51 replies to this topic

[filterbiz]

what should i buy? curently have a rem 870 express dead coyote choke, just want a rifle with a scope.223.27070030.06i want to be able to use it for whatever i hunt.Thanks everyone i just dont want to buy something to big or smalloh yeah, keep the price down as well 3-500 bucks

[ShooterJohn]

.243

[Braz]

Yep, .243 will do you well on coyotes and also on deer or most other animals you will be hunting in California.

[Bennie]

I agree with the .243 as a real nice rifle for doing it all in CA.

[D-Man]

.243 or 7mm-08Darren

[Thumper Dunker]

243

[DirtyDave]

Big5 has the Savage Edge with a Scope in .243 for $349I was going to buy it, but bought a Mosin and sporterized it instead. Maybe next year

[.22guy]

Another vote for .243. I have a Tikka T3 lite, that is a little higher than your price range but you ought to take a look. If not that, then look into Savage rifles.

[Bisley]

.243 or .25-06. If you plan on using heavier bullets in the .243 anyways (75gr or 87gr) you may want to consider the 25-06. I had a real hard time choosing between the two. It came down to this, if you plan to hunt mostly larger game with the occasional small game and predator get the 25-06. Otherwise, the .243 is an excellent choice.

[ehd]

243 or 250 savage

[yote9999]

243

[filterbiz]

dam i think .243 is the way to go, guess i better get to big 5thanks everyone, it really helps to have a site like this!Chris

[DirtyDave]

Like bisley pretty much said, What will you be using the gun for? Mostly Predators/varmints with an occasional Deer= .243Mostly Deer/pigs and occasional predator/varmint= 25-06 or bigger

[4RHUNTS]

.243 or 7mm-08Darren

I agree with D-Man on this one. 243 for predators and deer. 7mm-08 for anything larger and it will still handle predators with lighter bullets. And they are both short actions cartridges.

[CA Desert Dog]

If I was to buy only one....243

[Bisley]

You do have one other option here. While I absolutely love my .243, I have to admit that it is one inefficient and expensive round to shoot compared to something like a .223. When you look at rifle prices these days ($250-$400 for a brand new rifle) the money you save over time on a .223 would more than offset the price of a larger rifle for larger game if so desired later. Not only is factory ammo much cheaper, but even reloading. You would save about $5 per box on bullets and 10grs of powder or more per round, all while not being undergunned for predator. That adds up real quick! Then you can take the money you've then saved in the first year alone and buy yourself a Savage (I actually like the Stevens line for value) or something in a big game caliber of your choice. Hind sight being 20/20, this is probably what I should have done, especially since I have already have larger caliber rifles. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE my .243 and am sure you will too, but the reality of it is: a .223 is much much more efficient and will more than afford you the option of owning 2 rifles for 2 entirely different tasks which is just flat out a good idea. There is nothing a man with say a .223 and an -06 would be over or under gunned for.Moral of the story? While the 1 gun theory is great, it is not necessarily the most practical. Start by getting yourself an efficient proven predator killer (.223) and used saved $ for an efficient proven bigger game caliber. You will be much happier, and in the end, much better armed. Trust me, I've been there.

[tawnoper]

Another often overlooked round would be the .257 Roberts.

[Fjold]

what should i buy? curently have a rem 870 express dead coyote choke, just want a rifle with a scopei want to be able to use it for whatever i hunt.

One rifle, one planet, Holland's 375

[Bisley]

One rifle, one planet, Holland's 375

Sure, that'll work for ground squirrels and maybe coyotes, but what about REALLY BIG game like deer?

[clampdaddy]

I'm with Bisley on this one. .243 or a 25-06 but I'd lean more twards the .25-06

[Bigfoot]

I just got a .243 I'm pretty happy with. Opted to take it on my pig hunt last weekend over my 30-06 because of the better scope I have on it, and had some great results.

