In Need of New Caliber.

I'am thinking about getting a Handi-Rifle. It will be used for woodchucks,
coyote's and maybe WT deer.
My son will be old enough to hunt small game come spring, he already has
a savage 223 rem and I want to have an rifle to use. I already a 270 win.
that I use for WT. But want another rifle to mess with (can never have enough guns) Ha-Ha!! Don't tell the Wife :lol:
I have read through some of the old post's and can't decide on a .243 or
a 25/06. So I thought maybe some of you guy's could give me your opinion? :roll:

Thanks

jr1968

25/06 wins hands down every time.Rick.

Either one will work for the intended purpose, but i really like the 25-06.

jr1968":2c47x4x5 said:

I already a 270 win.
that I use for WT. But want another rifle to mess with (can never have enough guns) Ha-Ha!! Don't tell the Wife :lol:
jr1968

Click to expand...

You could always tell your wife you need a new rifle to match the new boots you get! :lol:

Either one would work for your son. If more deer hunting, I would lean towards the 25-06. If you reload, you can load it down to 257 Roberts level and have a mild recoiling rifle. Since he already has a 223 Rem, he is already covered for chucks and songdogs. The 25-06 (or 257 Roberts) would be a nice step up in power.

JD338

25-06 for sure BUT,,,,,,

you might want to look at the 7mm-08.

If you reload, I would go with a 7mm x 57. Flat shooting even at mid powder ranges. The variety of bullets is great too. Maybe a nice 140 gr Nosler Ballistic tip. Heck, I bet it won't be long before the E-tip is available in 7mm as well. Hint Hint for Nosler

Mike :lol:

I would opt for the 7mm-08 also. Dad picked one up the other year and I really like the cartridge and I also like the caliber. I have a .280 and really enjoy it.

Guy's the gun is for me, my son has a few years until he can hunt WT's.
I want to have a gun for me when we go shooting varmints,but I might also use it sometimes for WT's

For an eastern varmint/deer caliber I would go with the 243. There are great bullets ie Partition to use if you want for deer and then the ever popular 55 gn B.T bullets for coyotes, chucks etc.... Less powder and recoil than the 25-06. Like you said, you already have a 270 so why go with the 25?

Long

I personally like the 25 calibers now that I have a 257 Ackley Improved. The bullet choices are wider than for the 6mm ammo. And it is extremely accuarate. Sooo, the 25'06 or 257 Roberts. Keep in mind that the 25'06 will use quite a bit more powder than a Roberts. I developed loads for big game and varmints that are quite accuarate. I took the rifle to Alaska this fall and bagged a Caribou, 250 yards, in the neck right behind the head. Not to say I wouldn't own a 7mm-08. :grin:

25 06 It's hard to beat for coyotes or deer.

Both are great calibers, I prefer the .243 especially if its something for the youngster to use. I find even the loaded down 25-06’s in the smaller lighter guns like the handy rifle of youth sized guns tends to give a little more kick and muzzle jump that the young ones want and they start to flinch. The 243, is great next step up from a .223 The 55g BST is nasty on Varmits and the 95g BST has never let me down on WT. I move all my kids from a .223 about 11 or 12 to a .243 and keep them on it until they are 15 or 16.

Good luck on the handy rifle, I have only sold about 3 guns in my life and regretted every one except the Handy Rifle. I tried no telling how many different loads in that thing and could never get it to shoot. I may of just had a bad one, but when I called the factory and told them I was getting 4 inch groups at 100 yds. They told me that was acceptable for that gun, that anything under 5 was the spec.

I killed a pile of chucks with my 243 and several deer. The 243 worked great on whitetails. About 10 years ago I bought a 257 Roberts. I've taken a few deer with it and it does the job very nicely. I used my 243 from my teens until I was in my 40's. There are many good calibres out there and everyone has their favorites. IMHO either the 243 or 257 will work well for the young hunter and will serve him/her well for as long as they want to use it.

+1 with POP,

There is a large selection of bullets for the 7-08 and it has very mild recoil.....split the difference between that and the .243 and look at the .260 as well. That would be an awesome long range yote hammer!

