Jordan, all things being equal means ALL things, all things being equal between the 7-08 and the 280ai, the 280ai wins with about 4ft lbs more recoil, but still under the proverbial 20ft lbs mark.
Both rifles shoot the same projectiles, its the charge that sets them apart. I haven't looked too much into the 7saum but with only a grain or two difference between it and the ackley, I imagine it would be getting pretty close to the maximum recoil range where shooting gets a little uncomfortable. My only question would be on brass and barrel life, granted for a hunting rifle that wouldn't be much of a worry, provided you don't need to do any load development.
With a choice between a 7-08, a 280ai, and a 7stw to go hunting with, I'd pick the 280ai every time, the 7saum sounds almost like the ballistic twin to the 280ai only in a short fat case.
That's kind of my point. ALL things are never equal. Every chambering has trade offs. If you want to compare efficiency, the 7-08 is superior. It accomplishes the same things at a lower cost. Recoil, noise, and powder consumption are all greater with the .280AI. Rifle length, weight, and handiness also suffer. If you want to compare performance, well then the 7WSM, 7RM, etc will outpace the .280AI with a minimal addition in recoil, noise, and powder consumption. The 7SAUM has essentially identical usable powder capacity (<1gr difference), but comes in a smaller action/stock package. Barrel life is essentially a wash, and brass life is too, if effort is made to keep necks from splitting. Difference in recoil is negligible, and is affected more by stock design and fit than any perceived difference between the two chamberings.
At the end of the day, they ALL have trade offs. Sure, the .280AI is one of the best all-around BG hunting rifles that exists, but so is the .270 Win, 7-08, 7RM, .30-06, 7WSM, etc. A guy simply has to decide what trade offs matter most to him. How much performance does he need, and how much recoil, noise, powder consumption, barrel life, cost-effectiveness, and rifle handiness is he willing to give up/accept to get it. Bullets make a much bigger difference than the name on the headstamp. Nobody is offended by your opinion, but your arguments behind the opinion don't hold up, as several here have pointed out.
