"Federal used (to offer) a High Energy .308 load with the 180-gr. Partition at 2740 fps at the muzzle; there was nothing in any load that the 7-08 could match with that."

Not so fast, a 140 Barnes TSX with Rl 19 gets me 2900+ from the 7/08, flatter trajectory and as good if not better penetration, terminal performance. And it fit's my short actioned rifle....the primary reason why the load you mentioned was dropped?