driftrider

If I were you I wouldn't even go as hot as the .25-06 if you want it to be a good varmint rifle as well. Sure, the .25-06 is fine as a varmint rifle in terms of being able to splatter a groundhog or prairie dog all over the place, but the problem lies in if you plan on using it for any high volume varminting (prairie dogging and such). The .25-06 burns a LOT of powder for a varmint cartridge, which equals expense and barrel heat.

I think you'd be served well by a .243Win, 6mm Rem, or even a .257 Roberts or 6.5x55 Swede on the top end. If you want just a deer rifle for moderate ranges (inside 250 yards or so) the above would be good including the .25-06. A 7mm-08 or even another .308Win would also serve you very well and be more than enough for Texas whitetails. The .308Win would also serve admirably for bigger game like elk and even moose with the right bullets at reasonable ranges. As far as 1 MOA at 500 yards...it's a nice goal for a varmint rifle, but is it really necessary for a deer rifle. A mature deer has a kill zone of roughly 8" or more, and the average shot is realistically going to be no more than 300 yards anyway. You'll be hard pressed, IMO, to find a sporter weight rifle that meets that requirement without spending a truckload of cash on the gun.

Good luck,

Mike

802

I do apreceate everyones replyes. It is going to be at least a month befor I get the Enocor, so this time is being spint trying to reserch what cartrige to go with.

The reason i asked about the 7mm-08 was that I read that it can be used as a verry good varmint cartrige, as well as larger game, and everything in between. "DEPINDING ON BULET SELECTION''

Agine the game that I plan on going after will very from prary dogs, cyotes, dear, and bore. Bore being the bigest that I can think of in Texas that I would atimped to take.

For theas perposes is the 7mm-08 a good choes, or am I selling other cartriges short?

Also remimber that I do alredy have a rifel in 308 that I could use If I had to as well as a 223.

Thanks agine for your input!

trailer

One cartridge that hasn’t been mentioned is the 260 Rem. and would work just fine for the game you mentioned with good quality bullets.

Nomercy

FIRST OFF: a little lesson about hunting rifles vs. target rifles--->1MOA at 500yrds doesn't really depend on the cartridge, it mostly depends on the shooter, followed by the rifle. Expecting 1MOA accuracy from a hunting rifle at 100yrds is usually a stretch, maybe not a big one, but typically 1.5MOA is what you'd be glad to get...at 500yrds, 2MOA is very good for a hunting rifle. The Encore is incredibly accurate for what it is, however, it's not likely that you'll get 1MOA at 500yrds with ANY round out of it, you might, but it's not likely.

Your post seems as if you're as new to hunting as you are to hunting rifles, so I'll give this advice: making 1000yrd shots on paper is one thing, that's with target rifles and match ammo at a known range on an inanimate target, known wind, and typically great shooting position (if not from a bench)....Hunting couldn't be any different than that if you tried to make it so. 500yrd shots on game are just unnecessary, maybe you can make them ethically, but there's no sport in it, getting close to game is what's sporting.

Having a target rifle in a cartridge doesn't mean you have a hunting rifle in that cartridge, if you already reload for .308, I'd suggest you get a .308. If you really want to buy a different cartridge, I'd buy a .30-06 or .270, great hunting rounds and incredibly versatile. The .25-06 is also the same case as the .30-06 and .270, but its light weight kind of limits its uses, for TX it'd be great, but if you get a chance on huge hogs or travel to find bear, it's kind of light.

The 7mm-08 is a great round, which would be a good use of your mis-weighted .308 brass, it's probably a little lighter recoiling than the .25-06, never shot them close enough together to really decide, but they're both pop guns.

The .243win is also a very versatile cartridge, easily handles deer sized game, however it's not too over powered to be used on jack rabbits or coyotes (probably the perfect coyote rifle).

bmullin57

802 Try not to get caught up in the ultra accuracy thing. moa at 100 yards is nice but not even nessary for hunting. If you are tring to get better than moa at more than 100 yards you will spend all your time shooting from a bench. If you want to hunt your time is best spent shooting from positions you will find when hunting. You will not get moa groups from these positions, but you learn what shoots you can make, to made a good kill, and that is what you need to know when hunting.

