Hey varmit hunters...which caliber would you prefer of the 2 and why?
I was thinking of getting a 25 06 Ruger #1 for deer, but kinda think it's a little big for yotes and such, which gives me an excuse to get a 223!! Problem is I have a 223 in a Ruger #3 and the barrel on it is a little shot for those long distance shots...
Heck, maybe I'll get a NEF in 243 and buy the extra barrels for $100 each and be done with it all, sure would be cheaper!

Dave

I like the 243 personally, its plenty for any deer and also a great little critter getter. Why not just rebarrel the 223 or is it a junker or you just want an excuse to get a NEW gun?

I'm not sure what you mean by the 223 barrel is a little shot? Did you mean to say short?
The 223 performs quite well at 20 inches and over, so barrel length doesn't seem to be a problem with this round. However, if you hunt songdogs where shots tend to be fairly long, say over 300 yards, you might be better off with the 25-06 or even a larger caliber.
I've had good results with a 223 and a 22-250 to most sane ranges and they are a lot more fun to shoot over a long day of varmint culling than the 25-06. With proper bullets in the 50 grain range, the little 223 performs just fine and is a kick in the butt and cheap to shoot all day for that all-important practice.

Go with the ,243 win! Kiks mildly, shoots flat and good bullet selection available!

Regards Ben
Iceland

I have a ruger 77 in 25/06 and a remington 700vls in 223. I take both out for yotes and ground hogs... It all depends on the actual area that I am in. There is nothing like a 10lb ground hog being hit with a 85gr bullet doing 3500fps. I like my 223 for presision shoots out to about 400yrds on ground hogs.

Ray