Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Just one?....7-08, 6.5, 270, or 308

Before anyone gets too worked up, searches didn’t do what I needed.
I thought I was doing another 6.5 (probably creedmoor), but I have a fondness for 7s and the 7-08, and then for comparisons on what does what, the 308 and 270 are considerations, as well...even if I haven’t been a big 270 fan. Trying to gauge pros/cons of a GP hunting rifle with these vs Utility, weight, recoil, ease of feeding and extra shooting...where I need to be. Only one I haven’t hunted and killed with is the creedmoor....range only in a heavier gun. Pleasant to shoot. I’m just second guessing because I like the 7-08 and the numbers on a 270, and the availability and heavies you can get with the 308....but I like lighter guns to carry and heavier guns to shoot. Where’s my compromise? Heck, there’s 280 as well. I’m just waffling on what the next rifle should be chambered in and weigh vs recoil and effectiveness. Not sure the 6.5 is gonna give me anything a 708 won’t, including recoil with similar bullets. I won’t do more than range play past 400, 90% of the time with this one. I also won’t be climbing mountains or traveling more than a couple of miles carrying it, either. It does need to balance and not be a bench log, though. Just bored again, I guess. Would welcome insights without any pissing match over them. I don’t have that much loyalty to a given cartridge. I just want the best package I can enjoy and not get bored, frustrated, or beat up with.

280

The 7mm-08 excites me more than any of the others.

7-08

My son bought a Bergara rifle and has a heck of a coupon for a second Bergara from that same dealer that he wants me to use. But what I want is a 7mm-08 and they don't offer them except in their custom line and I'm not paying that. But I can't get excited about their offerings.

7-08

7-08 would do it all for you, in a 6.5 or 7 pound bare rifle.

Myself, I prefer the 308, just because.

I have been recoil sensitive since I was a 14 year old skinny kid shooting a 30-06 Remington pump, with a metal butt plate and 180 grain bullets. It bruised my shoulder and caused my ears to ring for a month. I still believe that the tinnitus I have today started back then. So, I do prefer to shoot rifles that light recoiling, and over the years have come to settle on cartridges that are easy on the shoulder. I have arthritis in my shooting shoulder, and that is a major concern for me.

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor, a 7-08, 7X57, 270, and 308. This is my first year shooting the CM and I'm very impressed, as far as accuracy and the light recoil. It's a Howa, which is of course a little heavier than most rifles are, and that may have something to do with it. I've never been able to warm up to the 7-08. It's a very good round, and may be the most versatile of the lot. I like the 7X57, but mostly for nostalgia sake. The 308 is also a nice choice, and probably deserves to me used more than I use it.

That leaves the 270. It was what I call my first "real" deer rifle, and I've killed a bunch of deer with it. As far as a cartridge strictly for deer, it may the best there is. It does have more recoil than I like when used in a lightweight rifle, and that's one reason I rarely use mine much anymore. But, as far as all the cartridges mentioned, the 270 is probably the best of the lot, as far as it's use for hunting. I say that, even though mine has taken a back seat to the 243 and the 6.5 Ceedmoor.

7-08


Ed

The most important question is what you are going to hunt and where. You allude to not climbing mountains or going more than a couple of miles, but no mention of game.

In general, for what you have spoken of in general terms, I believe I would get a good .270 or 30-06 and call it good. Either in an 8 1/2# scoped rifle would be pleasant to shoot and effective. I’d probably not want to shoot a brown bear with either, but I surmise this would not be on your agenda.

Nor does he mention hand loading vs. factory ammo. That would sort a few things out, too.

7-08 offers a lot of versatility & killing power, without a lot of recoil or muzzle blast. If we were able to use the transitive property to add the 7x57's laurels to the 7-08, it would run away with the market. Alas, Bell didn't schlep no 7mm-08...

I could also see the .308 as an equal contender. My own preference is to have one shooting at .300 Savage levels. That's probably an acknowledgment that I prefer less recoil & muzzle blast than a full-blooded .308 round.

Depending on how you look at it, you can't lose among your stated choices. Then again, maybe you can't win? Toss a coin & rock on. It's all for fun, anyway, no?

FC

Flat trajectory , reasonable recoil, 6.5. I have several 6.5's in 260 Rem, 6.5x55, 6.5-06, 264Mag .For over 120years the 6.5 in various forms has been taking every size of game on the planet.
I use mine to take large muley's & elk every season. No problem. Now with the extreme durability of the homogeneous copper bullets like the Barnes TSX the 6.5's are even better. I see that Hornady list their 6.5 CM factory load loaded with the 120gr GMX & they state it suitable for game up to 1500Lbs. In Scandinavia the 6.5x55 has been taking moose reliably since it came out at the turn of the 19th century. When you read the history of the 6.5 & it's accomplishments you get a perspective based on in the field results & not emotion. Read the exploits of W.D.M. Bell "Karamojo Bell". How he took numerous elephants & over 400 head of every size of African plains game with the diminutive 6.5MS driving a 160 gr bullet at barely 2300PFS. He averaged 1 1/2 shots per animal. That means many were taken with one shot. Read the history of the 6.5 & understand its ability.

Short Action = 7-08
Long Action = 6.5-06 or 280

Any insight into the best 7-08 round for deer and elk? Factory or handload?

I just fell into a deal on a 7-08 Rem stainless model 7.

.308 Winchester. I'm primarily a deer hunter with a cow elk when I can draw a tag. It can be loaded down to .30-30 or .300 Savage performance levels and is plenty of cartridge for any of the above out to 300 yards which is my limit provided I have a rock solid rest.

.270

You can get a pretty light 270 and recoil is not that uncomfortable. You can also get plenty of factory loads holding premium bullets for it. Of the three for me it would be a 270 and I already have 2.

And into Pandora's box we go...

Contender bullets:
120 NBT
140 NBT
140 NAB
140 NPT
150 NPT
140 Etip
150 Etip
120 TTSX
140 TTSX
150 TTSX
139 IL
154 IL
156 Norma Oryx
(yadda)^3

In reality, whatever shoots best in your rifle. 7-08's don't push bullets to warp speed, so pick something that the mfgr claims will still open when it gets to the velocity at the longest distane you'll be shooting. IOW, lots of cup + cores will work fine, but so will the premiums.

FC

For dual purpose premium factory loads, the Nosler 140gr. Accubond would be my choice. Non premium, I'd go Fed Fusions or Hornady Interlocks. Hand load choices are aplenty, FC pretty much covered it.

270 or 308 for me-tough to narrow it down to just one.