Tikka 243 to 25-06

[socalhunter88]

YUP,. THIS ^^^^
The 100 grain Sierra GK's,.. Hit pretty hard !
The Berger 87 HVLD's and 95 Classic Hunters,.. Kill like Lightning as does, the 95 gr. NBT's !
All should work, / shoot, very well, in the Tikka's 1-10 Twist bbl.
To gain ONLY 17 -20 grains of Bullet weight, your going to Pay,.. Mucho Dinero !

Haha that's the kind of truth I need, do you feel like a 243 is enough for Rocky Mountain mule deer. I usually use my 300 WinMag but i really enjoy packing around the 243 and want to tweak into a more lightweight gun but would hate to lose an animal for poor blood trail even with a well placed shot etc.

 

[Patton243]

243 > 25-06. Wouldn't even bother with that 1/4 bore these days. The best caliber off the 30-06 is the 280 or 280 AI IMO. Only ones I would push for on a long action standard these days. Oh wait... I already have a 280 that's right. And a 243 too.

 

[Wyo37]

Haha that's the kind of truth I need, do you feel like a 243 is enough for Rocky Mountain mule deer. I usually use my 300 WinMag but i really enjoy packing around the 243 and want to tweak into a more lightweight gun but would hate to lose an animal for poor blood trail even with a well placed shot etc.

100%.

Bullets matter, but in my humble opinion there isn't a mule deer walking that can't be quickly killed by a 243 within the impact velocity window of whatever bullet you are using.

Less recoil matters too. Easier to shoot and easier to spot your own hits (or misses).

 

[ducky]

Haha that's the kind of truth I need, do you feel like a 243 is enough for Rocky Mountain mule deer.

Having owned both .243 and .25-06, I can say I like them both. The .243 is more than enough I've hunted mainly in CO and have killed mule deer with the .243, but it's still all about bullet placement. I've also killed mule deer with the .25-06 and it does an exceptional job. I used mainly 120 grain Sierra HPBT, and they hit very hard. However, you're not really gaining anything by going to this cartridge over the .243 Win.

My take on rebarreling a Tikka, is unless the barrels shot out or you have the tools to DIY, it isn't worth the money. It is cheaper to buy another Tikka, than to buy a barrel and pay someone to install it. Besides who doesn't want another rifle?

 

[badthirtyone]

This is one of many mulies that our family has taken with a .243.

My sons and I hunt mule deer almost exclusively with .243's. It is a more than capable deer cartridge.

While I have killed a good number of deer personally with a 300WM, that is usually because I am also Elk hunting at the same time, and choose to carry one gun for both tasks. When I am deer hunting with no other tags, I love the .243's.

There are many, many sexier and more "modern" cartridge choices out there, and I am not discouraging anyone here from choosing them. I just really feel that the "good old 243" has more than earned a place on my wall, and on my deer hunts.

 

[budlight]

I have 26 inch barrels on both my 243 and 25 cal. My 243 tops out on antelope and my 25 is for mule deer. From testing! I do multi caliber hunting on pigs to really test lots of rounds where big game is lucky to be once a year.

I like classic heart lung shots just so you can get an equal comparison. For hunting using the heaviest for caliber bullet isn't always the best choice because quite often game shot are often closer. Heavies just do pass through with small exit holes, where as lighter bullets hitting at higher velocity impart massive hydraulic shock.

I bench rest shoot 100's of rounds at 200 400 , & 600 at the local range. So I'm ready to go for the long shot. I'll carry the big heavy ELD's for a long shot if required, but I would say that in my lifetime 9 out of 10 deer and elk were always sub 200 yrds and as close as 100 feet away. The 8X32 56mm scope sucks at 100 feet. I had to look above and below the chest 2-3 times because all I could see was hair

My DRT 25 cal round is 100 gr SPBT and it's smoking. The foot pounds of energy is there. I've also tested 80-85-87-95-100 grain 243 on sub 250 pound pigs just for mule deer comparison. It just doesn't have the 25 cal HP

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

25-06 is highly underrated! I say go for it!

If you decide to make the swap we carry bolt stops - magazines and factory barrels for tikka's. The actions are the same length so like noted above all you'll need for the conversion is bolt stop and magazine.

 

[HNDLDR]

I can't believe how many people are talking down about the 25-06!

Will the 243 kill mule deer?…….Yes

Is it the equivalent of the the 25-06?…..Not in my world it isn't.

Is it worth the conversion effort and cost?…. That's for you to decide I guess.

