Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm08 Articles?

Why is it that there are so few articles written about the 7mm-08? It seems like the only time it gets any press is when it happens to be chambered in a rifle that is being reviewed, like John Haviland and Brian Pearces stories on Kimber rifles. It's such a wonderful little round, and with all the debate between it and the 270 Winchester, I would think it would be a no-brainer for some writer to pick it up and run with it. So why doesn't it get any press?

Because the 308 is better . . . .

John Haviland wrote one entitled "My Turn with the 7mm-08" in Rifle or Handloader several years back. Real good article and it was before his article on Kimber. Thinking they used a Model 7 and then a Model 70 Compact or Featherweight with great results on elk and deer. I'll see if I can dig it out.

Handloader, October 2005, No.237

The Haviland house used the 7-08 quite a bit this fall. Two elk and two deer so far. My elk was shot with 140-gr. North Forks and my mule deer with Barnes 120-gr. Triple Shocks. My son used Barnes 140-gr. Tipped Triple Shocks on his elk and deer.

I had to argue with my son to use a .300 WSM instead of his 7-08 moose hunting this fall. The .300 worked fine on the 46" bull he shot. But I think his 7-08 would have worked just as well.

John Haviland

John,
Have the barrels worn out yet? That's mighty fine results, seeing as how you're "undergunned" and all!
Regards,

There is a hierarchy of importance here.

The rifle is more important than the cartridge.

The shooter is more important than the rifle.

The hunting skills are more important than the shooter.

At least for me and hunting anyway.

The .280 Short is pretty good cartridge. Of course a lot of them are.

jim

John, What type rifles are your 7mm-08 in? What type of scope?
I just traded for a Ruger 77 RSI Stainless in 7mm-08 with the 18 1/2 inch barrel but I have never had a 7mm-08 before.
The light weight and short barrel should be right at home in the THICK stuff we have to hunt deer in Alabama, If I could settle on a scope and factory load for it.
AMRA
WAR EAGLE !!!!!!

John, good info..thanks for posting.....how did the 140 Northfork do on the elk? Curious as I have not used them yet,but want to....

I'd like to see how the 7mm-08 does with some of the newer powders. I don't know how well RL17 would work, or IMR 4007, but Hybrid 100V might really give it a boost. I always find it easier (and less expenisve) to read an article updating the load data for a cartridge, rather than waiting and buying all the updated reloading manuals. Plus the fact that the data comes from actual hunting rifles, instead of test barrels.

I`m no writer and haven`t tried most of these powders but, IMR4007 works very well in my 708. The velocities aren`t exceptional but are as fast as any, accuracy is very good, better then most, and the powder seems to work with most bullet wgts I employ. You might want to try a can if you`ve a 708 around the house. R17 may just be another good one. I just picked up a can and have thought about where to try it 1st.;)

Of course a new powders article could be written about any cartridge. I actually think 7-08 articles could be tough to write--it is so unflashy, well-mannered, and balanced. Stuff dies. So what's to say/sell/hype?

And that is not to take anything away from the cartridge; as my username indicates, I have a certain affinity for the cartridge and have used it for antelope to elk.

AMRA:

My son's 7-08 is an original Model Seven with the 18.5" barrel and a Nikon 4x scope. My 7-08 is a Featherweight Model 70 with a 22" inch barrel and a Leupold 2.5-8x scope.

BobinNH:

The Forth Fork worked fine on the elk. the distance was a bit over 100 yards, maybe 150 yards. The bullet hit it in the front of the chest, took the top off the heart and went into the stomach. The elk ran about 30 yards and went belly up.

The Barnes Triple Shock I used on my deer wored fine, too. When I gutted the deer I found one of the bullet's petals in the lung. So the bullet had fully expanded by the time it had penetrated a couple inches.

What is a cartridge without a bullet? Worthless.
What is a Rifle without a cartridge? Next to worthless.
What is a shooter without a rifle? Just a man.
What is a hunter without hunting skills? Maybe a shooter, yet.

My point? Heck, if I know.

Its all meaningless, the 308 is better . . . . .

Why no articles?

Because no one is willing to pay to have one written.

It is all about the latest, greatest fad, didn't ya know?

Thanks for the information ELK
AMRA

I know moose are the larger of the two. But elk are damn tough.. Moose as tough as elk??

I've seen some stuff killed. But I've never seen stuff killed like the -08 dose it..

Thats true - except when thirsty. Then a glass of water is better.

Depends on the moose, I helped some guys track one for 4hrs this yr that just wouldn't give up after multiple hits, however it seems whenever I hunt with the wife hers have been bang flop. I tell her that isn't usual but the last 3 times she has proven me wrong.
This year her 700 mtn rifle was shooting 120gr tsx, w/47.0 gr of H4350 / Fed-210M accounted for bang flop of bullwinkle in Sept & her first mulie in Oct with the same reaction.