Haven’t been around here in a long time though I used to be fairly regular. In 2020 I'm making my third trip to Africa. My primary interest in this trip is the experience and time with my sons. I’ve shot about everything I want to, so my personal trophy list will be small. The largest animal I will try for is a Waterbuck. In 2013 I took a 30-06 shooting 180 gr. Partitions, and in 2015 a 375 H&H shooting 270 gr. TSX’s.

In 2020 I will be 78. I have been blessed with good health and reasonable strength and energy. But I find myself occasionally looking for easier ways. I have a NULA in 7-08 that shoots 140 gr. Accubonds at 2750 FPS extremely well. I can’t see why that less than six pound rifle won’t do the job with that load. I bought this rifle for my dotage. If I’m not there, I guess I’m getting close!

Any counter- arguments?

Hi Al,

No arguments from me. Aside from having used the 7x57 on African game up through kudu, one of my hunting companions on a month-long trip to South Africa in 2007 used the very combination you're planning. I was right next to him when he shot a big blue wildebeest bull, considered my many to be perhaps the toughest of the plains game. He shot the bull in the right place at around 200 yards, and it ran about 50 yards before piling up.

Amazing how that works, huh?

Thanks for your thoughts, John. I think of you at least every time I find a bottle of Clontarf! 😉

Certainly solves a lot of issues and minutiae arguments.

Al,

Clontarf makes me think of you too! The liquor store in our little town carries it, partly because quite a few of our friends like it as well....

My dad at 77 with his biggest bull. 7mm-08, 140 Accubond (just one), mv 2850, 225 yards. Note the entrance wound.





I chose the Mighty -08 for him since he wanted to downsize from his .30-06.

You’ll be more than fine.




P

I have a 85 FL in 7-08 and starting to think its all I will ever need for North American hunting. I have a brand new 85 FL 270 wsm that is just sitting there new in the box and not in a hurry to use it either lol.

Hey, the .270 works just as well as the 7mm-08!

That’s great to see a 77 year old man out doing what he loves.

Boddington thinks enough of the 7mm-08 to outfit his wife and daughter with it, and they seem to have had no problem racking up one shot kills, same as the 7x57 has been doing for over 100yrs.

Africa is THE place for any type of nice "Stalking Rifle". Myself, I like the Barnes, but those AB's will work swell. I'm glad you are getting to go!

I'd think 7mm-08 in a good spot with a good bullet would be fine for anything up to and including eland. Though ive never been to africa.

An old friend bought a couple spots for a PLains Game 5 head Safari at DSC couple years back. Gave one spot to his next door neghbor who had never been to Africa to hunt and registered his wife the other ticket.. Both of them are past 75 and been to Africa several times.with the wife running the camera most of the time and not behind the trigger.

As Poop would happen, The guys wife fell off a ladder and broke some stuff 2 weeks before the departure date and couldn't even stand the air travel for that long at a time, so for sure she can't go ....but her Browning Lever Carbine 7-08 was already registered and his guns were not registered at all.

SO the guy and the couple next door took the trip and they took all the heads allowed. This guy is about 6'5" bare foot and except for looking a little strange with a child sized rifle sez the short barreled 7-08 put'em down without a hitch as none of the shots were over 200+ yards. He dinnit mention what ammo he was using but said he was not concerned since the wife is deadly on Texas critters with whatever the ammo she uses is.
Ron

7mm-08 is one of the most overlooked/underrated cartridges of all time.

Absolutely ! ! !
Pharm’s Dad was 78

KUDOS !!!!!!


Jerry

ps: Don’t know what I did or didn’t but quote didn’t
turn out like I planned. Like it anyway.

My thoughts: the 7-08 is a great round.

How is the 7mm-08 overlooked and underrated? Quite a rifle companies chamber it, and even here in Montana (where many hunters are still convinced nothing less than a .300 magnum will kill elk) I generally run into hunters carrying 7-08's--including the daughter of a good friend of mine, who took her first deer last year with the 7-08 I loaned her.

Somebody else already mentioned how Craig Boddington got one for this daughter to use when she started hunting, and Craig has been mentioning how well it it works ever since.

Some years ago I saw PH Dirk De Bod's son, Dirkie , cull multiple Gemsbok with a 7-08 loaded with Dirk's 7-08 handloads (150 grain TSX). Dirkie was about 11 years old if I recall. He is an excellent hunter and shot them all at <100 yards. A Gemsbok is a fairly large ungulate. All were one shot kills.

A few years later, on a friend's farm, the farmer used a .270 to cull Eland for market.

