Originally Posted by rem shooter
thought about 7mm-08 in rem mod-7.gun store has used but never fired one for sale $200 less than a new one. would use it for brushy wooded area on deer becouse of its shorter lengh than my rem mod 700 30-06.is this better than a .308 win in this type of hunting?one gun writer says it's recoil is a little more than a .243,but if the 7mm uses 140 gr. bullets and .308 uses 150 gr. i thought it would be closer to the .308.not worried about recoil just the muzzle blast and muzzle lift, plus i reload for the 30-06 so have plenty of .30 cal bullets ,is it worth saving 200 dollors on gun then have to buy diffrent cal. bullets as in is it that much better hand have less recoil than a .308 win
..........For deer in the wooded areas, either the 7/08 or the 308 would be fine. A successful kill is the goal. Both cartridges are excellent for your purpose. I believe that the savings of an extra $200 in order to get the 7/08 is worth it. But, you have all those 30 caliber bullets. 7/08 or 308? You are going to have to decide on that!

From my own experience with my compact, I have little to no daytime muzzle blast. I don`t hunt in the dark or under very low light conditions and even if I did, any muzzle blast wouldn`t be a concern or a bother to me. My priorities in a lite-weight, quick handling and easy to carry rifle trump any muzzle blast, or any additional noise. Your kill shot only lasts for a split second, On the other hand depending on your hunting style, you can carry a rifle many hours a day for several days on hunts. That`s the beauty of the compacts. They`re great in the wooded areas, open plains, mountains or where-ever you happen to be.

Also trumped, is muzzle lift and stability. A little practice and feel for the rifle will be your best friend and will overcome any muzzle lift and muzzle stability while breathing and aiming for your kill shot.

A 7mm/08 from a 20" barreled, 39 1/2" or so OAL rifle is a great choice for the woods.

If I can master a 16.5" barreled 300 WSM Ruger Frontier compact, you`ll have no problem with a 20" 7mm/08.

28 Nosler,,,,300WSM,,,,338-378 Wby,,,,375 Ruger