If it was me I would convert to the 7mm-08 and call it good.

To each their own I guess.

 

[azsugarbear]

I have owned both 25-06 and 243. Both are good at killing deer. Anything the 243 can do, the 25-06 can do in spades.

It is true that all Tikkas are long actions, but they are on the 'shortish' side of long. They can handle normal 300 WM cartridges, but if you try to reload the 300 WM brass with the extra long VLD bullets - that round will not fit in the magazine or cycle well in the action (if at all). The 300 PRC or 300 RUM are non-starters - they are just too long.

If you are mechanically inclined, the Tikka conversion from short to long is not that expensive. The bolt head for the 25-06 is the same as the 243, so no problem there. As mentioned, your bolt stop needs to accommodate a long action throw. You can either replace the stop (sort of expensive), or simply modify your bolt stop by grinding it down. Not at all hard. You would need to buy a long magazine and that expense can be offset by the sale of your short magazine. Removing the barrel is also easy, but requires some semi-expensive tools such as a barrel vice and action wrench. The finish an your 243 barrel would most likely get damaged in the process and would not have much value at all. The sky is the limit for a new barrel. You could buy a new pre-fit carbon barrel from Proof Research. These are great barrels, but can be somewhat limiting in terms of profile, length and calibers offered (they usually go on sale black Friday weekend). Patriot Valley Arms (PVA) offers steel pre-fit barrels. They are more expensive than other steel pre-fit barrels, but they start with Bartlein blanks. Preferred Barrel Blanks are the best bang for the buck in terms of new pre-fit barrels. And finally, you can always purchase a new or used Tikka take-off barrel for under $100.

If you have further interest, send me a PM and we can talk.

 

[azsugarbear]

Just another thought. Converting to a 6.5 Creed , 260 Rem or 7mm-08 would require nothing more than taking off the old barrel and spinning on another.

 

[jarnold37]

I'm not what you would call a "gun guy" but I have a few and have thinking converting my T3 tikka in 243 to a 25-06 with the goal of being able to have a few extra grains and be more of my lightweight deer rifle. Is there anything I should be concerned with or keep an eye out for. Looking for advice on pitfalls from those more knowledgeable more than me.
thanks guys,
MV

I have some experience with the 25-06 with many different bullets and powders. I have changed twists and have found that the longer heavier bullets have a high sectional density which translates into a bullet that may pass through and not expel its energy. Shot a deer once and bullet went between ribs and through. She ran 220 yards and ran our of air. In my experience the 85-87 grain makes the best combination for deer in the 25-06. No pass through even at 440 yards. Does damage but they will drop. The 25-06 however is finicky to get accuracy and unless you have a supply of brass you may be better to stay with 243 or go to 30-06. The biggest bullet for any given caliber usually has high sectional density which affects bullet impact performance. In 25 caliber, the 120 grain compares to 190 grain in 30 caliber. High sectional density requires more velocity for same impact performance and most always the larger bullet decreases velocity. The 85 grain in 25-06 will produce 3500 fps with low S.D. which is very deadly on deer. There are some of the pros and cons I have found

 

[dwinmeade]

If you want a 243 (w/less recoil) to hit like a 25-06 (w/more recoil), use Hammer/Barnes bullets.

I once Googled for the top calibers for elk. Leading the pack of the top 5 calibers for elk was the 243.

You already have a "gem" of a caliber in your possession...don't over think what you need (verses what you already have), as this will cost you money and will gain you next to nothing.

 

[bengineer]

I use two 25-06s and three 243s. Quite a few kills with the various 243 loads. Not as many with the 25-06. Preferred bullet in both 25s is the Sierra 100 GK. Soft enough in marmots to pop em and firm enough to exit a chest shot deer. It is "enough" per Ruark.
I prefer the Hornady 87 HP or Nosler 90 BT for deer and pronghorn. The 70 Varmageddon gets the nod for varmints. Again, "enough."
I have not shot elk with either caliber.
Would I prefer more, like 35 and up? Usually. But in our WY breezes, some speed helps sometimes. And light recoil is nice.

 

[skipglo]

I'm not what you would call a "gun guy" but I have a few and have thinking converting my T3 tikka in 243 to a 25-06 with the goal of being able to have a few extra grains and be more of my lightweight deer rifle. Is there anything I should be concerned with or keep an eye out for. Looking for advice on pitfalls from those more knowledgeable more than me.
thanks guys,
MV

I'd stay with the 243....they are a terrific little gun for Deer. The little you gain won't be worth it in my humble opinion