7mm-08 Caliber

dts686 · October 22, 2011, 08:19 PM

First, I'm the guy who asked if a 25-06 could kill a moose. I thank you for all your input, you folks are amazing. I now realize that it's not the right caliber. My son is getting a 22lr for his 9th birthday. But I am planning beyond that, for when he's 12 or so. I'm planning to take him on yearly hunts and through the years to hunt bigger and bigger game concluding with a moose. All of this to show my son in many ways that he is a man and that he has everything he needs to have a successful life.

The question I now have is about the 7mm-08 caliber. It still has a fairly easy amount of recoil and I believe it can take any game in the contiguous 48 states. Am I correct in this thinking?

Thank You Again!
David

codyb1991 · October 22, 2011, 08:27 PM

I believe the 7mm-08 will drop a moose with good shot placement. Might need to use heavier bullets and shoot within 250 yards. I would shoot for the lungs.

jmr40 · October 22, 2011, 08:29 PM

Yes. A little on the light side for really large animals, but with good bullets and at closer ranges I would use it on anything but the big bears. For 95% of anyones hunting needs the 7-08 or 308 are fine choices.

Mobuck · October 22, 2011, 09:22 PM

You know you've stepped up to a big game caliber when you light off a 7mm08 compared to something like a 243. There are reduced recoil factory loads available for this caliber and it's easily downloaded if you're a handloader. It all depends on your young shooter but I wouldn't put him behind a standard factory loaded 7mm08 until absolutely necessary.
The 7mm08 is really on the light side for moose. It begins to fall short when using heavier bullets that would be recommended for use on that size game. Some carefull loading might produce a good load using a premium or homogeneous metal bullet that would produce the wound characteristics needed for moose.

ligonierbill · October 22, 2011, 09:47 PM

Given that you plan to hunt various big game species before your son fires on the subject moose, I think you are making an excellent choice. Though "30" bore is more popular in the US, 7 mm really gives you the necessary range of bullet weights and has a better BC for a given weight. Of the popular 7 mm calibers, the 7mm-08 has the least recoil. It is often recommended for a "one gun" hunter. Bringing your son along with his shooting and tolerance of recoil is something you will have to think about, but starting with reduced recoil ammo was a good suggestion. Last year, my brother was preparing for his first elk hunt and getting used to Dad's old 7mm RM. I loaded him some light 120's, and it turned the beast to a pussycat. And varmints of various types are always available to hunt. No better way to get used to a rifle and learn hunting basics.

Scorch · October 22, 2011, 10:12 PM

Given that the 7-08 is basically a revamped 7X57, I would say you are good with that choice of chambering. Mice to moose, it will do it all.

jimbob86 · October 22, 2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

The question I now have is about the 7mm-08 caliber. It still has a fairly easy amount of recoil and I believe it can take any game in the contiguous 48 states. Am I correct in this thinking?

With the possible exception exception of the big bears, I would think that a 175 grain Nosler Partition started at 2500 f/sec (and a BC of over .5!) would do for just about anything within 400 yards ( 15 inches of drop from a 300 yard zero and about 1300 ft/lbs of energy*) ..... heck even the big bears can't ignore 1 1/4 ton of ME and a controlled expansion bullet.......

...and if you learn to handload, you could make 100 grain reduced loads to plink with that he could handle, with the aid of shooting sticks, before he was even strong enough to hold the rifle up by himself...... or any power level in between.....

....... "Beware the little boy with but one rifle, because he surely knows how to use it!"

*That's about what a 170 grain 30/30 load delivers at 100 yards!

warbirdlover · October 23, 2011, 12:41 AM

What jimbob86 said.

Mobuck · October 23, 2011, 06:28 AM

I agree with what's been said but there is one exception to the comment comparing the 7mm08 to the 7x57. With bullets weighing 160 and up, the
7x57 turns in better performance(with handloads) than the 7mm08. This advantage is negated by the array of premium bullets 150 grain and under, many of which provide performance equal to or better than conventional cup and core 175 grainers

Pilot · October 23, 2011, 07:40 AM

You really need to reload to have the 7MM-08 realize its full potential. The ballsitics I hve studied are very similar to the 7MM Mauser (7x57) and I haven't noticed much difference in performance for heavier bullet weights, but I haven't looked at the charts lately.

Brian Pfleuger · October 23, 2011, 09:12 AM

I think the 7-08 is very near the "ideal" cartridge for North American hunting.

It's only downfall is cost of factory ammo. Buying a 7-08 is a good reason to get into reloading. You will load your own premium ammo for far less than factory stuff. I load 110gr Barnes TTSX bullets in 7-08 for something like $18 a box, the closest factory equivalent is 120gr and $47 a box.

