Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm-08 Questions

I recently stumbled into a Remington Model Seven FS in 7mm-08. This is the one with the 18.5” barrel and Brown Precision stock. I’m deep into 30-caliber bullets and I was looking for a short-light 308 walking around rifle, but the price was too good to pass up. The plan was to make it a 308, but then I shot the donor. Now I’m torn about whether to keep it as is or continue on my original path of making it a 308.

So now I have questions.
1. The 7mm-08 will do most of what a 308 will do. I don’t shoot far enough to need the BC advantage that I’d get from 7mm bullets, and the barrel is too short to move them fast enough to do much good. Why should I leave this rifle as a 7-08?
2. Several posters here have commented that reloaders tend to overload the 7-08 more than most other cartridges. What are realistic velocities in a 18.5” barrel assuming 60k psi loads assembled by a careful, experienced handloader?
3. 7-08 ammo seems really scarce compared to 308 ammo. I handload, but I will fly commercial to hunt with this rifle and I want to be able to find ammo when not if the airline loses my baggage.
4. What bullet weights do you recommend for a 7-08 with a short barrel?

Thanks,


Okie John

If you reload 110 grain TTSX. Barnes 120 grain TTSX factory load. Nosler makes the .284 120 grain Ballistic Tip jacket pretty stout for deer.

The 139gr Interlock or Interbond are great bullets. 140 Partitions are always a good choice. You can go heavier but I never saw a need for deer. If elk was on the table, I would stick with the Interbond or the Partition. The 120 BT has a great reputation too. There are a lot of good choices out there. Before the recent supply shortage, the 7mm-08 was always available at every gun store.

What's the intended range?

I've seen stuff killed with the 110 TTSX, 120 TTSX, 120 NBT, 139 HIL, 140 Fusion, 140 NBT, and 145 Speer BTSP, all from 7mm-08 carbines. If you are only shooting at woods ranges and don't need the flatter trajectory of the lightweigh bullets, I like the 140gr class of softpoint at 2,700fps +/-. They kill just like a 150gr .308Win load. If you want to stretch things out a bit more, I really like the 120 TTSX. Suitable powders should take you to 2,900-3,000fps. I've seen them work rather well on deer and hogs.

I shoot a 120nbt over 44.5gr of varget out of my m7, its heck on our whitetail. I've always heard the 120s have a thicker jacket than the 140s and perform as well. That just maybe a rumour about their construction. I had to back way off the lands to get it to cycle reliably from the magazine, I think I'm about .040 away.

I'm looking for another 708, my son is about to inherit mine, the tikka veils are a unicorn but they are out there in it. If I come across one I'm buying it.

I shot a 270 for 20 years before I switched to the 708, doubt I'll ever change up again.

I did score 4 boxes of the hornady whitetail at academy awhile back for just in case purposes.

I share your apprehension about finding 7mm-08 ammo. I love my Tikka T3 in that cartridge, but I hoard ammunition for it - I will buy it anytime I find it available.

It kicks less than the .308, but that is pretty much the only practical difference. You can find 120gr, 139gr, 140gr and 150gr factory loads (when they are available) that will drop any game animal in American without fanfare.

If ammo availability is the most important factor, rebarrel to .308. But I would suggest you consider ordering the new barrel in a 20" length. I did that for a Remington Mohawk with an 18 1/2" barrel, and the extra length made it feel better in my hands and kept it steadier when shooting offhand.

P.S. There is normally a good number of Remington .308 take-off barrels available for a very reasonable price - and you can easily cut one to the length you choose.

Killerv - yes, the 120gr Nosler BT does have a thicker jacket. It was designed that way to knock down steel targets way back when, and then folks found it penetrated just great on most game animals as a bonus. It's a favorite of mine, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on just about anything in the lower 48.

I have a 7mm-08 and a .30-06. I shoot 139 gr. Hornady GMX in the 7mm-08 and Barnes 150 gr. TTSX in the .30-06. I can't tell a difference in how deer react to the shot of each. I shot a decent 8 pt. Kentucky whitetail deer a couple of years ago with a frontal shot from the 7mm-08. I hit him at the junction of the neck and the brisket. The deer dropped on the spot. The 139 gr. GMX traveled 3/4 the length of the deer. Based on that terminal performance, I would not hesitate to shoot an elk with it from any shot angle except a Texas heart shot.

So, in short, I have been pleasantly pleased with the performance of the 7mm-08.

Load us some Speer 130, 139 Hornady and 120 Barnes TTSX with faster burning powder, chrono them and then decide, if you're not happy with velocities sell the rifle and buy a 308 but don't ruin the 7-08.

Mine like 140 ballistic tips and 120 TTSX bullets. Deer and pigs like neither

The powders that give the most velocity from a 22" barrel will still do so from an 18" barrel.