Bullet construction and shot placement are critical to success. Except for some DG animals, a well placed bullet from a 7-08, 7x57, .30/06 etceteras (IMO) is sufficient for most PG applications.

I find this a very interesting thread. Al, I'm 34 years your junior and kudos for doing as you quote "spending your life wisely". If you don't mind I'm gonna use that one. Back in 1989 I was a freshman in high school and I saved my yard mowing money till I could afford a brand new Remington model Seven in 7mm-08. My sister 4 years older and 18 at the time took me to a local Jewish pawnshop and I ordered and bought the Model Seven. I killed everything I pointed that rifle at and don't think anything ever went more than 50 yards afterwards. Back then when everyone else was on the 742 30-06 Woodsmaster kick you'd thought I'd slapped the Pope having such a awkward little rifle such as a 7mm-08. I stand behind my awkward choice in caliber to this day. I'd take it in a heartbeat to Africa for plains game and I'd smile every time another one dropped handsomely to that weird little ol 7mm-08.

You said it twice. Daughter. People tend to think it's best for youths or ladies. It will kill anything without great ballistic fanfare. It's just a easy on the shoulder killer. Whitetail to moose and beyond.

Zastava m70 controlled feed 7mm-08 awesomeness. Top 5 cartridge for me. My 7mag is a nicer rifle but the 7mm-08 beats a 7mag for me every day.

My 7-08AI shooting 162AMax's has been a hammer, as has my daughter's 7-08AI with 120gn TSX's, on both deer and some pretty good sized hogs. Deer are relatively easy to kill, bigger hogs can be tough. Never had an issue with the cartridge, and have enough confidence in it that I wouldn't hesitate using it on bigger game.

I developed a load for my nephew, 150 eldx at 2790, kilt a 6x5 bull at 409 yards.





P

I killed a warthog, impala and blesbok in one morning Africa (only the blesbok needed a finisher as I spined him). I used a Kimber Montana 7-08 shooting Barnes Vor Tex 120 grain TTSX. The rifle shot 3/4" all day long!

!!!

Well it is a great cartridge but I wouldn't say it has been "overlooked/underrated". It is routinely compared to the great 7x57, which is one of the most honored and proven cartridges worldwide! I'd say that is a pretty high rating!

Certainly your 7mm-08 will do the job. In fact if I could have only one~~~~

I’m bringing this old thread up to report on the results. Covid postponed the trip planned for 2020, but it finally happened last month. I took the NULA shooting the 140 grain Accubonds. My PH whom I had hunted with before was not panicked, but was concerned that my rifle and bullets were light for a Waterbuck. And I found out that the outfitter felt the same. But they didn’t tell me not to use it.

As testimony to the ability of trackers, mine spotted the horns (all that was visible) of a Waterbuck 150 yards away in the bush. We couldn’t tell if it was lying down or standing in a hole. I got on the sticks and waited. My PH says the wait was 30 minutes. It was hot — later we got a cell signal and the Weather Channel said it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. At one point my PH literally asked me if I wanted him to pour a bottle of water over my head. At long last the beast stood up facing directly at us. It happens fast. I decided that if he turned either way, we probably wouldn’t see him again, so I took the frontal shot.

At the shot, he dropped but then got up and ran. That was a bit concerning though I had been steady on the sticks and liked the sight picture. Because of the bush, we couldn’t see him after he jumped up. But the trackers found blood and followed. Soon there were spots where he was coughing blood, and it didn’t take long to find him dead from the shot. He had bled out as he ran. The PH remarked that is a good bullet.

I can’t explain the Waterbuck dropping at the shot and then jumping up and running. I’ve been led to believe that usually happens when you hit close to the central nervous system and that shot is often not fatal.

The postponement pushed this trip close to my 80th birthday next February. I sure enjoyed a less than six pound rifle!

And what a treat to be on this trip with both of my sons!

Good deal, Al! Congratulations on the fine hunt.

If somebody knows how to shoot the 7mm-08 is very good plains-game rifle. In fact, on a month-long safari in 2007, in which a dozen other hunters participated during various parts of the hunt, I witnessed one of my companions taking a big blue wildebeest bull with exactly the same combination you used, a 7mm-08 with the 140 AccuBond. The bullet stood broadside at around 150 yards, and the bullet hit the right spot--and the bull ran about 50 yards before keeling over.

The hunter had also brought a .300 Winchester Magnum for the bigger plains game animals, but after a few days started flinching. He switched to the "little" 7-08 and it worked fine not only on the wildebeest but several others animals.

I haven't used the 7mm-08 in Africa, but as somebody pointed out when this thread was first posted, the 7x57 has worked well over there for a long time. I've used it considerably, and it worked fine on both wildebeest and kudu, as well as other animals, and on a safari in Namibia in 1999 our fellow Campfire member Ingwe used his 7x57 on both kudu and zebra. Not surprisingly, it worked then too.

