For me, the .243 has performed admirably.
Something which I cannot say about the .25-06.
I was happy with a .25-06 several years ago, hunting the same varmints I used to with the .243! It did exactly the same thing on coyotes, but when I went to use the .25-06 deer hunting, it let me down in a huge way.
I was hunting up in the mountains with my buddy. It was the same place where we had hunted for the past 4 years. I had harvested deer and elk up there with a .300 Win Mag the year before. But this time, I took my trusty .25-06, which I had practiced the spring and summer before deer started, and knew the trajectory and energy inside and out.
My buddy and I decided to do a little stalking in a grove of trees where we saw 2 bucks go in. We approached slowly, so as not to spook them too bad.
I saw a whitetail buck walking up the ridge line on my right, and knew it was one of the bucks. I snuck to where there was a branch intersecting a tree, and settled my rifle right in that crook, and had a rock solid rest. I had my breathing under control, and squeezed my shot off. I was aiming just behind the elbow, and KRAK! The rifle went off, recoil obscured my vision, but I saw that buck drop like a pile of bricks! I thought the 120 gr Winchester protected point did its job. Well, it didn’t. That bullet blew up when it hit the rib, and never penetrated. Left a huge hole in the right side of its body. The only reason I know, is because other hunters that camped down from us, saw this buck laying in the grass, in the small draw on the other side of where I shot it. It was so weakened from blood loss, it was almost dead, until the young man shot it, and put it out of its misery.
To this day, I haven’t used, or thought about getting a .25-06, because of that incident. It’s been a little over 30 years, now.
Now, for the honest truth. The .243 never had a mishap like that. It penetrated the several deer I harvested, plus it was more than lethal on the vermin I hunted as well.
Nope, won’t touch another .25-06. It’s great for vermin, just not deer in my experience.
Hawk