.25-06 vs the .243

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gmarr

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The rifle will be bolt action with a 24" bbl. My question is caliber overall effectiveness and versatility. Most shots will hopefully be under 200 yds. at deer and hogs. Any help or experience will be appreciated.
 
I've owned both and shot each one extensively. For deer and hogs I'd opt for the 25-05 simply because of the heavier bullets available. For varmit hunting the 243 wins due to less felt recoil, muzzle blast, and cost to shoot (minor difference, but a difference). If I were getting a rifle for deer and hogs, I wouldn't even choose the 25-06. There are several calibers that offer flat shooting rounds with heavier bullets. The 25-06 is plenty for deer but for a really big hog at closer distances, I'd want something to put them down where they stand. I'd be looking for bigger and heavier bullets. Just my two cents....
 
No real difference between the two as far as use on game, both will handle deer sized game with ease. The .243 if it has around a 9" twist it'll be more versatile as an all around target and hunting rifle. In the end the .243 has the better selection of bullets to choose from but the .25 caliber has plenty that'll get most jobs done.
 
I've never thought the 25-06 would do anything a 243 wouldn't do, even on bigger game. There are no truly good options in 25 caliber bullets, lots of much better options in 243. While heavier bullets are available in 25 caliber, it is not the bullet weight or even muzzle velocity that matters. It is bullet construction that kills stuff and aerodynamics that determine trajectory and velocity downrange. The better 243 bullets win on both counts. There isn't enough difference in diameter to be a factor.

The 243 shoots 105 gr bullets with a BC of about .517 at about the same speed as a 25-06 will shoot 120's with a BC of only .391. That isn't a significant weight difference. At the muzzle the 25-06 has a slight advantage. I haven't run the numbers, but at some point the 243 will be faster, and hit harder. Just an educated guess, but I'd say at around 200-250 yards.
 
The 243 shoots 105 gr bullets with a BC of about .517 at about the same speed as a 25-06 will shoot 120's with a BC of only .391.
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What are you talking about? That .391 seems awfully low. What are we comparing.......a pointed boat-tail to a round nose?

What specific 243 bullet and what specific 25-06 bullet are you talking about?

That could make a huge difference. I suspect this is not an apples/apples comparison. Bullet shape can make a huge difference.

The 25-06 has greater capacity and can shoot heavier bullets. With bullets of the same shape a heavier 25-06 bullet will be a better killer and do it at longer range.

The 25-06 is indeed a more potent round.
 
The more common hunting weight bullets in the .243 are probably going to be somewhat better than standard hunting style bullets in the .25-06, (BC wise anyway). I have owned and used both and liked them both. Currently I have 2 .243's and no .25-06's left. If staying under 200 yards for sure, the softer shooting .243 with GOOD bullets designed for the task, seems easier to keep on target, with less fuss boom and kick. In reality either will handle the task.
 
The rifle will be bolt action with a 24" bbl. My question is caliber overall effectiveness and versatility. Most shots will hopefully be under 200 yds. at deer and hogs. Any help or experience will be appreciated.
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Hogs and deer both can vary a lot in weight.

How much will the largest ones you shoot weigh?

Do you handload?

That's the info we need to answer your question.
 
While Berger bullets does advertise the BC for their 105 grain .243 bullet to be better than their 115 grain .25 bullet, that is not the standard.

Nosler Partitions show some improvement:

.243 95 Grain = .365, 100 grain = .384 vs .25 115 grain = .389 and the 120 = .391.

For Barnes TTSX their .243 80 grain pill = .331 while the .25 100 grain = .357.

If I had to choose between the two I'd probably go with the .243, only because of the greater bullet selection. That can also be said for factory ammo choices.
 
Within the 200 yds stated, either will cleanly take hogs or deer (any rifle that will cleanly kill a deer will kill a hog). The 25-06 has more muzzle blast and recoil, uses more powder, and you gain little or nothing for the increase in recoil or blast. The 243 has a lot of choices in bullet weights if you shoot factory stuff, and lots of choices if you don't. My vote would go to the 243, but in the end, it's your rifle.
 
http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/product/fusion-25-06-remington-120-grain-fusion-bt-rifle-ammo-20

There's a link to a commonly available 120 grain 25-06 that is a significantly more powerful cartridge than any .243 you can put together.

The ballistic coefficient is .461 ..... far higher than the prior posts claimed.

Yes, the 25-06 is a better killer, no doubt, but I'm still not sure it's the best for your application.

It really comes into its own at ranges greater than 200 yards and that seems to be your maximum.

If I were you I'd go to a larger caliber with even more bullet weight for your shorter range hogs and deer. A .308 Winchester would work well.
 
The way the original post is worded there are only 2 answers to choose from. Both will work for what you intend, but obviously the .25-06 is a more powerful round.

I agree with "The Verminator" though, a .308 or .30-06 would be a better choice, although neither is as "modern" as the 2 speedsters you are looking at.

JIMHO...

...bug
 
Not a Hog Hunting Specialist by any means but every one I've ever shot with a deer caliber has been DRT...I just don't see the angst here. How is one caliber a "Better Killer" over the other?
 
There's no such thing as "killing better." Dead is dead.

More powerful calibers do more damage, cause more bleeding and destruction and will cause that death to come more quickly.

The weaker of two rounds will simply cause less destruction. If the hit is in the heart (for example) it makes no difference, but if the weakness of the weaker round means it DOES NOT PENETRATE TO THE HEART......that DOES make a difference.

Yes, more powerful rounds do MORE damage. It makes a difference on marginal hits or where greater penetration was needed or where heavy bone was hit and the weaker round blew up on bone and failed to penetrate.
 
There's no such thing as "killing better." Dead is dead.

More powerful calibers do more damage, cause more bleeding and destruction and will cause that death to come more quickly.

The weaker of two rounds will simply cause less destruction. If the hit is in the heart (for example) it makes no difference, but if the weakness of the weaker round means it DOES NOT PENETRATE TO THE HEART......that DOES make a difference.

Yes, more powerful rounds do MORE damage. It makes a difference on marginal hits or where greater penetration was needed or where heavy bone was hit and the weaker round blew up on bone and failed to penetrate.
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I only used that term because you did. I know how bullets work on game but thanks...I just see no "Practical" difference in most deer caliber rifles as long as we're not talking about lightly constructed varmint type bullets. If you (or anyone else here) have experience with both calibers on hogs, I'd love to hear about the differences in results though.
 
I've owned both and I wouldn't use anything but a 25-06 for deer or pig or audad for that matter. Absolute fantastic gun and shoots really well there are a bunch of ammo options for heavy game or just varmint shooting.
 
I've killed hogs with big guns and 22s if your worried about not being able to line up a good shot or are not that great of a marksman than a bigger bullet will be better but if you have time on target and shot placement than what is there to worry about
 
There's a link to a commonly available 120 grain 25-06 that is a significantly more powerful cartridge than any .243 you can put together.
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It also has more recoil, more muzzle flash, more noise, and more expense, with no gain in practical end results

I'd get the 243
 
A lot of progress has been made in bullet technology, the way they expand & at what velocities. Even though there is not a lot of difference in diameter between .243, .256 & .308 I've seen much better blood trails from .30 cal rounds than .243, which is a big factor on recovering a hog. Yes, just about anything with careful placement will make a DRT, but if hunters want to shoot body shots on hogs use what creates the best blood trail.

JIMHO...

...bug
 
I've only used .270 Win and .30-30, both worked fine. I'd probably go with which ever one I would be more likely to practice a lot with. And didn't the OP say 200 yds max?
 
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