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30-06 or 223 As long as elk and larger, more dangerous animals are not on your menu, I would go with the 25-06. If you hunt the larger game, then it is the 30-06 for sure. I think that the 25-06's speed has gotten me more game than anything I've tried. I would not use either of these rifles for competitive target shooting but if I HAD to, it would easily be the 25-06 because of its lower recoil and ability to shoot 75g bullets. This is because of ballistic coefficients, not bullet accuracy. I get plenty of top notch bullets in .25 caliber. I shoot mainly 75g bullets for targets and you can get plenty of bullets/rifles that shoot .1 to .2 MOA in 25-06.I have shot custom 25-06 barrels most of my life but am now shooting a 25-06 Rem 700 Sendero for long range/varmint hunting and a Weatherby Mark V Ultralight for short range/tough walking conditions. I feel the Sendero is quite acceptable for target/varmint shooting and have not been disappointed. It is good to 1000 yards on prairie dogs.

The Coopers rifle is another fine choice. With most other over the counter rifles, you are rolling the dice. Some shoot well, some... not so well. I think that for lower priced rifles, you can count on the Tikas, the Savages and the Vanguard/Howa 1500s to shoot pretty well although a custom barrel should beat them every time. Just glass bed them if you want better accuracy.

1st a good quality 22lr bolt action like a CZ-452 (or current model). lots of practice al a small cost and a ton of fun small game hunting. Then a good quality bolt action (ruger MK 77 or Remington 700) in 270 or 30-06 can be effective on any game animal you will hunt