Who likes the 7mm-08....

[TRguy]

Who likes the 7mm-08....

I definitely have enjoyed the round.

http://accurateshooter.net/pix/sae7mm08x350.png

When the U.S. Military looked to replace the venerable 30-06 in its battle-rifles and machine guns, it came up with the 7.62×51 NATO, aka .308 Winchester in civilian guise. The .308 Win is a great cartridge, but, in some respects, the 7mm-08 is better. The 7mm-08 is a necked-down version of the .308 Win. With the exception of neck diameter, the 7mm-08 is virtually the same dimensionally. But when you compare heavy bullets, grain for grain, the 7mm-08 offers better ballistics. In other words a 168-grainer fired from a 7mm-08 will exhibit less drop and less windage than a 168gr bullet fired from a .308 Win. The 7mm-08 enjoys most of the advantages of the .308 (inherent accuracy, long barrel life, excellent terminal performance) while offering better ballistics grain for grain.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/7mm/#7mm08

[gak]

Don't even own one and yet may be my favorite. I've shot a friend's a fair amount. It truly is a "short .270"--".270 (.280) Lite" if you will, with virtually same ballistics/effectiveness out to 300 or so--or most hunting distances. I'm a .270 guy and have shot them for 40+ years, and will continue to shoot that great round (have.Win 70 that's a tack driver), but my next purchase I believe will be a 7mm-08 Win Featherweight just because--ultimate "mountain rifle" combo! May be the best and most under-rated all 'rounder out there.

[Saltydog235]

I bought a Sako 75 in the chambering and fell in love with the thing. I recently assembled what I feel is an awesome rilfe (Remington 700SPS Varmint with 26" Barrell) in the round for my deer hunting that I can carry in our swamps, bogs, woods and haul up into a tree stand. I've never thought that factory ammo offered enough variety for this little cartridge but handloading makes it really shine for me. I load 45.5 grains of H4350 and push a 150grn Nosler BT to a modest 2700ps. The accuracy is superb and the attributes of the .243 and 308 are meshed into one.

IMO, there is no better round for all around southern whitetail hunting. Right now I have the Sako, the 700 and a Browning BLR chambered in 7mm08. I'm sold on it and will continue to be for a long time.

[lawnboy]

I have a TC Venture in 7mm-08. I originally bought the same rifle in .308 but had issues with it (long story) so the store agreed to take it back and give me the 7mm-08 instead.

It is a great rifle. I like it a lot. Everything said about the 7mm-08 seems to be true.

But several months after I got that rifle I picked up a Mossberg 100ATR 30-06 . I'm racking my memory and I don't believe I've taken the 7mm-08 to the range since I got the 30-06. I'm fascinated by the versatility of the 06 and I've been trying it out with as many different factory rounds as I can get my hands on. It has ALMOST convinced me to buy a reloading setup.

I am intending to trade/sell the TC 7mm-08 in as part of the acquisition of a Glock 21 I've had my eye on. For me, a non-reloader and only occasional hunter the 30-06 can cover the whole gamut from varmints to whatever, and 30-06 factory ammo is cheaper.

7mm-08 is nice and versatile. But 30-06 is more so, to me.

[oneounceload]

Model 7 Remington with compact scope - great for mountain hunting where weight is a factor, loves a good 140 gr bullet

[Keg]

TRfella..I did'nt think that the 7-08 could handle heavier bullets like the 308?

[gak]

Twern't for the ubiquitous .30 hanging around for so long (for proven/good but also historical momentum reasons), the 7mm-08 just might make for an even better "battle rifle" round. Would seem to make for an excellent M14/M1A and other NATO formats, and light machine gun vs its .308 "father." (Not trying to start a "what should our battle rifle be" war here -- just sayin' :) ) I've also shot a friend's 7-30 Waters Win 94 quite a bit. Great round and just makes for a "better .30-30" in many instances. Same (exact) relationship.

