Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm-08 popularity?

I hunted in a big deer camp for years and got to see a lot of "kid" calibers in action. 7mm-08 does an outstanding job on whitetails. From 7-13 yrs old, my son killed around 40 whitetails with his Ruger Compact .308. Both calibers are outstanding, as is the whole family built on that case.

I have always had one or more 7X57 Mauser bolt rifles, and never felt the need to add a 7mm/08.

Great minds think alike.

Seriously, I have two 7x57s and 4 .308s so would I like to have a 7-08? Sure why not? That's why I'm a rifle looney. As I grow older not neessarily wiser, recoil is not as much fun so they don't get used as much anymore. The 7x57s are a relatively recent set of acquisitions so no game with them yet. The .308s on the other hand have taken quite a few Mule Deer, one at really long range.
Paul B.

Just a couple of questions; if recoil is close to the same, why is the 7mm-08 considered a "kids" rifle caliber and the 308 is not? Also, why is it that kids, ladies, and old men can kill game just fine with .260s and 7mm-08s and others need or at least want much more powerful rounds? Just asking........

I am not sure why people think the 308 recoils more. A lot of it has to do with the rifle but as I mentioned my 2 rifles are the same. I like the 308 more because yes it's bigger and I feel it's a better caliber for bigger game but not to big for deer. Ammo is everywhere and costs about $10 less per box around here. I have a few 30.60 rifles too but feel the short action 308 handles better in the woods for me. I do notice more of a difference in recoil between the 06 and 308.

It may be because of some recoil table somewhere that says the 7mmo8 recoils less but I don't think so. At least not with my 2 rifles (both savage 10's) same weight as well.

I wouldn't even make Stoney shoot watermelons with one.

Again a handloaders cartridge and much more popular here on the fire then in the general shooring public.

Try Varget and regular primers on that 7mm08. Had real good accuracy and speed with that and H4350. In my opinion Varget is better. I load 44grs. of Varget in Winchester case and CCI BR2 primers. Getting about 2950 FPS out of a 24" barrel. Less than 1" 5-shot group. That is 3 grs over max load in Nosler book but I have No problems with it out of my rifle. Start out a lot less and work up. H380 with mag. primers is very accurate but as much speed as Varget or H4350.

Kids and women do that with a .243 as well...

So do I.

Just picked up a 7/08 barrel from a fellow fire member, it arrived today. I'll rebarrel my .243 with it. I will then proceed to compare said rifle with a matching .308. Upon completion of my studies, I will end this silly debate! I have a feeling it's gonna be a tie...

I have a question... If a 120 TTSX is so great from a 7/08, why wouldn't a 130 TTSX be just as great from a .308??? Larger expansion ratio = Better efficiency, or am I misguided in my thinking?

That's true stuff!



Not a 260, though - and this one not even with an -08 of any flavor, though I have dumped a couple of these old boys with my 28-08.

Klik: Ha! Nice bull!

Very Nice!

A 250 or 300 Savage?

David

Well, actually it was sort of an -08, as long as the "0" can be a "5" and still be an "-08"....a grand little Model Seven in 358...rabbits, porcupines, caribou, moose, bears....it's a good worker!

Sweet

David

H4350 is what works best for 140's and 150's, for me. 162's as well. Give the 162 Amax a run at longer range...

Ramshot Big Game will make 120's go 3150 fps + from a 22" barrel. No kidding. Good stuff. I've also had good accuracy from RL15.

The 120 NBT is a great 7-08 bullet, and I like the 120 TTSX too.

Not to answer your question in its entirety, I look at the issue as follows.


120gr ttsx in a .284 diameter vs 130 ttsx in a .308 diameter

120 (7mm08) .373 BC

130 (308) .35 BC


7mm-08 has a better SD and BC; plus some extra velocity. So for me I like it better for game, and for when you want to reach out and touch something

Good job there Klikitarik! that name takes two hands te get a holt of.