Thanks for all the input.
• Now that I think about it, ammo availability is probably not the most important factor. I bought this rifle as a lightweight walking rifle, so it probably won’t travel, so I won’t need to find ammo anywhere but my loading bench. At least that’s my thinking today.
• If I do rebarrel, it would be to at least 20” and maybe 22”.
• I handload, so I’m not reliant on factory ammo.
• Most shots will be within 200 yards but I might (rarely) stretch to 350.
• I’d probably take a 30-06 for elk, but it’s good to know that the 7-08 could handle them.
• I have 100 rounds of Hornady’s 139-grain Interlock Whitetail load on hand. I bought it mostly to get the brass. I also have 400 each 139-grain Interlocks to load when that ammo becomes brass.

Thanks again,


Okie John

Yep, and the difference in muzzle velocity will probably only be about 100 fps, using the same bullet and powder charge....

One of my rifles likes that ammo enough that I quit loading for it and bought about 100 rounds. It's good stuff if your rifle likes it.

Congrats!! A Remington Seven FS in a Brown Precision stock is a serious find up here north of the 49th. Mine came through the Remington custom shop, and was scoped and tuned for this particular client.




Which Brown stock did you pick up? the leafy camo or gray version?

Being diagnosed as a rifle looney I bought a couple more 7mm-08s with 20" and 24" barrel lengths to cover any hunting scenario. Seeing as I inherited a mess of .284 bullets reloading for 7mm-08s has been my latest project at reloading bench.

Enjoy your FS, John. There are no wrong answers, only lots of different possibilities on how to play your hand.

That America Whitetail hunter ammo with the 139gr Hornady SP was sub moa from my ss XS-7 7-08 from the get go...mb

I’ve hand loaded the Hornady 139 sp for a long time and it works great, but if I could only have one bullet for the 7/08 it would be the 120 grain ballistic tip.

That's a gorgeous rifle. Mine is gray. It's missing the iron sights and a previous owner had his name engraved in the floor plate, but those are easy fixes. It also has a couple of chips in the finish, which someone tried (and failed) to cover up with spray paint.

The more I handle it, the more I like it. I shot a couple of groups with a 4x scope last week but I doubt they fully reflect what the rifle will do. I put a higher-powered variable on there and will probably take it to the range again this weekend. I also snagged a lightweight Swarovski 3-9 on the Classifieds this morning so that's probably what it will end up wearing.


Okie John

My 7-08s all shoot 120 TTSXs real well. I'm more than confident carrying them for anything in the lower 48.

I bought a used Weatherby Vanguard 2 in 7/08.
Have not been able to shoot it yet, but it looked unfired when I got it.
Always wanted one so scratched that itch, I now reload for more than 20 calibres, I am trying 120 and 140 grain bullets.

OP, in a light, short barrelled rifle like that I'd look no further than the Nosler 120 BTs.

In that short barrel.. 120 bt's. They kill like the hammer of Thor at 2800-3000 fps. In 3 different rifles 44-45 grains of Varget was the ticket.

Do you have a 6.5 CM? If not then that is not only your problem but your pathway to choosing to make this rifle a 308. I find that it’s often not that I am having a hard time choosing between two cartridges, it’s that I am not buying two cartridges to prevent me from buying just one and that the solution is just to buy two more rifles. Then after buying a 6.5 and a 308 I am still left with wondering and am suffering from buyers remorse, so I buy a 7mm-08 as well. Problem solved.

I know that feeling. At one time, I had three .260 Rems, a 6.5-284, a .280 AI, a 6mm Rem AI, a 6.5x47 Lapua, a 6.5 Creedmoor, several .308s, a .270 Winchester, a .30-06 and some others sprinkled in in the deer cartridge range. I've learned since to be content and mostly have .308 Winchesters for hunting along with a 6.5 PRC.

You are going to need more than that, if you want to fit in around here..

I’m working on it!

I used a rem 788 in carbine length since 1984. Hornady 139's always did just fine.
I now have 3 7mm08's and the hornady interlock is all i have EVER used.
Shots ranged from 10 to 235 yds.

I've burned out several 7-08 barrels shooting silhouettes. The life of a barrel is always been about 3,000 to 3,500 rounds for me..

LOVE MY 7-08. 22" BARREL shooting a 120gr Hammer Hunter at 2914 fps. Deer hate it.

Shot my 22” Rem 700 7-08 a couple times the other day to verify scope was still on. The 120 gr. NBT at 2975fps is pretty accurate.

120 or 140, whichever shoots best.

My hunting party has used the 7mm-08 for almost a decade. 140 Partition or AccuBond, whichever shoots better, over a max charge of Big Game, using a magnum primer.

Elk out to 409 yards, deer out to 541 yards, antelope to 375 yards.

I’ll be carrying my 7mm-08 next weekend hunting elk in Oregon.