[5RWill]

I like the .284 bullet, but in particular no i'm not a huge fan of 7mm-08 because i can't drive the 180gr-195gr bullets fast enough. When i want a 7mm it's going to be between a .284 win, 7SAUM, 7WSM, or maybe even the 7RM.

.260 on the other hand is a more favorable SA cartridge IMO because you launch the high BC 140gr at 2800 easy. Something you don't see as often with the 168gr or 180gr in a 7mm-08.

[TRguy]

Keg wrote - TRfella..I did'nt think that the 7-08 could handle heavier bullets like the 308?

While I typically reload 140gr and 150gr, they do make 168 gr 7mm that will match the .308 on weight of course but with a better Bullet Coefficient.

[Keg]

All I ever hear of is 140 grains in 7-08.....

[tahunua001]

I guess I'm starting to adhere to the whole KISS rule. I'm not belittling the round at all but if I want something small I go with 223 or 22-250, if I want a midgrade round I go for 243 or 30-30 and if I want something heavier I go with a 30 cal of some nature... nothing wrong with a 7mm-08 but there's nothing it can do that a 308 or 7mm rem mag can't and anything that's overkill for those rounds can be handled by a 243 or 257.


I have no idea where I was going with that but that jumbled mess of sentences is my thoughts on the matter.

[gak]

I realize some of us are touting the 7mm-08 as a close-to-perfect do all, and I think it is, but I'm not so sure it should be made into being something it's not with perhaps too much of the bullet weight comparisons. Isn't this another "it is what it is" situation? And what it is is a great round by itself--with still a decent bullet selection. Mine wouldn't be trying to push a 180 (and perhaps not the OP's 168, but I'm not expert in the 7mm) out of the '08. Yes, I would think that other configurations and calibers *would* (as in should) handle heavier bullets better. It's my understanding the 7mm-08 excels in the 140 in particular, at least historically. Just like the .270's 130 is the one that put it on the map (and still excels), though 150 is still a decent performer in elk, and with the .308 I automatically think 150 for most applications. If I want to drive 180 in a hunt, I'm probably (ideally) going skip the .308 and tote a .30-06. That's what I'd get--among these--as a "discrete" purchase for an elk hunt if I didn't have anything.

[dalegribble]

uhhh.....yeah i like the 7mm/08. excellent accuracy, moderate recoil, reasonable price ammo, good for anything in the lower 48, good choice of rifles, shoots flater than the 308, less recoil than a 7mm mag. what's not to like?

[taylorce1]

I'm not a fan of any 7mm cartridges, I like them on paper but have as yet to see any real world advantage for what I do. I've tried the 7-08 twice in a pistol and rifle form and wound up selling both. I can't argue with the success of the people who like it, I just found calibers I like better than the 7mm. If I ever want another 7mm I'll get the .280 again I feel it offers a lot more when properly hand loaded.

[TRguy]

gak wrote - and perhaps not the OP's 168

I know you can load that heavy in the 7mm-08 but prefer the 140gr bullets myself. I have some recipes for 150gr but don't put a lot of that together.

I mention the 168 only in correlation to the 308 168 matchkings to say head to head with the same weight it seems you get a better BC from the longer slimmer 7mm projectile as opposed to the .308 Win 168gr.

[Keg]

Less recoil than a 7mag?...(I would hope so)...lol

I think the 7-08 is a good round for certain situations....
The 308 with 150's (for deer) and 180's (for hogs)....Works for me....
I hunt mainly brushy riverbottom land....200 yrds is a long shot....
I will choose a 308 every time over a 7-08....
308's....

[AllenJ]

I like the 7-08, good bullet selection, excellent BC and SD, and low recoil. It won't do everything a 7mm Mag does, but it comes pretty close without the kick.

[5RWill]

As i said the only beef i have with it is it's inability to launch the heavier 7mm bullets at moderate speeds. Why push the 168 at 2700 reaching max, when i can take a 180gr 2800+ with a shortmag, reduce recoil with a suppressor, bam you've got a 1500yds gun easy.

