Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles which caliber? 7mm-8 or 25-06

i know i know not another whcih caliber thread....but i had to.

ok so If you were gonna shoot nothing but factory ammo and needed to choose between 7mm-08 and 25-06 which would you choose?

the rifle im gonna buy is the marlin XL7 or XS7 in stainless/synthetic. and i will be putting one of the new redfield scopes on it.

i will be hunting deer with this setup most of the time. with the chance of bear or elk hunting in the future. there will be a mix of timber, sage, and high country hunting with shots anywhere from 5-500 yards.

and i will only be shooting factory ammo.

so which caliber?

thanks

Since you might use it for elk, I'd go 7mm. Not the greatest availability of ammo, but can certainly be found online quite easily.

Either way, both will kill deer.

7/08.

Since Bob didn't say it, I will . . . .270 WCF

If I had to stick with the two choices above, the 7mm-08 would get the nod, however, from the shooting you describe, a .270 sounds ideal to me. It is not as sexy as the other two choices, but would get the job done.

270 NOT sexy? The 7-08 is Rosy Odonnell, and the 270 is Jennifer Morrison.

The ability to use heavier bullets gives the nod to the 7-08 if an elk hunt is indeed in the future.
That said hwgtyd and 270guy make very good points. If you include the 270 Winchester as a choice then I think the 270W takes the prize.

The long, sleek, 85 year old 270 Winchester is far sexier than the short, ugly 7-08 or the bony, anemic 25-06!!!

i agree with those who suggest going with a bigger cartridge since you will be hunting elk. get a 270 or 30-06.

270 or 308

I'd go 7mm-08. But, if you have yet to buy the rifle why those two?

Why not 30-06 or 270 maybe even a 7 rem mag if they chamber one.

I wouldn't be attempting 500 yards shots at elk with either cartridge.For deer only,my choice would be the 25-06,as it will do anything that the 270win will do with a slightly flatter trajectory.if elk are in the picture,I would go with the 7mmremmag,as it will do anything that the 270win will do,with a heavier bullet,and at longer ranges.

Between the two my pick would be 7mm-08 . I dont like the bullet selection on the 25-06

elk + factory ammo lead you directly to the .270

The guy is buying aa new rifle and doesn't reload. That tells me that he probably doesn't shoot a great deal, so I definitely would not recommend a 7 magnum to him. With the increased cost of shooting he is not likely to shoot enough to get used to the recoil of the 7 Mag. The 7/08 has proven itself on elk for years, ammo is inexpensive and recoil is more within the tolerable limits of the occaisional shooter.

Royce

I assume you are asking about the 7-08 and 25-06 because you want something that doesn't kick and blast excessively, which would rule out the 7 rem mag.

25-06 is a great antelope cartridge, but it would require care and acceptance of some limitations to use on elk. You would have to pass on shots that you could take with a 270, especially with 150 grain bullets of a sturdy construction. Fast light bullets have a way of stopping fast if they hit paunch so 25-06 is a broad-side only cartridge, or head on if you have a solid hold. 7mm08 would be better for elk just because of the bullet weight, and energy is comparable to the 25-06 or better at longer ranges.

All of this points to why the 270 has been so successful. It shoots almost as flat as a 25-06 with the 130s, especially with ballistic tips or their equivalent. And even with the 130 grain bullets has a great record of taking elk with well-placed shots. I've taken all but one of my elk with 270 and especially with the 150 grain bullets, which have a very high sectional density, it puts them down fast and I've always gotten a pass through so no questions.

7-08 is probably more convenient to clean up after, as it tends not to copper-foul as much as the faster rounds.

Those .270 owners are relentless. They just don't give up even when the thread is clearly titled 7mm-8 or 25-06.

Go 7mm-08. Think of it as a .30-06 "light." Same sectional density, same velocity, same trajectory, 25 grains less bullet and 10 grains less powder, which equals substantially less recoil than the old '06 with the same effect on game.

Of those 2 for me I'd slam dunk go 25/06 but could work with either.. its the shooter not the round

Dober

I was in the same shoes as you - 7mm-08 or 25-06 and I don't reload. Got one of each, find that since having both I reach for the 7mm-08 about 90% of the time. Like everything about the 7mm-08, short-action, accurate, likes to shoot Fusion ammo, works for me.

.308 Winchester!

of the two....7mm/08