Hmmmm, I think I may have replied to this type of question before. I'll say the same thing: What are you planning to do with this rifle? I myself have a .243 and a .22-250. The .22-250 I use exclusively for varmints. If you are going to hunt deer with a rifle, I'd have to say: Go with the .243! I've used my .243 for several deer and I downed a couple of antelope with 'er too. I feel that, in certain situations, the .243 is fine for coyotes. Here in MN, we don't really have super long range shooting. The max distance I've dropped a coyote at is probably... ummm, around 300 yards I think. Beyond that, in MN, there's bound to be a woods or a cow pasture or something that shouldn't be shot. If all you're gonna be hunting is stuff like prairie dogs and the like, a .223 should work great. I've hunted prairie dogs myself and I think it's one of the most entertaining things I've ever done! But we never used just one gun. Nope, we went with our entire arsenal! We shot them with everything from a .22 to a .300 Win Mag. Trying to pop prairie dogs at long range with a .22 sure is fun!