[jmr40]

I don't own a 7-08. I already own more rifles than I need, and own other calibers that are too close to justify having the 7-08. But if my house were to burn down and I lost everything a 7-08 would probably be the 1st rifle I'd buy after getting my insurance check.

[Keg]

jmr...I think U would have a good deer rifle cartridge..as long as the Ins. Co. could'nt prove arson....:D

[twins]

Who likes the 7mm-08....

Me, myself, and I. In 140gr flavor, it does it all.

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

The only reason that I do not own a 7mm-08 is that it doesn't match my .280 Rem.. I do want one, definitely a cool cartridge..

[5RWill]

I'd like to see gains on a 7mm08AI.

[joe45c]

love mine. had it since '95 in a browning a-bolt medalian. i load 154gr bullets with excellent results on deer.

[Saltydog235]

I wonder if it had been named something like .284-08 if people would have had a different view of the cartridge. Americans have traditionally been shy about anything with a metric designation. Conversely would the .243 enjoy the same popularity if it had been named the 6mm08?

[joe45c]

saltydog; .284-08 probably wouldn't go over too good, and 7mm-08 is hard enough to spit out as it is, maybe 7/08 would be even better excepted.

[MOshooter65202]

I really like the 7mm-08 I bought my son a Rem. 700 mountain rifle 13 years ago when he was 10,seems like a very good low recoil round for whitetail.

[uncyboo]

I have 2 rifles and a Lone Eagle single shot handgun in 7-08. Love them. But then I like pretty much 7mm anything. Looking for a 284 Win at some point.

[BigMikey76]

I really like the 7mm08 in theory... I have one on order from Bud's, and I am sure I will like it in practice once I have it in hand.

[sir_n0thing]

I have an odd fascination with the 7mm rounds... 7mm-08, 7mm REM MAG, 280 REM, 7mm WSM, etc. I have no idea why, as I've never owned a 7mm chambered firearm.
My .270 WIN comes close to 7mm. I'll probably build a 6.8SPC upper for my AR.

I have it in my head that my next rifle will be a bolt gun, chambered in 7mm MAG, built on a Winchester M70 action with a custom wood stock. Time will tell if that comes about or not :)

[sc928porsche]

I really dont see much advantage of having the 7-08 over the 7x57.

[homesick]

I ended up with one about a year ago in a gun trade its a Ruger Hawkeye all weather, I always liked the round, thought it had a perfect fit for me. I have shot every thing from 120 thru 140 gr in it and have found it to be very easy to work with, data runs right max seems to be right on, accuracy is out standing with all combos, recoil is mild. I used it last year deer hunting and found it to be very effective, one shot one deer.

[TRguy]

I have shot every thing from 120 thru 140 gr in it and have found it to be very easy to work with, data runs right max seems to be right on, accuracy is out standing with all combos, recoil is mild. I used it last year deer hunting and found it to be very effective, one shot one deer.

About sums it up.

[Pilot]

I really dont see much advantage of having the 7-08 over the 7x57.



They are ballistically very similar. It depends if you want a short action or long action.

[gak]

I was going to say--short action, and I've seen a lot more '08 on the shelves than x57. Neither as commonplace as .270, '06 etc, but the '08 seems more than the x57.

[SCDeac82]

I met a guy here in my local area who does a lot of "research shooting" with special barrel systems. He said he can get better accuracy out of the 708 than the .308.

I guess the main disadvantage of the 7X57 is lack of factory ammo choices if you don't handload.

[Infidel_319]

I just started testing heavy bullets in my remington 700sps 26" barrel. Has HS precision stock and Leupold 6-18x40 scope with Harris bipod. Yesterday I shot a .500" (center to center) 4 shot group with 162 grain Amax @ 100 yards. Muzzle velocity was average 2767 with SD of 7. That was using H414 one grain below max load on Hodgdon's website. According to my ballistics calculator that load at my elevation will still be supersonic at 1 mile. I live at about 4500 ft above sea level. It was 77 degrees and about 45% humidity. Nothing special has been done to this gun. I love the 7/08 for everything, including now, long range shooting. BC on that bullet according to Hornady is .625. That beats the pants off any .308 I can think of.