There was an article in one of the shooting magazines years ago featuring Boddington’s daughter on safari with the 7-08.
A very photogenic young lady!

Congratulations and truly hope at 80, I am out there still getting it done. I've used the 7-08 almost exclusively for the last 10 or so years and wish I found it sooner. In fact, there's two in the safe right now

And he used the 7x57 on two subsequent safaris for game from jackals up to gemsbok.

It worked on everything.

With proper bullets and placement theres no reason the 7-08 wouldnt do the same.

I believe it even got your picture in one of the gun gack books.

Ingwe,
Did you use the same bullets for each safari or did you change with each one?

John

7mm-08 is Uber.

Are we still saying Uber?

Sir, I don't know you. I have never met you, but I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed reading this post. The past 18 months to 2 years have been crazy for everyone on the planet. I am happy to hear that you have been able to stay the course and make this hunt. Not only that, but make it successfully. Congratulations to you! My compliments on the choice of a stellar hunting cartridge. Here's hoping you get the chance to hunt with your sons for many seasons more.
Joel

Sir, I don’t know you either, but I’ll wager a considerable sum that you are a kind and thoughtful person to write that reply. When we drove through Grahamstown I saw a sign that read, “When in Life, Live!” I’m going to do my best. It’s not lost on me for a single second how fortunate I am to have the health, energy, and enthusiasm to do adventures like this. If my health holds, I’m not done yet.

Keep scratching, brother!

John I used the same bullets for each one, Nosler Partitions 175 gr. As you know in africa you dont know whether you'll be shooting a spring hare or a kudu at any given moment. The 175 NPT works on all of them.

The one Waterbuck I shot was with a 300 Winchester Magnum. Took two good hits. Tough animals. I would use at least a 160 grain Partition and shoot for CNS, neck or high shoulder. I too am no longer a young guy and my 7-08 is a favorite.

Hah! Great thread !

Al, congrats on your hunt!

I love the 7/08. I had a short barrelled rem700 built for my mom. After seeing my dad and I have all the fun on our safari she decided she wanted to go back….with a rifle. She shot 140TTSX and killed zebra, kudu and a big gemsbok among others. Glad you included so many of us in your adventure! Thank you.

Thanks Tom,
I knew you used the 175's in Africa but wasn't sure if you tried any others. (and 50gn BT's domestically)
My Cabela's SG shoots everything so far, but shines with 145gn LRX's and 175gn Partitions,
John

Once anyone tries those Barnes 140ish X variants at around 2900fps, it takes the steam out of bullet and cartridge arguments. There are very few animals on this planet they will not shoot through.

My hunting partner had no trouble taking hippos with the 7-08 our of a Nosler Custom Handgun with 140 grainers. Seems like enough to me.

The bullet weights I've used from the 7x57 in Africa have all been around 160 grains, primarily because the 7x57 I used during two extensive cull hunts that totalled seven weeks would group various @ 160-grain bullets to the same point of impact at 100 yards--and wouldn't do it with other bullet weights, whether lighter or heavier. I wanted to field-test various bullet makes without dinking around with scope settings.

The bullets tested included the 156-grain Norma Oryx, 160 Barnes TSX, 160 North Fork and 160 Sierra GameKing. The same charge of H4350 was used for all of them, and muzzle velocities ran 2650-2700 fps. I only used the Sierra on animals up to warthogs in size, and never recovered one. Used the others on everything from springbok (about the size of pronghorns) to various animals over 400 pounds, and they all both expanded and penetrated well.

The longest shot was a springbok at around 325 yards, taken with the Sierra. The other shots ranged from about 80 to 250 yards. The wildebeest facing me at 250, and went down within about 50 yards to a 156 Oryx, a bonded bullet. The Oryx turned out to be my favorite all-around bullet, since it penetrated more than sufficiently even on the bigger game, yet expanded widely so tended to kill quicker than the TSX and North Fork. But all worked well.

Thanks gentlemen for your participation in this thread, it’s a wonderful read that I enjoyed very much.
Take care.

Try Metamucil mate!

I've recently started shooting that bullet in my 7mm08. That was my thinking when I chose that one in particular. I'm glad it is very accurate as well. May just have to shoot one into an elk this year, if I can find one to shoot at!! I realize this is an old thread, but there are some good pics and stories here. It was a good read..

Huge congrats, WoodsyAl! Neither of my sons hunt, but I can only hope to be as fortunate and full of life as you are, when I am 79. Best,
Marty