[Frank]

I'm with Bisley on this one... on all of it !!While the one gun concept is argueably a great one, it really may not necessarily be the best, most practical or affordable way to go... in the long run. And along with that, to me, one gains much more pleasure & satisfaction out of their weapon & sport, with a firearm that is specifically designed for the task at hand. Much More!The 223 is an awesome round IMO... An over achiever if you will. A powerhouse in a small package. While my 22-250 is probably my favorite (& most used) predator caliber, friends & I have gone back to using our 223's more lately. And we have been nothing short of amazed at the damage they have done on some of our coyotes (that we obviously forgot the 223 could do).Good LuckFrank

[pete]

A .50BMG is always good for ground squirrels but cant have em in California.Go with a .557 T-Rex. You'll be ready for everything from backyard mice to the odd elephant you call in on the coyote hunt. T-Rex

[Lang]

A .50BMG is always good for ground squirrels but cant have em in California.Go with a .557 T-Rex. You'll be ready for everything from backyard mice to the odd elephant you call in on the coyote hunt. T-Rex

OMG!

[CoyoteHuntress]

I vote 25.06

[Braz]

The huge advantage of the .243 over the 25-06 is if you go hunting somewhere and forget your ammo, you will always be able to find .243 ammo, but that isn't always true for the 25-06. Could be the difference between a great hunting trip and a trip home.

[Bisley]

Since I debated on a .243 or a .25-06, I always check ammo availability (even though I reload) and if I find one, I always find the other. I didn't realize it was that popular either, which is partly what influenced me to the .243. I was wrong. I don't mind being wrong, just didn't want to admit to that particular uncle he was right about the popularity of it. Hind sight is always 20/20.

[Divernhunter]

Tikka or Savage in 7mm-08 or 25-06. Both are better all around rifle chambering than a 243. I have them all before you start flaming and have seen too many lost/wounded game animals with a 243 thank you. Put a good Leupold scope on it and you are good for life or until you get the desire for another rifle. Also you can find ammo for the 7mm-08 or the 25-06 most places. Also do not be so stupid as to forget your ammo......or tags......or rifle when going on a hunt.Just straight talk.

[Bisley]

While the one gun concept is arguably a great one, it really may not necessarily be the best, most practical or affordable way to go... in the long run. And along with that, to me, one gains much more pleasure & satisfaction out of their weapon & sport, with a firearm that is specifically designed for the task at hand. Much More!The 223 is an awesome round IMO... An over achiever if you will. A powerhouse in a small package. While my 22-250 is probably my favorite (& most used) predator caliber, friends & I have gone back to using our 223's more lately. And we have been nothing short of amazed at the damage they have done on some of our coyotes (that we obviously forgot the 223 could do).

Not one wrong word in that whole statement. You may buy a .243 or even .25-06 now, but I promise you, you will end up with a .22 centerfire and a .30 cal centerfire in the near future also. Ask me how I know. My .243 is my baby, but she stays home A LOT because she's so damn expensive to shoot. That also makes it hard to be a reliable large game rifle since it will do the job, but you better have lots of practice with a small-for-the-game caliber. I can shoot my -06 and 150 grainers with damn near the same powder amount as many bullet weights in the .243. Kind of makes it a no-brainer which one to use on piggies. I think Frank makes an excellent point about the .223 being the little engine that could. Great for the novice and experienced alike. I wouldn't jump right into the 22-250 (even though I have always wanted one, but my eyes and shooting ability would not do the ballistics of that fine round justice). The .223 will shoot farther than most folks (especially me) should shoot. I have always felt the 22-250 should be shot by those who reload and really appreciate the round and it's ballistics. Just my opinion.You absolutely will not regret picking up a bargain priced .223 now, having a ball with it, and then picking up a bargain priced .308 or .30-06 later when needed. I can not think of a more efficient, effective, perfect round than the .223 for ground squirrels to coyotes. The same can be said for the .308 or .30-06 on anything you want to hunt bigger than coyote. There's an old saying: Beware of the man with 1 gun, he probably knows how to use it. It should be: Praise the Lord we live in a country where we have the option of buying 2 reasonably priced rifles to fill our hunting needs WAY more effectively than just having 1 gun to try and do it all.

[Single Six]

Take it from another new guy. .223 (Cheap ammo for lots of practice) and .30-06 can be loaded about any way you want...and both are affordable.