HighDesertWolf

My first was Marlin 336 chambered for 30-30 win. My dad gave me for my 14th Birthday, I used winchester 170 grain Silvertips.
I never killed anything with it untill after I bought the first deer rifle I bought on my own which was a Remington M700 in .308 win I've killed a few deer with the 308, and one with the 30-30.

Alsatian

802:

For your first hunting rifle I recommend the .600 Nitro. My arguments are that (1) this cartridge can take anything in the world including elephant, not just anything in Texas and (2) acknowledging the formidable recoil of the .600 Nitro, this being your first hunting rifle you will just accommodate yourself to this recoild and think it normal. Later, when you hunt with ligther weight wimpy rifles like .375 H&H Mag they will seem featherweights!

Of course I am only joking. The good advice is above. Laugh and ignore my "advice" above!

802

Nomercy, You ar right I am compleatly new to both hunting rifels and hunting. Most of my shooting exsperians is not from a binch but from prone, knealing, and siting.

I do apreceate everyones post, and I am lurning quite a bit.

So 1.5 moa is prity much the best acuracy that I wil git from a hunting rifel?

I would never take unethical shots on game, If it does not feal right, or if I am not 100% sher of the shot I would not take It.

500 yards was in referance to prary dogs, amd probubly nothing elss.

Thanks agine for everyones help!

TheBassMan

I would go with a .243

It is a very veristal cartridge. I have shot yote with it and the next day my cousin took an 8 pt buck with it. It droped both right there. With very little dammage to the yotes pelt.

driftrider

I think that you may be wanting a little too much from just one rifle. Unfortunately, in the real world there is rarily a free lunch. If you want a lightweight rifle that you can carry all day that will put a deer, hog or coyote down in a hurry, you really can't expect that rifle to be a tack-driving 500 yard varmint rifle. Not unless you spend lots of money putting together a super precise custom rifle and then work up a great pet load for it, but that'll cost you.

Varmint rifles of the type used for popping prairie dogs at long ranges are specialized guns, designed for varminting and target shooting alone. All of the major rifle makers offer at least one varmint/target rifle in their lineup, usually chambered in the common varmint/target calibers like .223Rem, 22-250, .243Win and .308Win. These guns generally have long heavy contoured barrels (26"+) and benchrest style stocks with wide beavertail forends and straight combs designed for shooting off a bench or bipod. They also typically weight 8-12lbs WITHOUT the scope, which is a lot of weight to tote around the deer woods. If you want a rifle for serious long range prairie dogging, this type of rifle is the one to buy.

But I think from your original post that you are more interested in a deer rifle with some varmint application. First, like I said before, don't expect that sporter weight deer rifle to print .5MOA groups. It CAN be done by some rifles with a perfectly matched handload, but 1.5MOA is a much more reasonable accuracy standard for such rifles. Also, if it were me and I were looking for a serious medium big game rifle, I wouldn't pick a light compromise caliber, but there is no need to go overboard either. What I'm basically saying is that you shouldn't compromise on a caliber like a .243 for big game if you can accurately shoot a more powerful round, but that doesn't mean that you need to run out and buy a .300 Ultra Mag either. The more I've thought about this the more I think that you're the perfect candidate for something like a 270Win, 7mm-08, .308Win or .30-06. The .270 would serve you very well without being uncomfortable to shoot during an extended shooting session. All 4 have varmint bullets available if you handload, as well as an extensive lineup if factory ammo and bullets for all forms of big game. All four have plenty of power to take almost anything in N. America, save for the greater bears (.308 and .30-06 are arguably adequate, but if I were out LOOKING to shoot an animal that can readily kill me back, I'm going better armed than that). And ammo for all, except maybe the 7mm-08, can be found all over the place for very reasonable amounts of money.

Mike