[tobnpr]

Recently bought a Savage 7-08 lightweight mountain rifle (10FM Sierra) and put the action in a custom stock I built for long range.

New 9 twist varmint barrel is on order for the 162 Amax, but I couldn't resist working up some quick loads for the factory barrel- only a 20 incher...

Yesterday, one ragged hole at 100 yards with 45.5 of H4350 under the 150 SMK. Got as much as 2594, but didn't try anything hotter. Not bad outta a 20" barre.

No problem with an 8" gong at 565 yards- and even managed a couple of hits on a 10" gong at 1000 yards. No serious load development yet, and it's a factory barrel.

That round can reach out accurately, no doubt.

[Old Grump]

If I didn't have so many 30's in the house it would be on my 'to-get' list. The older these old bones get the better I like smaller calibers that will still reach out and touch something that I want shot. I shot a couple of Other Peoples guns at 200 yards and have nothing but nice to say about them.

[Water-Man]

My favorite AFTER 6.5x55. :)

[Saltydog235]

Yesterday, one ragged hole at 100 yards with 45.5 of H4350 under the 150 SMK. Got as much as 2594, but didn't try anything hotter. Not bad outta a 20" barre.


I shoot virtually the same load out of my SPS that's a lot like Infidels. I get about 2700fps out of it with a 150grn Nosler Ballistic Tip and incredible accuracy. I have no problem with shooting something out there at ranges of 300-500yds if presented with it.

[Scrumbag]

I like the idea of the 7-08:

Versatile selection of heads
Plenty of donor brass
Lots of tooling for actions
Plenty of options on for 7mm barrels

What I don't like: lack of oomph for pushing the 150-170gr bullets

So I bought a 7x64. Everything the .270Win should be :eek:

Now, where did I put my tin hat...

ATB,

Scrummy

[scottycoyote]

i picked up a 7mm08 barrel for my tc prohunter and thats what i put on after blackpowder season ends. I like the round, no recoil and so far its been 1 shot 1 kill accurate.

[tobnpr]

When I first started looking at long-range "capable" calibers, the ballistics looked promising. A tad off from the likes of some of the 6.5 calibers, but capable nonetheless.

What I didn't get was that a lot of what I read was that it's a "kid's" or "woman's" caliber due to the reduced recoil as compared to the .308...
What the hell? It didn't seem to get the respect it deserves..."kids"?? Really?

16 lbs vs. 13 lbs of energy isn't significant. In fact, I find my 7-08 bucks harder, primarily because the stock I built is lightweight (2.2 lbs) as compared to the Choate tactical stock housing our .308 Savage.

Just saw a show where a guy necked down the 6.5 x 47 Lapua to 6mm....now that's interesting. Wish I had the smithing skills/knowledge to play the "make your own wildcat" game!

[5RWill]

6x47L isn't new, you can get redding dies in it i believe, though i do think you'd be altering existing 6.5 brass. IIRC there are no 6x47L brass manufacturers as of right now.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek072.html

[PawPaw]

Back in the early '90s I bought a Model 7 in 7mm-08. Great little rifle and I soon learned that it really loved the cheap green box Remington 140 grain Core-Lokt bullet. It liked that ammo so much that I never bothered to reload for the little rifle. I'd buy two boxes a year, shoot 30 rounds in practice and save the remaining 10 round for hunting.

I lost that rifle during a divorce and subsequent financial dynamic. I miss the rifle more than the woman.

[Art Eatman]

My 700 Ti in 7/08 has been sub-MOA from the git-go. I figure it's good for critters from coyotes to deer. Doubt I'll go elk-hunting, so I don't worry about specific loads for that use.