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

Sako only offers their Model 85 Grey Wolf in 7-08, not 308. I love both cartridges, but wanted a 308.

Of course the Government issues 9mm's to our troops instead of .45 or .40. Then there's the 5.56. instead of something that is actually effective outside of 200 yards. Not sure I'd put a lot of stock in "Gov issue" having any correlation to "better".

Yeah, that's weird. Maybe there is some sort of mix-up with the info on the websites? Sako Ltd shows that the same rifle is available in 308 in their literature. They don't call it the Grey Wolf though. It is called the, "Laminated Stainless," or something to that effect. Maybe that version of the model 85 is not available in 308 in the states? If that is the case, then that is definitely weird, and really does support the notion that maybe the 7mm-08 is becoming more popular with current hunters.

It can be hyphenated.

Your post brings up a reason not to have a .308 Winchester to hunt with. The dang thing has used up all my reasons to buy another rifle. My wife knows I killed a 6x5 elk at 348 yards with a little 700 Remington Classic, 24" barrel, 165 grain Barnes XLC BT at 2900 fps. I've killed all my mule deer with a similar Remington ADL with 22" barrel, using factory Remington PSP 180 grain bullets. Where is my reason to need another magnum rifle? I'm getting desperate for excuses. Luckily, I have that "big moose need a classic .338 Magnum" story in reserve. Hope she doesn't hear anyone bragging about killing one with a .30-30, 170 grain at 2200fps for crying out loud!
I like the 7-08 because it's the modern, streamlined version of the 7x57mm. It can produce the same velocity with the classic heavy bullet, 175 grain at 2440 fps, from a 19 inch barrel instead of a 26 inch one. I loved the picture of Finn Aagard's dad with two dead lions, taken with his 7x57mm.
One of my email shooting story buddies looked all over until he found a 7-08 on a Model 7, he loves it.

Nothing in the real world...go 308

Listen to Allen Day, he knows as much as anybody about guns

Yea, the 308 case is underpowered!

These threads are nothing more than comedy at best!

MtnHtr

My choice goes to the underpowered 30-06 (308)because I have used this one, a BDL first year with 20" barrel for about 25 years. To the guys that dont like the 308, all I can say is the 15 or 16 bucks I have shot with mine didnt like it either!

yeah i know, i never met a deer that liked the 308

Gotta agree with ya. The five I shot last year with my Montana truly did not like the experience.

I'm thinking of a lightweight 308Win (Kimber?) to supersede my heavier 270Win. Just had orthopaedic surgery on my leg for my knee and i figure the lighter the better. My sons camo 308 Steyr Scout is a great shooter and now i'm a convert!

As for ammo availability, stuff all chance of finding 7mm08 in most outback shops!

Just to add. My son is 16, bought the rifle when he was 14 and he loves shooting it, more than his Sako 223.

Was over at a local Wally World a few evenings ago. They have four different factory round offerings in 308 in two different bullet weights, and by three different manufacturers. Guess what they have available in 7mm-08? Nothing... They don't even stock it. And, that's Wally World, in a decent sized town in the middle of prime big game hunting territory. Something else I thought of at the time was, all of the local specialty gun shops were already closed. What if opening day of deer season was to be the next morning, and I needed ammo in a pinch? I would have been SOL if I had needed 7mm-08 ammo. There's no doubt that 7mm-08 is great, but I sure am glad I went with 308 instead this time around. Of course, you could always argue the fact of "planning a little better" and buy 7mm-08 cartridges from one of the local gun shops a few days before; especially if deer season was to open the next morning.

I would choose the 308 over the 7-08. Both are great rounds and there isn't much difference with either. The same with the 30-06 as opposed to the 280 or 270.

I like to shoot and have no interest in reloading. The 308 and 30-06 are available in cheap practice rounds from Federal American Eagle, Winchester USA and Remington UMC. Consequently, I can shoot alot more with the 308 or 30-06 than I can with other rounds that are just as capable but more expensive.

It also seems that where ever I go you can always find the 308 but you don't always see the 7-08.

I would add that the 308 Win is more versatile on the upper end. Throwing 200 gr bullets at 2450 fps is on par with throwing 225 gr 358 Win loads out to ranges of 250 yards. With 180 gr and 200 gr loads, it is a much better black bear and moose rig than the 7-08 Rem. In real world use, the 308 Win is performing pretty much the same as a 30-06 on soft skin game. The difference in field performance is not discernible. The 308 Win retains very good energy and accuracy out past 300 yards and is comfortable to shoot. So you have a short action that performs like the 30-06 and is in the same class of ballistics and trajectory as the 7-08 Rem. Sweet!

Curious note here, I am at my parents for a week in northern Minne and was in the local Wallmart yesterday and the farm fleet the day b4.

I saw enough 308 ammo to take out a small country and I kid you not not one box of 7/08.

Dober

I have one of each. No good reason why. I like em both without partiality.


Long

I believe it...

Thats reason enough! Some folks suffer from insecurities if they don't see 10 different brands of the same cartridge sitting on the shelf. Visions of being SOL while hunting out in Bumf_k Egypt running rampant thru their brains, they convince themselves their choice is the only choice.

POS 7-08s and a host of others, I think the factories ought to offer only one chambering (like the 30/06) for us so we don't wind up being ammoless the next time we go hunting in India!

MtnHtr

When you going hunting in India?




















Grin...