Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7-08 in Africa

Haven’t been around here in a long time though I used to be fairly regular. In 2020 I'm making my third trip to Africa. My primary interest in this trip is the experience and time with my sons. I’ve shot about everything I want to, so my personal trophy list will be small. The largest animal I will try for is a Waterbuck. In 2013 I took a 30-06 shooting 180 gr. Partitions, and in 2015 a 375 H&H shooting 270 gr. TSX’s.

In 2020 I will be 78. I have been blessed with good health and reasonable strength and energy. But I find myself occasionally looking for easier ways. I have a NULA in 7-08 that shoots 140 gr. Accubonds at 2750 FPS extremely well. I can’t see why that less than six pound rifle won’t do the job with that load. I bought this rifle for my dotage. If I’m not there, I guess I’m getting close!

Any counter- arguments?

Hi Al,

No arguments from me. Aside from having used the 7x57 on African game up through kudu, one of my hunting companions on a month-long trip to South Africa in 2007 used the very combination you're planning. I was right next to him when he shot a big blue wildebeest bull, considered my many to be perhaps the toughest of the plains game. He shot the bull in the right place at around 200 yards, and it ran about 50 yards before piling up.

Amazing how that works, huh?

Thanks for your thoughts, John. I think of you at least every time I find a bottle of Clontarf! 😉

Certainly solves a lot of issues and minutiae arguments.

Al,

Clontarf makes me think of you too! The liquor store in our little town carries it, partly because quite a few of our friends like it as well....

My dad at 77 with his biggest bull. 7mm-08, 140 Accubond (just one), mv 2850, 225 yards. Note the entrance wound.





I chose the Mighty -08 for him since he wanted to downsize from his .30-06.

You’ll be more than fine.




P

I have a 85 FL in 7-08 and starting to think its all I will ever need for North American hunting. I have a brand new 85 FL 270 wsm that is just sitting there new in the box and not in a hurry to use it either lol.

Hey, the .270 works just as well as the 7mm-08!

That’s great to see a 77 year old man out doing what he loves.

Boddington thinks enough of the 7mm-08 to outfit his wife and daughter with it, and they seem to have had no problem racking up one shot kills, same as the 7x57 has been doing for over 100yrs.

Africa is THE place for any type of nice "Stalking Rifle". Myself, I like the Barnes, but those AB's will work swell. I'm glad you are getting to go!

I'd think 7mm-08 in a good spot with a good bullet would be fine for anything up to and including eland. Though ive never been to africa.

An old friend bought a couple spots for a PLains Game 5 head Safari at DSC couple years back. Gave one spot to his next door neghbor who had never been to Africa to hunt and registered his wife the other ticket.. Both of them are past 75 and been to Africa several times.with the wife running the camera most of the time and not behind the trigger.

As Poop would happen, The guys wife fell off a ladder and broke some stuff 2 weeks before the departure date and couldn't even stand the air travel for that long at a time, so for sure she can't go ....but her Browning Lever Carbine 7-08 was already registered and his guns were not registered at all.

SO the guy and the couple next door took the trip and they took all the heads allowed. This guy is about 6'5" bare foot and except for looking a little strange with a child sized rifle sez the short barreled 7-08 put'em down without a hitch as none of the shots were over 200+ yards. He dinnit mention what ammo he was using but said he was not concerned since the wife is deadly on Texas critters with whatever the ammo she uses is.
Ron

7mm-08 is one of the most overlooked/underrated cartridges of all time.

Absolutely ! ! !
Pharm’s Dad was 78

KUDOS !!!!!!


Jerry

ps: Don’t know what I did or didn’t but quote didn’t
turn out like I planned. Like it anyway.

My thoughts: the 7-08 is a great round.

How is the 7mm-08 overlooked and underrated? Quite a rifle companies chamber it, and even here in Montana (where many hunters are still convinced nothing less than a .300 magnum will kill elk) I generally run into hunters carrying 7-08's--including the daughter of a good friend of mine, who took her first deer last year with the 7-08 I loaned her.

Somebody else already mentioned how Craig Boddington got one for this daughter to use when she started hunting, and Craig has been mentioning how well it it works ever since.

Some years ago I saw PH Dirk De Bod's son, Dirkie , cull multiple Gemsbok with a 7-08 loaded with Dirk's 7-08 handloads (150 grain TSX). Dirkie was about 11 years old if I recall. He is an excellent hunter and shot them all at <100 yards. A Gemsbok is a fairly large ungulate. All were one shot kills.

A few years later, on a friend's farm, the farmer used a .270 to cull Eland for market.

Bullet construction and shot placement are critical to success. Except for some DG animals, a well placed bullet from a 7-08, 7x57, .30/06 etceteras (IMO) is sufficient for most PG applications.

I find this a very interesting thread. Al, I'm 34 years your junior and kudos for doing as you quote "spending your life wisely". If you don't mind I'm gonna use that one. Back in 1989 I was a freshman in high school and I saved my yard mowing money till I could afford a brand new Remington model Seven in 7mm-08. My sister 4 years older and 18 at the time took me to a local Jewish pawnshop and I ordered and bought the Model Seven. I killed everything I pointed that rifle at and don't think anything ever went more than 50 yards afterwards. Back then when everyone else was on the 742 30-06 Woodsmaster kick you'd thought I'd slapped the Pope having such a awkward little rifle such as a 7mm-08. I stand behind my awkward choice in caliber to this day. I'd take it in a heartbeat to Africa for plains game and I'd smile every time another one dropped handsomely to that weird little ol 7mm-08.