Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm-08 vs 308 for daughters.

My daughters are 7 and 10, and I’m starting to research what I want to buy them when they each turn 12 for their big game rifles. Thinking about either cartridge in Kimber Classics (fully aware I’ll have to buy used) because they take after their dad and like wood stocked guns. I know it’s probably splitting hairs with the 7mm-08 having a little better BC’s but the .308 punching a bigger hole. We live in CO, so elk, deer, and speed goats will be on the menu, and possibly (only possibly) a trip to Africa for PG. Flame away! 🤣

7mm-08, out of those 2.

I’d go 7mm08

7mm-08 tikka

I'd also go 7-08 in a gun that light. At age 12, you can load the 110/120TTSX or the 120NBT at 2800 and have a pretty good killer to use until they are ready for stouter recoil. My kids also liked the ultra light Sierra HP loaded light for practice in that chambering.

Both of my sons got a 7mm08 when they turned 15. I used a reduced load with a 120 gr bullet for lower recoil. They both found the guns to be a reliable killer with manageable recoil. Good luck on your search.

GrandBaby Rifle. Pardon wares that exist,as The Gallery "gets" to Pretend aloud. Hint.







Teekers aren't even in the same Universe. Hint...............

I am in the 7-08 camp. My oldest two daughters that hunt have both killed elk with the same stubby Ruger Frontier 7-08 and 140 Accubonds. A mild loaded 120 NBT is a thing of beauty and only kills on one end.

Yeah your splitting hairs as either cartridge is excellent. I would go with the .308 Win because of ammo availability....Good hunting ...Hb

In a Kimber,the 7-08 and 308 can't mechanically keep pace with a Kreedmire. That due RPM and COAL. Bullets still matter more than headstamps,ladies. Hint.




Pardon wares that exist,as The Gallery "gets" to Pretend aloud. Hint..................

I did Rem Model Sevens in 7-08 for both my kids and loaded down using H4895 with 139 and 120gr bullets. Within two years they were both running full charge loads. These rifles will take care of anything they are likely to hunt in their lifetimes. If they want something different, they are free to buy whatever they want when they are working.

Between 308 and 7mm-08, i would be more concerned with gun fit over the difference between those cartridges. If the kimber fits, I’d buy whatever I could find/feed.

S/S Seven 7-08,MacaMillion,AICS DBM,binderless mag and receiver ring notched for COAL. Hint.



It will do more mechanical favors than a Kimber,though yet shy of a 147 Kreed's .697 BC and launch speed,which factors Terminal Effects. Hint.

For "kids",a 223 is vastly superior. The 6 ARC,better yet. Hint.

Pardon wares that exist,as The Gallery "gets" to Pretend aloud. Hint..................

I've got both in factory form and then custom form I like both I was choosing for a youngster I would do 7-08..

if I really wanted to keep the recoil down for the sensitive or smaller my favorites are 6.5 Grendel and a 6BR ..

you can be easy on the budget with a 6.5 Grendel in a howa mini action ..
or you can be a cheapskate and go to the Ruger American which I personally prefer for the reason of magazine availability if nothing else.. I'm sure there are plenty of youth stocks for either around.. though I suspect one for the Ruger might be easier to find.

yes I got a little outside of the OP's parameters there, but I have similar age granddaughters and know what they're comfortable with here .

With common loads there is about 1 ft lb difference in recoil. In my experience anything within 3-4 ft lbs of recoil is impossible to detect. With the best loads trajectory at 500 yards is within 2" in favor of the 7-08. Remaining energy with the best loads is less than 50 ft lbs in favor of the 7-08.


On paper the 7-08 wins by a tiny, almost imperceptible difference. Basically, it is a tie. Between the 2 I'd go 308 just because ammo is everywhere and cheaper.

But in reality, the choice should be between 6.5CM or 7-08/308. The 6.5CM has noticeably less recoil than either, ammo is everywhere and priced right. The 6.5 will kill anything the others will kill.

Of the 2, I say 7-08.

Never could tell much difference between a 308 or 06 as far as recoil goes.

If your open to something else it's very hard to not say Creedmoor. Can do anything the others can do with less recoil and top notch ammo everywhere if you're not a handloader.

I don't have a Creedmoor and have a 7-08. So no real bias in my decision.

I'm a big fan of the .308 Win. but for starting 11 and 12 year olds I believe I would go along with the 7-08. Loaded down is just a short 7x57 and we know the reputation of that cartridge. Been playing with a 7x57 for a while and running 7-08 data for reloads with great results. Now if only I could draw a tag for something, maybe I can find out just how good it really is.
PJ

308 125 bt loads backed down crank it up as they grow into the gun👍

I changed a barrel in a 243 Rem 700 to a 7x08 for a water logged PJ for his son's birthday. He studied the numbers and decided the 7x08 was the ticket for reduced loads to start and that it could grow with the young man by changing the loads. Do not see any fault in his reasoning, so found him a barrel.

My youngest is older than that, but she’s very recoil sensitive and has recently expressed an interest in hunting, mainly deer. I have a good-shooting 7-08 Mountain Rifle I’m gonna give her, pending her showing she can tolerate the recoil (I’m pretty sure she can). But if I were BUYING something to start a kid off the 6.5 CM is the obvious choice. I’m singing with the choir here but ammo availability is far far better than 7-08; now fast forward say 30 years and will 7-08 still be around at ALL?… we all know 7-08 is an awesome cartridge, one of the very best, but factory ammo availability is a bit spooky going forward. Whereas it certainly appears that 6.5 CM is here to stay. Though I plan on living forever, and will provide her with piles of handloads as needed, you never know, I could turn out to be mortal like the rest of you poor sods, and I like the thought of her being able to buy high-quality ammo just about anywhere.

With the big disclaimer that I have not been following what’s hot/what’s not for about a decade, I’d be looking hard at a stainless Tikka for a factory rifle. “Good enuff” triggers, and odds are very good it will shoot. The Euro styling kinda bugs ME but I doubt it’d bug my daughter.