Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is 7mm-08 heading towards obscurity?

At some point, 6.5 sales will level out too, once everyone that wants one gets it. Rifles are pretty much the ultimate in durable goods, so the usual sales cycle for such stuff will occur. I never got a 7-08 because it was too close to my .270s (before all the emphasis on short and light). Haven't bought a 6.5 CM because I have that niche surrounded by other stuff. I know where there are a couple of 6.5 Alpines available at a decent price right now, and I barely felt a twinge. Barely.

somebody will come up with a 7mm, or 6.5, or .308, or 6mm, whizbang flipsumhammer in the next year or two and then everyone will be wondering what happened to the 6.5CM.

I will keep my 30-06, .270, and 300 Savage for my big game rifles. Plenty of ammo in the stores and gun shows i frequent. For small game, varmints my .222 or 22 mag's will do all i need.

You guys must go to stores that only sell the latest wonder ammo rather than tried and true hunting ammo.

somebody will come up with a 7mm, or 6.5, or .308, or 6mm, whizbang flipsumhammer in the next year or two and then everyone will be wondering what happened to the 6.5CM.

I will keep my 30-06, .270, and 300 Savage for my big game rifles. Plenty of ammo in the stores and gun shows i frequent. For small game, varmints my .222 or 22 mag's will do all i need.

You guys must go to stores that only sell the latest wonder ammo rather than tried and true hunting ammo.

AR’s may be a bit more involved than a bolt gun for a new shooter. If she can handle it.

DF

I thought Ruger American comes in 6.5 Grendel. If so, is that a decent enough rifle? I've never used one.

I’ve never shot an RAR but people who have seem to like them.

A mutual friend of ours just bought a T/C Compass for a lady. Those are reportedly accurate. Not sure what rounds they are chambered for.

One of those is gonna cost less than an AR, a good one at least. They are a lot of gun for the buck.

DF

Because of mono bullets and penetration, I think a lot if people look at anything from 243 to 7mm08 as being capable of handling the same animals. AKA I don't think new/first-time rifle buyers are looking for multiple, specialized rifles. And the 6.5cm is the current "pound for pound" favorite. But 708 handles much heavier bullets and isn't going away. Wal-Mart near me doesn't carry several other cartridges that aren't going away either -- they just push what they can flip at highest volume to max profit. It's why they sell plastic and Beechwood rifles from Savage and Remlin, too.

The engineer in me got curious how the 6.5CM, 6.5PRC and 7mm-08 compare using mid-range bullet weights. Checked the ballistics using 6.5mm 129g and 142g LRAB and 7mm 140g AB and 150g LRAB. Used 7000ft altitude (my default) and MPBR zeroing for 6” diameter targets, Hodgdon load data for each weight, even if Hodgdon specified a different bullet. Used 130g bullet weights were data was not available for 129g and similarly used 143g data for 142g bullets. B.C values were taken from Nosler web site.

Also threw in data for a .280 Rem, which has a SAAMI MAP of 60,000psi, using a 155g Federal Terminal Ascent, since I’m working up loads for my .280 Rem. Federal load data, B.C. .586.

B.C. values used:
.530 = 6.5CM 129g LRAB
.625 = 6.5CM 142g LRAB
.485 = 7mm 140g AB
.546 = 7mm 150g LRAB
.586 = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

Here is the load data (all with 24” barrels):
6.5CM, 129g LRAB @ 2889fps
6.5CM, 142g LRAB @ 2814fps
7mm-08, 140g AB @ 2976fps (no 7mm LRAB under 150g)
7mm-08, 150g LRAB @ 2908fps
6.5PRC, 129g LRAB @ 3090fps
6.5PRC, 142g LRAB @ 2982fps
.280 Rem, 155g TA @ 2949fps

And the results ==================

MPBR Zero:
250yds = 6.5CM/129g LRAB
247yds = 6.5CM/142g LRAB
256yds = 7mm-08, 140g AB
252yds = 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
267yds = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
260yds = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
256yds = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

Drop @ 600 yds:
56” = 6.5CM, 129g LRAB
57” = 6.5CM, 142g LRAB
53” = 7mm-08, 140g AB
54” = 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
46” = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
48” = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
51” = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

Wind Drift @ 600 yds:
18” = 6.5CM, 129g LRAB
15” = 6.5CM, 142g LRAB
19” = 7mm-08, 140g AB
17” = 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
16” = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
14” = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
15” = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

