Wouldn' t the 25-06 be a better choice than the .243 in most deer hunting situations?
One of my best friends had a 25-06 years ago and it is definately a great whitetail killer. Shoots flat and packs more wallop than a 243..BUT I would say it kicks significantly harder than a 243. Not a concern for the average Joe but if you are looking for a kid or ladies gun it bears mentioning.