Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why 7-08 over .308

I've been hunting with my .308s for the past few years, and very happy with the results. I see a lot of folks here talking about 7-08s as being their favorites, much more than .308s. I have the chance to buy one, and I'm wondering:

A. Do I need (relative term) one if I've got a .308.

B. What if anything makes it better than a .308

308 is better.

No.

Less recoil with equivalent or better BC.


Travis

Cooooool...


We havent had a 7-08 vs. .308 thread for awhile.

The last one was EPIC!

Equal results with less recoil. As eager to please as the .308.

I have never owned a 308, but I KNOW I like my 7-08.

donsm70

Post your load.

Why not? It's a short action 7x57. So the logic goes like this: The 308 is a short action 30-06; the 7-08 is a short action 7x57; the 7x57 is cooler than the 30-06, therefore the 7-08 is cooler than the 308.

The real answer is to have both in identical rifles, then think too much about the choice between them and end up selling both to buy a custom 30-06.

Of course you need a 7mm 08 but not because its better or worse than the 308.

I like the way you think....

Recoil is the only practical reason I know of. May or may not matter to a feller, considering they aren't THAT different in terms of recoil. Might matter enough to matter with light rifles and heavy bullets. Or not.

As far as impractical reasons, .308 will forever be the "almost 30-06".... it's a wannabe. 7-08 is it's own thing.

If you have a 308 and want less recoil and equal killing effect on game, maybe a little better drop/drift...

Consider a 6.5-08

I completely agree....

Was at the range today testing handloads for my FW and a guy asked me to shoot his rifle for him. I sat down at his bench and got ready to shoot 3 rounds with a 7 08 and an Icon to boot, all new to me. Adjusted the scope to my eye, put three inside of a nickel and asked the guy if the gun was for sale. After he saw the group I shot he said no. I don't know what an Icon weighs but the recoil from the 140's was almost non existent compared to my stiff 130 270 loads in my FW. I've shot 308s all my life and this little 7 feels like a varmint rifle to me, again the Icon may be a heavy rifle.

If you shoot a 7mm-08 with 120's and a 308 with 175's you can feel the difference in recoil. In practical terms of hunting deer both work equally well.

I don't think recoil is an issue at all with my .308s

I load 168TSXs over 44grns of Varget.

With similar bullets, they'll have similar recoil. You really aren't gong to feel that much of a difference .... if any ... when shooting 120gr from the 7-08 vs. 130gr from the .308. Same goes for 140gr vs. 150gr, etc.

The .308 will put a slightly bigger hole in critters, and the 7mm bullets might fly a couple of yards flatter, but again, not so you'd notice.

If you ever lose your ammo, .308 will be easy to find almost anywhere. The 7-08 isn't quite there yet, and may never be.

Same thing could probably be said of the .260 vs. 7-08 ... no difference between those two, either.

I'll take the .308, mostly because I can get high quality ammo for next to nothing.

7-08, 308, 260.

All the Answers lie here....