Hands down, 7mm Rem Mag or a 264 Win Mag. or a 25-06 to 400 real world yards.

IMHO shooting deer at a real 5-600 yards is irresponsible...there, I said it!!

7 Rem Mag, 264 Win Mag, 6.5-06, lots of others or 6.5x55 or maybe even a 25-06 for a REAL 400 yard shot.

IMHO, trying to shoot deer at 5-600 real yards is irresponsible for most people regardless of what gun they use...there, I said it!!

Lowrider, A lot of us shoot groundhogs and prariedogs, and crows at 500-600 yards with rather high proficiencies! The targets are a lot smaller, the kill zones a lot smaller(I'd rather miss cleanly on a groundhog than wound one!!!) and with the range finders we use and the appropriate "range time" to develope the "click charts"(I prefer to call them "M.O.A." charts) shooting a deer at 5-600 yards is no big deal! And yes, I shoot my 300SAUM at groundhogs and have pretty darn good results with it at extended ranges! So a deer at that range is no problem!! And if it runs off and dies.......so be it!!! One less damn crop-eater for next year!! I WILL NOT ATTEMPT A SHOT THAT IS QUESTIONABLE TO ME OR MY RIFLE!!! Charlie (GHD)

The areas I hunt woodchuck in are becoming increasingly built up. The 25-06 can be a very loud caliber. Farmer Brown hear that loud bark near a pasture where he's got cattle he's apt to have a seizure. I really love my .25-06 but find it's just too much rifle for todays varmint conditions.
Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

GHD,

I used to be pretty familiar with an M24 and shot pretty well out to 800 yds on a good day. I get real excited with a 400 yds shot on a crow. You are clearly better than I am and I can respect your ability and you and your friends are the exception, but I still say that 95% of the hunters out there have no business shooting at deer at 5-600 yards....regardless of how good THEY think they are!!

Crop damage deer problems are another issue and if they get in my apples again we're adopting sanctions appropriate for the crime....but with a 25 yd shot or less with my bow....apple fed deer make great sausage and jerky and the backstrap is really sweet!! I believe the buzzards need to eat too.

BTW, I spent last week in the Harrisonburg/Staunton area in the hills and didn't see many g hogs in the fields...you guys must be good!! The County Fair in Rockingham had great cat fish sandwiches!!! I put almost a 1000 miles on my Harley in a week just looking around. It is a nice place to be once the temps dropped.

I'd personally recommend the .25-06 of the two choices.

I have been using a .257 Roberts for about 15 years for both varmints and deer and think quite highly of it.
I just recently got a .25-06 and as a deer rifle I think it's impressive. It burns more powder than I like for little pests, but the 75 gr Hornady HP's and 85 gr NBT's are a quick cure for a 'yote at distances that will make your eyebrows climb your face!
My Dad's been using a .243 the last few years for deer and with 105gr Nosler Partitions it has worked pretty well. With only one deer needing tracking for any real distance, and one other needing a second shot.He doesn't use it for varmints.

Incidently, when I was a young boy an Indian friend of my Dad's brought in a Bobcat he'd shot with his .270 Win and 150gr Nosler Partitions at a few yards. There was a small entry and exit hole in the head. I hit a coyote in the head with my .257 Roberts and 60 gr round noses at three steps and it looked like I had hacked the side of the skull open with a dull shovel. Nothing does everything perfect, but to me the Quarterbore is probably the most overlooked gem in the shooting/hunting world. Nate

The 25-06 is definitely a better varmint/deer round than the 243, and the real trick is to get one that has a 24 inch or greater bbl that is stable enough for varmints that you WANT to carry around for deer. My guess is that if you really want to meet both requirements with a smile on your face, you will need 2 stocks...one heavy and set up for a good rest or bi-pod and the other light for deer. switchning stocks is very simple and the optics stay in place if you have a good variable. Something like 8.5 lbs for deer and 11.5 for varmints might be the ticket.

Lowrider, Wish I'd known you were in Rockingham Co! We'd have met up for a coffee or a lunch or something! I travel up there quite a bit and it's only a couple hours north of me. There is some decent groundhog hunting in that area but it's not on the main roads around there! The further west and south you go(can't go much further west and still be in VA from Harrisonburg!!) the groundhogs seem to be a bit more plentiful. Let me know next time you're headed this way! Charlie (GHD)

GHD,

Thanks for the offer!! I may think about a trip back there this fall....it's either Western PA or Moosehead Lake, Maine so far. Hard to get to the same place in the same year. Highlands, NC is another possibility, so maybe we could hook up on the way....I'll let ya know if I head that way.

You already have the low end rifle with a 22-250 so don't fully understand why you want to overlap the middle gun except on consistent looooong range shots - then BC is important and the 155-120's start to gain.

I like the 25-06 all over the 243 for anything except a mandatory short action.. and if that is the question then a 257 roberts, a .260 or a 6.5-284 are better choices (IMHO)for all factory ammo/short action conditions.

Wilcats would be 257AI or 25-284..

quote:

Originally posted by drgondog:
I like the 25-06 all over the 243 for anything except a mandatory short action.. and if that is the question then a 257 roberts, a .260 or a 6.5-284 are better choices (IMHO)for all factory ammo/short action conditions.

For the best short action .25-06 then the new .25 WSSM is the best choice. A true short action .25-06. Lawdog

From a .243 nut,,,,,

Let's see, he says he has a 22-250 and a 300 Win. Mag. and wants something to fill in the gap. And he intends on shooting 5 to 600 yds. with it. The yardage is what throws a wrench in the whole thing for me. If I had only these two guns, I would feel armed for most anything at 5 to 600. The 22-250 would pretty much handle all varmints at that range if there was little wind. The 300 would handle most deer at that range with proper bullet placement. It could also fill in for varmint during windy days. Seems to me the only middle ground is the yardage. Maybe buy a 300 yd. gun to fill in the gap. In that case, any number of firearms from 6 to 7mm would fill the bill. Maybe a 7mm-08? Or for that matter,,,why not a .308. Then you would have some common reloading components on hand.

I'd go with the 25-06 and not look back. Besides being a great round, it's more verstile in that it will handle a broader range of bullet weights. To my mind the 243 is a small varmint/deer rifle; the 25-06 will handle all varmints and game up to large deer - I know it's successfully used on elk, but that't where I would employee your 300 WM.