My dad loves his 25-06 and my brother his .308, but I'm wondering about a .243 for low recoil, ammo availability, and practicing with my kids. I was raised shooing 22lr, and my dad let me shoot his 30-06 as a young teen - it was far too much for me. With the recent ammo shortage, availability makes a big difference. No sense in owning something you can't get rounds for. I hear that .243 is a good whitetail caliber, which is what I'm considering geting for this fall's hunt.