Best mid-range Round??

[TheShootist1894]

What is the best 'under thirty' caliber for hunting, mostly varmint hunting, would like it to be able to take whitetails as well.
Reason;
I have 22's and 17's for small hunting/target
I also have a 2 12 gauges capable of bird/target/slug shooting
And a 300 Win Mag for big critters

I want something in between for mid to long range varminting/predator hunting and close to mid range whitetail hunting in woods( this plays second fiddle to the other reasons )

[fisherman66]

Do you want long action or short? What barrel lengths do you prefer? Bolt action, or other?

I voted for 243 since it's mainly a varmint rifle. It's a short action and efficient. I wouldn't use anything smaller for deer.

[TheShootist1894]

Long/short action no big difference to me, any action, always been a fan of lever guns but that really limits my options, bolts = precision right?
give me any suggestions, good, bad, or stupid.

[fisherman66]

I think you'd have to look hard to find "bad" in anything above 243 for your purposes. I wouldn't go any smaller if deer are a potential quary.

I'd like to throw the Swede in for good measure. 6.5x55 The main problem with the Swede is it's non-standard length puts it in a long action bolt. It makes best use of space in a single shot. Essentially the same story for the 7x57. Both are very efficient.

bolts = precision right?

Sound like something a dedicated bolt guy would say. Your skill will limit you more than the gun's ability in most cases.

[mikejonestkd]

of the ones you listed I would choose the .243 although the .260 rem, .257 roberts and the 6.5 swede are great options too...the .243 is just more popular than the others.

mild mannered and efficient, and they work well!!!

[rantingredneck]

I picked .243, but like others I would see the .25-06, 257 Roberts and some others filling the bill nicely. Mostly I chose .243 due to it's popularity and ammo availability edge over some others.

I know a couple of people who like the .243 WSSM, but I don't personally care for it much. Ammo is expensive, recoil and report are harsher than the standard .243 and there's information out there on early barrel wear (not sure how true that is but it's out there). Given all of that the performance is not that much better than standard .243 Win.

[marksman13]

I voted for the .243 because of bullet selection, but a 7mm-08 is a nice step up. Might want to look into it.

[Crosshair]

I gota put in another vote for the 6.5x55. Big enough for elk if you know what you are doing, yet not overkill for smaller game with the right bullets.

[john in jax]

I voted for the .270, I just think it is much more verstile than the .243 for hunting a wide range of critters. Nothing at wrong with a .243, it is a very capable round, but the .270 will do everything the .243 will do and then some.

[fisherman66]

He's already got a 300 winmag for the "and then some". This is mostly for varminting.

[taylorce1]

I'd go with the .243 for mostly varmiting that will work on whitetails. Just be sure to change up the bullets for something heavier when hunting deer. Second choice .257 Bob, very efficent round that is a proven deer killer and with the proper loads would be useable for varmints. Third choice .270 Win probably one of the best deer calibers for Western hunting, but can use bullets down to 90 grains for varmints.

Most States a .22 cal centerfire isn't legal for deer that is why my choice starts out with the .243. None of the rifles I suggested are good rifles for colony varmint shooting. They will just wear you down if you try to do some large volume shooting in one day, but all will work extremly well for preadator control.

[TheShootist1894]

Thanks for the replies, and yes the 270 is getting a mite close to the 300, but it has always intruiged me, I guess its the stories I've heard about game taken with it, of course shot placement is 75% of the hunt, at least.

The 243 also sparks my intrest considering how many deer and coyotes fall to it every year in Ohio and Pennsylvania, but ammo costs are spiking in the 223 and 243 markets. . .

The 25-06 is quite attractive, maybe it's that -06. . . . . is it flat shootig enough for varminting?

No colonies of varmints in Ohio

[fisherman66]

Yes, the 25-06 is plenty flat.

Ammo is getting more expensive in all calibers.

[TheShootist1894]

I did some quick ballistics research at federalpremium.com and the 25-06 is flatter shooting than everything on the list except the 22-250 and 223, by at least an inch, WOW

[fisherman66]

Yes, but there are caviats. You need a longer barrel (at least 24") to gain all that extra speed. You burn more powder and have more muzzle blast.

If you can make good use of that extra inch you are better at judging distances and shooting in general than I am, but that ain't saying much.

I like the efficiency of the 243, but the 25-06 is one heck of a round.

[ZeSpectre]

Lots of experience using a light .243 load for woodchucks so I voted .243.

[Jseime]

I voted .243. Forget all the short magnums I'm still hoping they languish and die off. The .243 has a great selection of bullets for a variety of pusposes and is a great deer round.

If not .243 then .270 is another good one. I use mine for coyotes until I can buy a .243. It is great for deer and yotes.

[Scorch]

243 Win or 6mm Remington are about ideal for mid-range calibers. Low recoil and blast, so you can shoot varmints without sending them to their holes with the muzzleblast, and still capable of taking large game.

[Art Eatman]

Another vote for the .243. I've killed some 20+ whitetails with Mr. Sierra's 85-grain HPBT--and it's loaded by Federal as well as by me. Fed does good; I get as good a group with theirs as with mine, at around 3/4 MOA.

I killed some 25 or 30 prairie dogs, last Tuesday, with the little 55-grain ballistic tips. Those do horrible things to prairie dogs.

Art

[glockman19]

I don't have a .243 chambered rifle but based on the question it would be the best round of those offered.

My AR & mini-14 are chambered in .223

[FirstFreedom]

For that description, .243 win first place.

.257 roberts or 6mm rem running tied for a close second place.

[skeeter1]

The .243 should suit you perfectly. If you find a nice rifle in 6mm Remington, don't overlook that one as well. They're virtually balistic twins.

[rantingredneck]

Indeed by most measures the 6mm is ballistically superior (but barely) to the .243, but the .243 won the popularity contest between the two and the 6mm is becoming (if it isn't already) a reloader's round.

[SavageSniper]

Put me on the 243 bandwagon. Anything from deer on down will not know the differance anyway. Sweet round

[cdrt]

Killed lots of big mule deer with the .243. It should work for you just fine.