P

The only deer I ever lost was with a 7-08 at 25 yards.

I’m a fan of lower SD mainly because if the shot is over 75 yards it really ain’t hunting anyway

Can you realistically pin that on the cartridge?

No, but it makes me feel good.

The buck was mounting a doe, when he came down I shot him, saw the hole, and dug the bullet out of the tree behind him. He made it 225 yards and went into a river. Bullet was Federal Fusion that in my opinion just made a pencil hole through the boiler room and most of the tree.

If I woulda stuck with the 7-08 I’da went to a explosive 120 grain.

I've seen quick kills on both elk and deer with the 7mm08. Four weeks ago I used a 7mm08 shooting a 140 grain Accubond over Big Game to kill a 250+ lb. Mule Deer buck. It put the buck down very decisively.

Me too

Fusions expand to a nice wide profile in my experience. That's with guys at my camp using 243, 270, 308 and 30-06. I can't explain your situation.

In 7mm08 my camp partner has had excellent results with 120 grain Sierras, 139 and 162 grain Interlocks. I loaded his ammo.

Shot a buck last year. 140 yards 140 gr NAB. He made 3 leaps and that was that. Heart was not hit.
S.

Thanks.

Rocky Mountain or Roosevelt?


Okie John

You going to be bringing your 150 eldx load? I was having fun with the 150gr Nosler partition the other day in my 7mm08. Shoots well enough to knock down a bull at any sane distance I'd shoot them at.

Sorry, I've got to call BS on this.

That will definitely work. Was out doing the same thing the other day, but running 150gr Nosler partitions. Since I'm more of an elk hunter, I always load a bullet I know is going to work on those bigger deer..

I get it but unfortunately true. Very nice 10pt about 225lbs. I was kind enough to let him finish his business. I always wondered if he were to survive would he ever have sex again.

At least you had the decency to let him finish.

Yeah. My dad and I trailed blood and chunks of fat and tissues to the river.

Rosie.

Cascade elk season.

Weather forecast is calling for an inch of rain opening day. Shìt.





P

Yep, 150 eldx over BG. Hunting solo in an area I’ve killed bulls but haven’t hunted in 19 years. I only get the weekend so I’m staying close to home.




P

Thanks for the quick answer.

Pouring rain during elk season is no fun, but it sure separates the men from the boys.


Okie John

The rain is not preferred but tolerable. I get rained or snowed on all the time. It’s the wind I don’t like.
S.

Sigh. That does truly suck, but at least you will be out there.

Good luck Pharm!!

Same here on the 120 gr. Ballistic Tip.

When I got my 7/08 it was going to be a one trick pony, just only going to shoot the Hornady 139 grain soft point.
But started picking up 7mm bullets on the bargain shelf and hearing good things about the ballistic tips and Barnes TSX and next thing you know I’m using half a dozen different bullets. The good thing is a wide variety of bullets will get the job done.

my young son shot his first deer last year during our southern rut. the 185lb 8 point was trailing a doe and i stopped him twice. on the second stop he was broadside at 40 yards. my son hit him hard and broke the onside shoulder while exploding the heart and exiting the offside just behind the shoulder. the buck ran 40 or so yards and piled up. the projectile you ask...........the 120 grain ballistic tip running round 3k outta the muzzle.
Big Ed

I've been a huge fan of 140 AB's and 120 BT's for the last 10 years. In my 24" McWhorter, the AB's run 2820fps, the 120's 3097fps. I recently chopped the barrel to 18" and added a suppressor. The 140's now avg 2725fps, and the 120's avg 2970fps. All loads have always been most accurate for me using Varget. I could probably add a few fps's by using Big Game, but don't think I'll be hindered with these Varget loads. Love this chopped setup so far.

We’ve got a string of one-shot kills on bull moose and elk using the 7-08 with 162 AM, 140 TTSX, 139 IL, and 140 Fusion, and the 6.5 CM with 127 LRX and 147 ELD.

The terminal beauty in the 7-08 and similar is that they start high-SD bullets at <2700 fps, or lighter monos at 2800-3000+ fps. In those speed regimes the corresponding bullets just plain work.

I don't know your age, but I can tell you from experience that the older you get, the less likely recoil makes shooting fun. I had to go lighter due to neck problems. I would definitely keep the 7-08 and get good with it. You can do anything the 308 can do with heavier loads, but you always have a option for less recoil loads as time goes by.

True words.

My dad’s final bull. My dad was 77 at the time. A single 140 gr AccuBond at 225 yards.








P

I really like that picture pharmseller

+1

DF

Yep.

I think we can all agree on this great photo.

+1 also.


Okie John

Yup…..great photo

Great photo! Treasured memory.

