Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is the 7-08 dying?

I have owned 4. I sold a Rem Model 7, but still have 3, all Kimbers. I picked up a Montana first (reason I sold the Model 7), then an Adirondack for use with a suppressor, and finally a SuperAmerica I ran across “used” for a sweet deal! I personally love the 7mm-08! Yes, ammo has been hard to find, but not impossible. I do reload but time has been tight the past couple of years, not to mention some components. I’m closing in on retirement and reloading/shooting more is at the top of my list!

I also have a couple of Creedmoors including a Kimber Mountain Ascent I picked up off the classifieds here this past summer. I have shot 2 deer and a big boar feral hog with it this year. I honestly would’ve preferred a 7mm-08 in the same rifle, if I could have found one. Nothing against the Creedmoor or any other 6.5, I’m just a big 7mm fan myself.

My 7-08 and my 7x57 kill everything I shoot RIGHT THERE. I mean like instantaneously roll over and die. I’m sure lots of rifles can do that but they seem to work all out of proportion to their size and recoil. I don’t have a 6.5 Creedmoor but I do have a 6.5x55 and at least with the deer I have shot, the effect has not been as dramatic as the 7 mm’s.

With two 7x57’s in the safe, I would have a hard time convincing myself to buy a 7mm-08. Where I deer hunt these days, shots are seldom more than 150 yards. The few fps extra with the 7-08 doesn’t really matter.

I never have seen many rifles or ammo for 7-08 here. Never understood why. Bunch of people here used to use 7 Rem Mags.

No, I'm not. It was an honest question about the relevance of 7-08 in today's market. The "dying" part may be a touch dramatic, but I'm not a pot stirrer (or smoker )

On a completely unrelated note, did you ever play around with your BOSS equipped Winchester? Curious to know how it did for you.

I wonder is ammo availability has something to do with it. From last hunting season until about late September or early October of this year I couldn't find a box of .270 for sale anywhere.

Read the top of the list you quoted.

I did. I’m a minimalist at heart and don’t like keeping stuff around I don’t use. But at least two 308’s will always been at my house!

I think you hit it on the nail head zoner, not the most popular cartridges but the most popularly availible ammo produced in the last 2 years. 30-30 ,300 sav.,winchest short mags, 35 rem,25-06, 270,280,243,etc are all still popular but the ammo was damn scarce. When you did find it people were buying multiple boxes and it didn't last long. Makes you wonder where these marketing dickheads.
Have their heads.

If I may.......

I don't currently reload. I have been assembling all the necessary stuff and will begin soon.

I think it is well known that a whole raft of cartridges basically do the same thing. I know, I know, "my cartridge is better than yours".

I want to like the 7mm-08 and it can be argued that it is "better" than the (insert cartridge here) and I won't disagree with you.

Couple of problems, I'm left-handed, which means I don't get the full spectrum of cartridges available to me in many factory rifles and 308 ammo is everywhere.

You can find ammo for about anything if you search hard enough but.......... The options are limited. Meaning, I can readily find 308 with about any bullet for about any application.

You guys really make me want a 7mm-08 and it may happen down the road but for now the 308 is the easy button. I think that may be why it is "languishing" at the moment.

PS. Don't hate on me for not reloading. I'm working on it!

Bet .270 Win. is on the Ammo List.




GR

I'm not sure I'm buying the data after looking at the list multiple times. Things that were also scarce are there, which makes me think that isn't why 270 is missing and 6.8 is there. I'd want to know the scale of the data reported and see sources before assuming this wasn't an advert for 6.8 and 6.5prc. I NEVER see 6.8 where the vast majority of folks buy guns and ammo. But it jumped 7 mag and is trailing on 308? Eh...

I've always wanted one, but being in suburbia, ammo availability hasn't been great for that cartridge for decades. .243, 30-30, 30-06, all the staples.

Looking now, I still want a short action deer round, and the 7mm-08 and 6.5 cred are on that short list. The 6.5 seems a little more recoil friendly and I just prefer that these days. Sure, the 7mm-08 isn't a slapping 30-06, but if I can get the job done with less recoil, then why not.

Are my assumptions off?

I don't have a 6.5 creed but have a .260 and a 7-08. I don't notice any real difference in recoil between the two.

Agree. To me, 6.5, 708, and 30-30 are all basically the same and negligible. I feel a drop from them to 243, but not much.

By the looks of things at the LGS today I would say no. More 7-08 ammo than just about anything else.

I'm not saying those numbers are wrong, but it seems suspicious. More 300 WM sold than .308? More 6.5 PRC sold than either of those and the 30-06?

The store manager probably knows it's popular in your area?

Yes, your assumptions are off.

Don't shoot the messenger.

I thought it a bit peculiar. The guy has a lot of contacts in the industry but who knows - he could have just been relying on a single manufacturer for his data.