Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What does the 7-08 offer that the 308 cannot?

If elk hunting in close quarters, I can't imagine that a full house load from a 7mm-08 using a 140g TSX at 100 yards and closer would leave anything to be desired ...

understand that I'm not an elk hunter, and I've never shot at, much less connected with an elk, so I'm 'speculating' here ... but given what the 120g TSX can and will do, ...

It's not mine to sell anymore! My 8 year old boy shot it for the first time over the weekend and has laid claim to it.
Full power loads with 100 grain TSX's put a big smile on his face.
I'm going to have to load up some plinkers for him so save some money.



.... And I miss that dog, but he sure did taste good!

Old Women

+1

There's nothing I'd hunt with one I wouldn't hunt with the other. But, if .308 recoil was objectionable, I'd likely drop down to a 25, and likely based on the .284 case.

Yes, the .308 win's on bullet choice, factory ammo, availability, selction of rifles et al. That said the 7-08 has a few advantages of it's own.

All that said, the 7-08 with a good 120-140 gr bullet, and the .308 with a good 150-168 gr bullet will take any NA game with good shot placement. Pick your poison and place your shots, it's just that simple.

Exactly, Tom 264 and AGW.

I have shot many deer with the 7-08 and they all fell right where they were standing when I pulled the trigger. My daughter and I each killed deer with a 308 last year and they fell right in their tracks also. I don't think any of them knew the difference. I have converted from a 7-08 fan to a 308 fan but I don't know why.

However, my 270-08 has a sexy looking cartridge. The many 130 grain bullets available for it are just perfect for this case size. I have not shot a deer with it yet but I bet it will work.

If you have any reasons such as BC or lighter bullets pushing you to 708, you should go to the 260 Rem; otherwise there is not a justifiable difference.

Gregory-you're running a 270/08, cool beans if you don't mind PM me a bit about your rifle that round is one I've always wanted to do.

Thx

Mark D

Thanks Britt, good info there.



I'd try either of those if they weren't so hard to come by!

Mark, Yes I am running a 270/08. You and I discussed it earlier in PMs. It is a Model 7 with a 22" Lilja Barrel. Shoots great. I am working down the loads that the previous owner had with it. He liked them hot. I am trying to get them into reason, but it looks like 3000 fps with 130s is very possible.

I guess I'm another one that has had one of the "exceptions."

John

Were they handloads? If so, what was the COAL?
None of mine were over 2.800".
Just curious.

I just like the 7mm-08 better. If I thought there was a difference in effectiveness between the two, I might make a different choice, but I don't...

Jaywalker

I was using 105 gr Speer Hot Cores and was trying to get 2.825", the listed COL. The bullets wouldn't fit squarely in the magazine box. They would get cocked and jam. I had to go to about 2.810" max, they shot better at 2.825 if I fed them singly through, so I guess I was just frustrated that the gun made by Remington for THEIR cartridge wouldn't support THEIR designed COL. At least mine wouldn't. I ended up trading mine for a 30-30 (camp gun) and $100.

OK, I see.

Thanks,

That was one thing I did not like about the Remmy Mnt rifle I had in 7mm-08,,, using polimer tipped bullets you could not set them out far enough to get in the sweet spot close to the lands,,,one thing I like about the savage 7mm-08s,,, the mag box has plenty of room for the longest pointiest of bullets.

That Remmy Mnt riffle had a 2.82 max OAL and still function in the mag box,,, the sweet spot for that chamber /throat was 2.859 OAL with the 120BT,,, setting it that much deeper made a huge difference in groups, from .5moa at 2.859 to 1.5+moa at 2.82 OAL,,,

Both my savage 7mm-08s are in the sweet at 2.853 with the 120BT and there is lots of room left in the box,,, the consistancy with these two guns is crazy,,, one is 2.863 to the lands and the other is 2.865 to the lands with the 120BT,,, both shoot under .75 with the exact same loads of 45 grains varget, 120 BT set at 2.853, and full resized win brass for an average of 2975fps in one and 3010fps in the other.

The shorter remmy box was the only problem I've ever had reloading for a 7mm-08

I pushed that same bullet up to 46 grains varget but report and recoil were up as well as some slight flattening of the primers,,, 45grains has been the perfect deer killer

I guess I see it like this:

If I need a bigger bullet than a 7mm to do the job... I want one that's WAY bigger (.358 or more). This is why I'm not a fan of any .30 cal rifle... I'm not saying they're not effective, in fact quite the opposite. However, I feel the 7mms are equal in killing ability on all game I'd shoot with any gun smaller than a .338 Win. The 30's may pack a bit more punch across the board, but you pay for it on the other end. Make mine a 7mm-08 vs. 308, a .280 vs 30-06, 7 Mag vs. .300 Mag... and so on. If I need a bigger gun, I'll go .358 Norma or .375 H&H, but hey... that's just me. ~JT