a HA! Now we're getting somewhere!

Knockdown power, you ask? Here are a couple of treatises onthat subject: http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_killing_power.htm, and http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_killing_power_list.htm.

Recoil difference? Take a look at this table: http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

.25 - 06? Naturally, he's got a full breakdown of the history, capabilities, and recommended usages for it. However, this is on the paid portion of his site, & propriety forbids me to throw it out to the non-paying public without his consent. Basically, the .25-06 is a .30-06 case necked-down to hold .25 caliber bullets. The .270 is also a .30-06 case, necked down to hold, you guessed it, .27 caliber bullets.Both of these calibers will take the deer, hogs, & antelope that you mention, and the .25-06 will do it with less recoil, & slightly less muzzle blast. Cartrigdges based on the .30-06 are so-called "long action" cartridges, so the bolt throw (should you choose a bolt action rifle), will be longer than with a "short action" cartridge.

So, you ask, "what's a short action" cartridge? Well, it's any of the cartridges based on the .308 Winchester, including the .243 Win, .260 Rem, and 7mm-08 Rem. The cartridge is shorter, so it burns slightly less powder than the long action cartridges. You'll get slightly less velocity in most (but not necessarily all...) cases, along with less muzzle blast (again, generally speaking), and less recoil.

The recoil page posted earlier gives you one way to evaluate these cartridges. Another way to choose would be based on ammo availability & cost, which generally go hand-in-hand. I would say availability in most places would be as follows (in decreasing order): .30-06, .270, .243, .25-06, 7mm-08, .260. Of course, it matters most what they carry where YOU live, so go toyour favoritestore, & see what's on the shelf.

If I were to inject my personal opinion here, I'd say pass on the .243, and look at the .25-06, 7mm-08, and .270. Throw a dart among those 3, and you'll have a great cartridge! I've had less than stellar results on deer with the .243, but I'll admit that my shot placement was seldom great when I was shooting that gun. And there are, without a doubt, many, many folks on here who've had outstanding success with that cartridge. Again, this just my personal opinion. (I had to insert it somewhere in here!)

The quandary in which you now find yourself is trying to pick one of these cartridges, for any of them are well suited to what you've said you're trying to hunt. When you come to this site asking for opinions, you're going to get the die-hard fans of each & every cartridge, swearing that theirs is far & away the best, & that you'd be a fool to choose anything else. The best thing to do would be to make friends with your fellow sportsmen at the range you've joined, & ask if you can shoot their rifles in those calibers. Then you can let the cartridge choose you!

Keep us updated,

FC