... :lol:

Also, I do reload, so I can play around with a few different loads to find a good mix of recoil and power.



Bo0YaA said:


> .308 with 43gr IMR 3031 under a 125gr sierra pro hunter = 2450 fps out of my 12 yr old daughters 20" barrel. Very accurate load and low recoil. My daughter is 5"4 and 116 lbs.


What is the make and model of the gun your daughter shoots?


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

My wife started with a .243 and killed a few deer. 243 is a good cartridge for a beginner because the recoil is relatively tame. She has upgraded now to the grand daddy of all .25 cartridges --.257 Weatherby. Her perceived felt recoil of her Rem CDL 257 WBY is less than the recoil felt when shooting others REM SPS 25-06. If you're able to hand load or if ammo prices aren't a big factor, get a 257 WBY and never look back. It will probably end up being one of your favorites as well! Besides, who wouldn't want to hunt deer with a round going close to 4000 f/ps?


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Here is a link to my review of her little gun. Great gun for under $350.00

Oh and I gave ya the wrong load data on that load its 43gr of IMR-4895 not 3031, the rest is correct though.

43 gr of the IMR-3031 is her 150gr load and it shoots at 2588 fps 5 shot average.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=30098&p=318118&hilit=mossberg+atr#p318118


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

.25-06. More bullet weight options.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I'd probably pick the .243 for similar reasons as stated above--less recoil, cheaper ammo, easier to find rifles and ammo in that caliber, etc... However, if you're toying with other rounds, you could consider the .260 or 7mm-08. I'd pick the caliber and gun you are most interested so you can still shoot it if she decides she doesn't like it.


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## sharpshooter (Nov 17, 2010)

If you like the 308, look into the 7mm-08. Trust me you won't be dissapointed. If you know someone that has one go shoot it. The recoil is about the same as a 243 or 25-06.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Another vote for the 7mm08

110 grain to 140 has the same case as the 308 but shoots faster with less recoil. 

Go to cabellas and look at the savage lady hunter with the acutrigger. Im telling you it is one of the nicest handling guns out for a woman.


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## Watcher (Dec 31, 2008)

7mm-08 is really worth looking into.

I have a bud who had a mountain rifle in 7mm-08. I loved that gun and I would absolutely agree that this is a GREAT round. The 7mm bullet has some wonderful ballistics and this set up is a nice combination of speed, energy, and recoil (way better than the .243 IMHO) and all this packed into a short action (a stike against the .25-06 IMHO). 

It will probably be the next center-fire I buy.


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## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

I knew this would happen if I posted the question here. I was sure it was going to be the .25-06, then the .308 sounded just about perfect, then the 7mm08 pops into the equation... So I've been looking into the ballistics, recoil, etc of that caliber. The recoil is very similar to the .25-06 but not quite as flat, the bullet options of the 7mm08 are more fitting for her needs and recoil is slightly less than the .308... Just when I thought I had it all figured out. **** you UWN!!!!! :lol: 

Thanks for the input all, keep it coming!!! :O||:


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Take her to cabellas and look at the savage lady hunter like i said. It will shoot sub moa. It will fit a woman. Im telling you if you dont you will regret it.


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## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

swbuckmaster said:


> Take her to cabellas and look at the savage lady hunter like i said. It will shoot sub moa. It will fit a woman. Im telling you if you dont you will regret it.


That'll be the first gun we look at


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## jpolson (Jun 12, 2011)

I have often been referred to as a "Savage Lady Hunter".


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

I was in the same boat when I bought my daughters gun. What finally helped me with my decision was, I have a ton of .30 cal reloading stuff, the range of bullets is much larger than any of the other rounds mentioned. Finally, It can be loaded as light as any of the other mentioned calibers but can be loaded up enough for elk. Oh and if its good enough for military snipers, its good enough for us lol.


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## COWAN (Oct 7, 2012)

Bag them both and get a .270. It does have a little more recoil as the .243 but it will reach out and smack what your after. My wife shoots one and has done well with it. You can find bullets as easily as the .30-06. The .25-06 nice caliber as well, and after shooting all of them I liked the .270 best. Just my 2 cents.


