Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 280 or 7-08 for Texas ??

If ya'll were gonna buy a pair of one or the other caliber to cover the weather and any other usages for under 400 yard hunting only shots... what are ya'll thoughts for a doall caliber for a beat up tired old man getting slower everyday?
Ron

Six years ago, at 74, my dad transitioned from a .30-06 to a 7mm-08. My handloads closely replicate Nosler factory Accubond ammunition.

Three years later one shot all 225 yards resulted in a notched tag.






He’s killed deer, too. Never felt undergunned.




P

This is exactly the .30-06 vs. .308 debate taken down .024".
I assume you are thinking bolt guns?
Are you trying to build light rifle(s) to the extent that action length matters? If so, maybe the 7mm-08.
Are you a person who favors heavy for caliber bullets? If so, maybe the .280.
Do you like controlled feed actions? If so, maybe the .280. Not that a 7mm-08 won't feed well. But the rule of thumb is longer is better.
You are really splitting hairs here, so it is going to take more info.

And that is before someone tells you what you really want is a 6.5 Creedmore. To which I would reply "How about a .270?"
Annnnd then, comes the popcorn!

My choice is the 7mm-08. Lighter recoil, you'll find excellent ammo in any store and the short action rifles will likely be a touch lighter to carry. You didn't ask, but I'd put that 7mm-08 ammo in a Tikka T3X lite stainless and never worry about if it's going to be accurate or if it's well protected from the weather.

This combination is custom-made for exactly what you stated you need.

Nice post, you are a quality asset to this forum.

I like the 708 myself.
What is the reasoning behind buying a pair of identical guns?

Pick a rifle that suits you, then worry about the cartridge. Never been to Texas (yet), but aside from nilgai, anything from .243 up ought to work. I picked a Fieldcraft 6 Creedmoor for my old man rifle, but it could easily have been a .243, 6.5, .270, or 7-08. The thirty cal rounds are on the edge of comfort and shootability in such a light rifle, I believe, and not really needed here.

7-08

Castle Rock...one non custom bolt action in an All weather SS/composite for wet weather or the nasty dense local hunting areas here in East Texas, and the other in a more traditional wood/blue...and yes I am turning 74 before this years hunting season starts. One hard lesson I learned early on was to always have a spare shooter on hand or to travel with, and the most common pairing in the past was a 270 & 300WMg for different ranges field conditions, then about 19 year ago became a 270 & a 6.5 Swede T3 after the health issues resulted the recoil tolarance concerns they are today. Nothing heals back to whatever was "normal" anymore.

Been shooting 270's for 50 years as the primary, with forays to hunt with into everything from the 243 1st rifle in 1967 to a couple belted mag's for everyday shooters over the years, so a more simple solution of one size fits all, like the 270 became for me all those years at this point seems to be a better answer, and the 7-08 was what I had arrived at after using a M70 7x57 a little last year for the first time...but discovered almost no 7x57 (or 280 ammo either) factory ammo on the shelf anywhere outside of the big city shops, so the 7-08 can take that role when I finally stop reloading too.

FWIW I am 2nd guessing myself with this request for other opinons, as the 7-08 seems to be THE no brainer, and yes the 6.5's have been a favorite, but have no experience with a Creedmore, but it is a viable choice with more and more available ammo anywhere these days and IMO a much better alternative than the usual 243 answer for recoil sensitive old folks and beginners. Thanks all.
Ron

I announced 5 years ago that I was buying my last 30-06. I drew the line, because I had a very full collection, especially in 30-06, and I was watching my near-80 hunting buddy start to have trouble dealing with recoil. What I figured was that over time I as going to start having similar problems, and it was a better idea to start exploring chamberings that had less recoil than '06. That last '06 has so far been the best rifle I ever shouldered, a Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06.

So here's the deal: Gundoc7 is dead right. I'm looking at this 280 vs 7mm08 thing myself. My take on it is that 7mm08 will do me for everything I need to do with considerably less recoil than 280 REM. For now, I'm still good with all my 30-somethings, but when the time comes, I'll move to 7mm08. I'm also expecting that I won't be shooting much past 250 yards into the foreseeable future.

280Rem looks great too. I'm sure that with the right loads, I could shoot it into my dotage, but there's more rifle there than I'm going to need.

simple for the average person when he buys a rifle > 7mm-08 reason rifles are easier to buy,ammo is easier to find,less recoil, 7mm-08 is accurate too.

Since your considering not reloading anymore and the the type of terrain mainly here in East Texas, the easiest choice is a 7-08.

The 7-08 is available in way more rifles of different makes and sizes. And as you said the ammo can be bought at nearly anywhere including Wallyworld.

I take it you live near Palestine since I see the "Dogwood Capital" reference.

If you are a 1 fun hunter, go 280

7-08

Short/lightweight rifle with small scope = 7/08
Longer/heavier rifle with larger scope = 280

You couldn't pick to closer performing cartridges if you tried. I think the 7mm-08 is a better package in terms of accuracy, ease of reloading i.e....easy on powder, ease of making brass from the worlds most common .308win etc. Ive had a pile of them and have used them very successfully on deer and paper and have never had a complaint. Its really the best cartridge we have going at this stage of the game imho.

I don't own one though...no good reason...but as rifle loonies all know guns come and go. I use a pair of 270s at this point...for no other reason than they are accurate and kick little but kill big. Same could be said of the 7mm-08...or the 280.

As a handloader i would still probably buy the 280 just because its less common in hunting camps...and the 7-08 has become so popular of a late....but I'm a loon

Buy the 7mm-08 and move on with life. You've got better factory ammo.

The old and very respected 7x57 has been used to kill large animals around the world without drama, the 7-08 offers the same performance in a shorter package. I'd be happy with the .08.

https://imgur.com/a/gvDvI2E

Enough said; 7mm-08 works for this (80) yr. old geezer!

Get the 7/08. Shorter action, lighter weight, easy on the shoulder, easy to reload for. I bought a Remington 700 CDL in 7/08 several years ago and it gave me fits as far as accuracy goes. I finally had it bedded and a trigger job done and now its a .5 MOA shooter with handloaded 140 gr. Accubonds. I used it last year on my west Texas lease and took a good whitetail at 302 yards off the sticks. He never knew what hit him.

7-08