Good advice ^^^^

I’d say shoot the rifle and hunt with it a few times and your desire for a 308 will probably go away. I built my mom a 21” barreled 7/08 for her trip to africa. Loaded it with 140TTSX over varget and she smacked the hell out of several animals including gemsbok, kudu and a big zebra. My buddy has a browning micro medallion and I load 140BT’s for him and it’s always been very effective on whitetail deer. I finally found a little SS M7 here in the fire and loaded hornady 139 boat tails and some RL15 and was very impressed by it. Once I shoot up my current 139’s I’ve already got a load worked up with 120TTSX’s and I’ll probably just use them from here on out. Not that I think the 139’s aren’t adequate. At the mild velocity they are going they’ve plowed through everything I’ve pointed them at and left very good blood trails. I’ve killed more big game species with a 308 than any other caliber but I don’t thing I can tell any difference between it and a 7/08. They both work very very well when pointed correctly.

My first experience with a 7-08 was a long time ago. While on a TPW Park Hunt just north of San Antonio, 2 young men mebbe late teens or early 20's showed up with one each of the just hit the market only a month earlier caliber, and using dead stock RP factory ammo. They proceeded to harvest what ever they wanted in that section of the Park that had no limits on EXO's or Hogs ....but what still sticks most in my memory most from back then was they were Kosher Jewish ... and were cleaning out all the hogs with DRT shots in response to the Park Rangers strong admonition about having too many hogs in the Park and the young'uns were giving the hogs away. I had never seen a 7-08's performance before but they made a memory of the close to long for me 3-400 yard shots or any distance 1 round DRT shots ...and used me and my partner to load their critters in their pickup so they could stay Kosher. We hoisted "our" hogs up a tree for a "refrigerator" as we were gonna take a couple to take home 8 or 10 days later, along with our WTail's and any EXO's we scored. My first Axis came from that trip.

OK I got a 2nd ?? I came into a a very nicely restored M70 Fwt in 7x57 a couple years ago and only shoot it sparingly in place of my beloved 270's and am toying with the idea of dropping the barreled action into a M70 factory composite stock and preserve the FWT 's nice wood stock? ....or do I sell the 7x57 to get the kind of 7-08 performance ya'll have described from a NIB 7-08 that has just been expressed for me in max max loading better built 120's & 130 gr's and not use the heavier 140grain bullets I'm running now in the 7x57, So My ? is what weight bullets can I use to get the MV closer to a 7-08's range of speed and still get the DRT performance on WT's, hogs and EXO's ?

3rd ? I just bought my first 6.5CM last week , and have a wide selection of bullets left over from several previous 6.5s that have have been sold off ...So...Same ? as above ....only what max weight bullets are going to perform comparable to a 7-08 in the bullet range's from the above posts ?

Same range of critters are on the menu...just the hogs could be 150-200lbs + where I've hunted most recently. Last hog taken last January was at about 200+ yards was bang flop from a 270 in 140's and weighed a little over 200lbs. on the Park's scale. I shoot mostly 140's these days in a 270.
Ron

If you have to second guess buying any 7mm08 in a good platform, you need whooped upside your head.

I picked up a 7-08 model 7 a few years ago. Had that god awful poorly balanced wood stock and the 18 inch barrel. I put a predator stock on it and it balanced pretty good but I picked up a stainless 22 inch Mountain rifle barrel and a chrome moly 22 inch Mountain rifle barrel in 308 planning to re barrel the rifle when I decided which caliber I wanted. Well the short 18 incher shoots just fine and I have left it on for the duration. H414 and the 145 gr. Speer BTSP are working great and getting over 2700 fps. My summer load for hog hunting is a mild charge of I4350 pushing a 140 gr. Partiton to around 2600fps. I scoped it with an old Weaver 3 power equipped with a post reticle. So far everything I have pointed it at out to 250 yards has gone down quickly. I find myself picking this rifle for too many hunts making my other rifles jealous.

I'd bought a 7-08 if the store had had one for sale at the same price as the T/C CM I bought. I've been told couple times recently if I sell/trade the M70 FWT 7x57 I can get into an upper grade 7-08 pretty easily. CM's OTH allow me to burn up most or all of the K of 6.5 bullets sitting on the shelf when the cherry condition 6.5 x55 Tikka T3 did not and thats why it's out on Consignment...but I also think I'll look for another 7Rmg again too.

A friend I know who teaches Long Range Shooting at his 800 yard Range, and still competes in LR Matches said recently he's just bought his 16 year son a 7-08, so I understand the bonus the 7-08 allows..and why it is so tempting to up grade into a 7-08 from the 7x57. OTOH I get told the 7x57 is just as functional as a 7-08 so I'll keep it and use my 270's until I stumble into a steal of a deal ...which is what I've done for the last 5-6 years I've had the M70 FWT 7x57. At my age I'm getting ready for a couple years worth of the non stop Last Hurrah.
Ron

That says it all right there. Sounds like a damn lot of second guessing going on in sacron's case..