2000fps:
730yds = 6.5CM, 129g LRAB
795yds = 6.5CM, 142g LRAB
725yds = 7mm-08, 140g AB
765yds= 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
875yds = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
940yds = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
855yds = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

1500fpe:
475yds = 6.5CM, 129g LRAB
600yds = 6.5CM, 142g LRAB
565yds = 7mm-08, 140g AB
650yds = 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
620yds = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
750yds = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
765yds = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

1000fpe:
850yds = 6.5CM, 129g LRAB
1040yds = 6.5CM, 142g LRAB
905yds = 7mm-08, 140g AB
1030yds = 7mm-08, 150g LRAB
995yds = 6.5PRC, 129g LRAB
1185yds = 6.5PRC, 142g LRAB
1170yds = .280 Rem, 155g Terminal Ascent

My thoughts ==================
If you are hunting smallish big game like antelope or limiting your shooting distances to 400 yards or under, you would need a microscope to tell the difference between the 6.5CM and 7mm-08. If going for larger game I might go with the heavier bullets offered by the 7mm-08. The 175g LRAB does very well, maintaining 1969fps/1500fpe out to 675yds with 70” drop and 16” wind drift at 600yds (2593fps M.V. per Hodgdon load data).

The 129g ABLR is still very capable at 600 yards, with 2145fps and 1318fpe. That is very similar to many .30-30 loads at 100 yards. The 6.5CM and 7mm-08 with bullets weighing 150g and less are both marginal for elk at 600 using my standard metric of 2000fps/1500fpe for elk, although I would prefer the 7mm-08. Or the 6.5PRC with the 143g bullet.

Love my .280 Rem.

The ultimate conversation stopper...

And if that don't do it, the ballistics tables will........

I think the Grendel will be perfect for her. I'm on my second, after some disillusionment with my first. This one's a Howa Mini with an aftermarket hinged floorplate. My handloads with 120gr Speer Gold Dots at an alleged 2600 fps are looking pretty good. Haven't shot anything other than paper yet, but the mild little round is a pleasure to shoot, and should give long barrel life. Have plenty of the spendier LRABS too. Mine came with both the standard and youth stock. Based on experience with a youth model 7.62x39, I used that one and added a slip-on pad, so it can go from short to long LOP in an instant.

Gotta tell you, as a totally disinterested party, I get a similar charge out of all the guys who are just as proud of not having one as the guys are who do. Then there are the sad .260 guys, who should just be enjoying their nice rifles instead of lamenting what might have been if only Remington had......yada yada yada.

BTW, those who have 7-08s should check out the numbers for 6.5 Staball in Hodgdon's new manual. Pretty sporty.

Not for me, but I'm an engineer with an electrical degree that studies quantum mechanics and astronomy as hobbies. I understand what ballistic calculations do and do not tell us, as do many others. They are quite useful for comparing destructive potential, less so for predicting actual results after impact because so many other factors then come into play.

It is much like using water jugs or shooting gel to determine what a bullet will do after impact with flesh and bone. The information is far from perfectly predictive but nevertheless provides a useful guide.

good grief...

Hey, it's useful for identifying the best deer bullet for a .300 win mag out to 200 yards.

Exactly

Hilarious

This is my second response to this thread. I think the immense popularity of the Crudmoor is a fad thing. It's probably here to stay and I can see it is a very useful round, I just doubt it's really better than some older cartridges. I think a lot of its popularity is largely due to market hype. It answered one particular question or rather resolved one issue. It allows bullets to be seated out farther than does a .260 Remington and that only in a short action like the Remington 700 Short Action. If you build one on an intermediate or long action you can get more performance out of the .260. Does it really have that many more bullet choices? And how many different bullets do you need? This was one argument against the .270 up until a few years back. Now there's plenty of bullets available for it. Also, the 7mm-08 has as many I believe. And as I said, How many bullets do you need? Even back in the 80s and 90s I hunted with the .270 and only needed a couple of weights. Sometimes I think that bullet availability argument is over blown for argument sake.

7mm-08s are everywhere around here. And you want ammo? Go to Wally World or Academy and it's all over the shelves.

The 7-08 is no johnny come lately round around here and people love it. I shoot a .270 most of the time, but if I didn't have one I can tell you I'd have a 7-08.

Probably a regional thing. I hear the .25-06 is quite popular in Texas too. Not so much around here.