IMO, for varmints, the .243 is the better of the two. A handloader can use bullets in the 55- to 85-grain range. I use the 85-grain Sierra HPBT on smaller deer as well as coyotes; most folks prefer 100-grain bullets.
I dunno. To me, Any .25 will work on varmints, but they're overall a bit more than is really needed. For deer, the 120-grain bullets might make some folks feel more secure about deeper penetration.
If you go with a .243, I've found that the Federal loads with the Sierra 85-grain bullet give the same 3-shot 1/2-MOA groups that my handloads do.
Art
|