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## wapiti67 (Oct 2, 2007)

6mm in a Remington 600


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## kk11 (Sep 17, 2007)

25-06 would be my pick. I have killed many elk and deer with mine. Its a get caliber.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

One more thought on the 25-06...I believe it needs a premium bullet. I have had my favorite Hornady 100 grain interlocks not exit on deer. I haven't lost a deer because of it but I think a less than perfect shot might result in too little penetration to get the job done on the spot.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I personally never saw a use for the 25-06 that isn't better met with a 270. Both are necked down versions of the 30-06 so if you are going there, then why drop to the 25 caliber? For that reason, using a 243, which is just a necked down 308 never made much sense to me either. Which is why I got rid of my 243. And of those three, I'd take in order of preference, 30-06, 308, and then 270. More variations and bullet types available. Ammo more readily available (thought not nearly the issue it used to be), and all superior loads for all big game species in Utah. But that's just me.


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## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

swbuckmaster said:


> Take her to cabellas and look at the savage lady hunter like i said. It will shoot sub moa. It will fit a woman. Im telling you if you dont you will regret it.


Took the woman to handle the Savage Lady Hunter, and then we went to look the gun at Cabela's... Sorry, couldn't resist 8)

Turns out it fit her really well. But researching that gun has sparked my interest in the 6.5 Creedmoor (one of the calibers it comes in). There's not a lot of info here on the forum about that caliber other than its relatively short 4000 round barrel life. I don't expect she will ever fire that many rounds in her lifetime (excluding .22LR) so barrel life won't be an issue. How is the performance on the 6.5 Creedmoor? How does the recoil compare to other common rounds mentioned in this thread? etc, etc, etc?


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## jpolson (Jun 12, 2011)

Hey!

Cool cartridge. Not the most common ammo to buy. I would guess that within 10 years it may not be available from the common ammo manufacturers, so you may be stuck reloading? It will buck a little harder than the 243. Due to the shape of the cartridge it will not feed as smoothly out of the magazine. Cool cartridge though.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

The good thing about the 7mmo8 is it can shoot the same weight .243 bullets your looking at but it can go up to 140 grain bullet for larger game. My 12 year old daughter can shoot it and she probably weighs 85 lbs. 

Now here is is something to get you thinking in another direction lol. If you get her the lady hunter in 3oo6 and put a muzzle break on it it will kick less then the .243

So many options:grin:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> The good thing about the 7mmo8 is it can shoot the same weight .243 bullets your looking at but it can go up to 140 grain bullet for larger game. My 12 year old daughter can shoot it and she probably weighs 85 lbs.
> 
> Now here is is something to get you thinking in another direction lol. If you get her the lady hunter in 3oo6 and put a muzzle break on it it will kick less then the .243
> 
> So many options:grin:


Mrs Goob has a 30-06 with a muzzle break. You're right, it doesn't kick at all. Little on the noisy side for an '06 though.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

6.5 Creedmore = 260 Remington - expensive brass. Ballistically speaking, any standard cartridge from the 243 through the 30-06 will kill anything you can shoot, with manageable recoil if the rifle stock properly fits the shooter. Use a bullet suited to the game being hunted and hit it in the right spot. It will die. If you want to include the WSSMs, the list grows even more.


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## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

I had a 25-06 a-bolt that I picked up thinking it would be good for the boy, i haved sported the exact gun in 30-06 since I was 16 and love it so I too thought I would find a smaller recoil version of my gun. I really couldn't tell the difference in the 30-06 and the 25-06 in the recoil in idetical guns. I was actually quite suprised because I had read how the 25 was a great gun for smaller people. I would go .243, and am currently looking for one now. Also, any thought of going lever action? I have a .35rem and 30-30 that are a lot of fun, kill stuff dead, and don't torture.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I had a .243 in the Savage Model 99 lever action. I never really cared for that rifle, which is why I got rid of it. It had a rotary magazine and just seemed to not be all that smooth, or as smooth as I wanted it to be. I was just never pleased with the balance, fit, or feel of it. I have nothing against the round - just didn't like that particular model of rifle. I've known other guys that adore the Savage 99 though. It is a personal preference thing. I don't know of other levers offered in .243.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Winchester had a Model 88 lever they made in the old days. I have one that was made in the early 70's.
I got it from my dad, has been a great gun. My girls all shot deer with it growing up and "argue" over who gets it
when I'm done. Have been offered a good bit of money for it a couple of times.


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## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

#$%^&*%*#(*%() GARY!! I had the 99 in .308 and it kicked like a mule, but I loved that lever action, and always wanted it in .243. They are hard to find, couldn't we have worked a deal?


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