25-06 is a premuim caliber imo for antelope/deer. Gives you the extra reach, shells are a bit expensive and hard to find at times, but trades out for one of the flattest shooting fastest standard calibers out there with good impact. You must though know your distance and your ability to shoot it. All the calibers are effective you just have to get used to how each one shoots. Personally I shoot a 7 mag, for all my big game and waste less meat than most deer I see going into the locker here in town. It is all about shot placement, and making the right shot at the right time. It is better to let one go unharmed (and possibly not knowing you are there so it comes back) than to put a bullet in it's hind quarter track it for 5 miles and then lose it so no one has the chance to harvest the deer except for the coyotes. But just on a caliber standpoint you have a lot of things to consider on what makes the caliber the "best". Do you want speed, flat shooting trajectory, knock down, easy ability to find shells at walmart, price of ammo, recoil, weight of gun, or I am sure I missed a few others. Answer those questions and your answer will be apparent if you look at any bullet charts. Hope that helps.