I have both the .25-06 and the .243. The 100gr. .25 caliber BT is devistating on coyotes. When I say devistating I mean huge holes (in my experience). Although I'll shoot a coyote with anything, I'm really starting to like the .243 with 70gr BT's. Holy cow, this does the job. Usually just the base will pass through. Although I've seen many coyotes taken with the 70gr BT, (mostly out of the 6mm Rem) I've only shot two with my .243. One facing me at about 70 yards. Bullet hit him in the chest and the base exited near the back hip. The other at a lasered 101 yards. I tried for a head shot, as I pulled the trigger he moved his head, resulting in a gut shot. He got to the spins and I hit him again. The gut shot resulted in a pretty big hole, but I couldn't even find where the second shot hit him.

I'm reserving my .25-06 for Muleys and pigs I think. She's killed her share of coyotes. Time to give the other rifles a chance to catch up.

Mike Fontaine had responded: "If you reload, I would go with a 7mm x 57."

I agree with Mike. You are talking high powered rifles that all handle light bullets. Why not get into a 7mm that easily handles 175gr. bullets, that makes it more versatile and can still provide varmint accuracy.
The 7x57mm is the first in a long line of modern, high powered cartridges and was passed over for along time in the USA, simply because cartridges having mm designations were not understood, and because we had so many inexpensive rifles available in 30-06.
The 7mm bullet has proven itself as one of the flattest shooting of all bullets and it hits hard enough to cleanly quickly take the largest elk. Heck, it was used successfully on elephant in Africa, for years!
The 7x57mm is an underrated classic. You will likely be the only one in camp carrying a rifle in that old caliber. The 7x57mm edges out the 7mm-08 on being versatile.
Dare to be different.

Different indeed. 7x57 for coyotes...not that I wouldn't do it. I love coyote hunting and I'd shoot them with a sling shot if I had too. I have very little experience in any 7mm cartridge, aside from watching my buddy shoot his 7mm-08. I've always been interested in the 7x57 as an "all around" cartridge. I think that would be on my Top 10 "best universal cartridge list". Again, having no experience with it, just the numbers look good to me.

The 7X57mm is a true classic and I love my old Mauser in that caliber. IMHO I find that the 280 Remington, if you are set on a 7mm platform is a much better round. You have the same bullet options 120g to 175g. The 280 with a 140gBT safely get speeds of 3200fps vs 2900 with the 7 X 57mm not to mention, brass and or loaded ammo is much cheaper and easer to find. Last time I needed 7 X 57mm brass I had to get some that had been converted for some old 06 stuff I believe. I have shot Yotes with everything from .22LR to 300 Win Mag, but must say when I am headed out just hunting Yotes it’s the .243 that is my personal choice.

However the more I read on the Ackley Improved stuff, I am not sure my next gun will not be one of the AI calibers.

I have to agree with Txhtr, the .280Rem is the 7x57mm on steroids, but then if it is velocity that you want, why not go to the 7mmRemMag.
The bottom line being that we have so many various cartridges available to us, that a man can pick what he wants and get that caliber in the rifle that he wants. All it takes is research, knowledge and money.
The actual value of each caliber, and how unique and efficient that round is, over many other, is usually conjured up in the mind of the man who shoot it.
Oh, yes, wasn't the original question regarding a small statured person? A child? In that case, the more velocity we seek, the more recoil we will experience. Perhaps one could lighten up a rifle chambered for 280Rem and put a very effective muzzle brake in place, but again, it all depends on what you want and how much money you want to spend.
For new 7x57 brass, I have had no problems ordering the stuff from a distributor of reloading supplies.

Glad to see all the folks touting the 25-06 as I have a particular fondness for the 25; although my .25, (and my only rifle) is a 250 savage. That is the perfect calibre for what you are talking about if your deer usually come under 200 yards. :grin: However, as much as I like it unless you reload and like to, the 250 probably aint for you. Although Dakota made a beautiful "youth" model in that cal. Seriously, I like the 25-06 and have used one for deer, wonderful rifle it was. I have a friend who used to use a 243 for deer but decided it didnt pack enough punch for deer way out there on the plains. He switched to a 300WSM w/ a limbsaver pad, Mercury recoil supressor, and a muzzle brake. He hates the recoil too. Having said all that, you dont have to burn all the powder of the '06 to stop a prairie poodle or a song dog. I'd look at some 243's but give a real serious look to the 7mm-08. I am considering that as my next rifle. Rumored to have low recoil, decent balistics and a a better sectional area than either of the aforementioned. Dont know what the bullet options look like in factory loads though. I fondled a nice browning in that cal. the other day. Almost made me think about being unfaithful to my 250 Sav.... almost. You have an envyable problem. Enjoy the search CL

ps There are some 6.5 and .260 cal options out there but I have no experience whatsoever w/ them they might fit your bill.