I recently stumbled into a Remington Model Seven FS in 7mm-08. This is the one with the 18.5” barrel and Brown Precision stock. I’m deep into 30-caliber bullets and I was looking for a short-light 308 walking around rifle, but the price was too good to pass up. The plan was to make it a 308, but then I shot the donor. Now I’m torn about whether to keep it as is or continue on my original path of making it a 308.
So now I have questions.
1. The 7mm-08 will do most of what a 308 will do. I don’t shoot far enough to need the BC advantage that I’d get from 7mm bullets, and the barrel is too short to move them fast enough to do much good. Why should I leave this rifle as a 7-08?
2. Several posters here have commented that reloaders tend to overload the 7-08 more than most other cartridges. What are realistic velocities in a 18.5” barrel assuming 60k psi loads assembled by a careful, experienced handloader?
3. 7-08 ammo seems really scarce compared to 308 ammo. I handload, but I will fly commercial to hunt with this rifle and I want to be able to find ammo when not if the airline loses my baggage.
4. What bullet weights do you recommend for a 7-08 with a short barrel?
Thanks,
Okie John