Anyway, I really like 7-08 but I wouldn't own one if I didn't reload. Then again, if I was going to hunt moose, I might anyway.

Glock.45 · October 23, 2011, 09:23 AM

My friend Justin takes a Moose and a Bear almost every year and hes uses a .270
Last years Bull was around 2400 lbs

Art Eatman · October 23, 2011, 10:31 AM

Probably be helpful to set the rifle up with a Limbsaver recoil pad, or equivalent. Cuts down on felt recoil. Plus the usual deal of changing the length of pull, as need be...

dts686 · October 23, 2011, 10:35 AM

Well as always you folks are nothing less that AWESOME! You helped steer me from the beginning and now I know what I want/need.

Weatherby Vanguard calibrated for 7mm-08.

I can't thank you enough for sharing with me your experience and wisdom. You always make me glad I am a member of this forum. By the way, I do plan on reloading my own ammo for this rifle. Need to start thinking about a scope for the rifle next.

David

ritepath · October 23, 2011, 05:40 PM

I bought my son a 7mm-08 handi rifle this year for deer season. It's 36" long and 5.5#....even with reduced recoil loads it's a heavy hitter for a 7yo kid.

What everyone has said is right on about the cost of shooting it. I bought 3 different flavors of full power and two boxes of remington reduced recoil stuff. 25 bucks was the cheapest I got away with with the others in the 28-32 range.

LockedBreech · October 23, 2011, 06:13 PM

Very dumb question to piggyback - What is the strength of the 7mm-08 as compared to, say, 30-06?

tobnpr · October 23, 2011, 07:20 PM

7mm-08: listed as 2339 ft/lbs with a 150 gr Speer.
30.06: listed as 2820 ft/lbs with the same weight bullet. Mostly apples to apples for comparison. As you can see, pretty significant difference. The 06 has the case capacity to push that bullet to 2900 fps, while the 7-08, using the .308 case, can push it to "only" 2,650 fps.

The 7-08 is a great round...just bought a Savage in that caliber to punch paper at long range. Better ballistics than the .308, and less felt recoil.

Art Eatman · October 23, 2011, 07:35 PM

Another way to look at the 7mm08 is to figure that it's basically a .308 with ten grains less bullet weight than the common 150-grain loading in the .308. For deer, there's no real point in going heavier than the 140-grain in 7mm08...

On scopes: As a kid, I learned that I could hit jackrabbits at night in the spotlight out to around a hundred yards with a K2.5 on my '06. With a K4 on my Mini-14, I killed a bunch of jackrabbits out to 200 yards.

I learned that 3X was good enough to kill a deer at 350 yards, hitting within an inch or so of where I intended. 7X is plenty good for prairie dogs to 300 yards.

When I first got my 700 Ti in 7mm08, I really went overboard for weight and stuck a Weaver V3 on it. At 3X I was able to get sub-MOA groups.

For a hunter, my opinion is that the field of view at 4X makes a fixed 4X about as good as ever a deer hunter would need. Sure, I have 3x9 variables, but that's for convenience at the bench rest and because I can afford it--it's not a matter of "need".

Brian Pfleuger · October 23, 2011, 07:37 PM

2,300ft/lbs for 7-08 is very low...

Factory ammo is usually 140gr and listed at 2,900 fps and, at least Rem Core- Lokt, reach that speed in 24" barrels.

That's 2,600 ft/lbs.

oneounceload · October 23, 2011, 07:40 PM

I have both the 7-08 and 7mm mag - the mag will do what the 7-08nwill do..........about 100-200 yards further

the 7-08 is a great cartridge for everything except the big bears, IMO

jimbob86 · October 24, 2011, 02:45 AM

Quote:

I think the 7-08 is very near the "ideal" cartridge for North American hunting.

It's only downfall is cost of factory ammo.

Easily negated by rollin' yer own. Non-issue.

Quote:

2,300ft/lbs for 7-08 is very low...

Factory ammo is usually 140gr and listed at 2,900 fps and, at least Rem Core- Lokt, reach that speed in 24" barrels.

That's 2,600 ft/lbs.

I'll second that opinion: I got 2,660 f/sec out of 140 gr Remington factory loads, with a 16" barrel.

Quote:

I bought 3 different flavors of full power and two boxes of remington reduced recoil stuff. 25 bucks was the cheapest I got away with with the others in the 28-32 range.

Poor guy ..... I picked up 2 100 round boxes of "blemished" 150 gr 7mm bullets from Midway last month...... loaded them in front of 39 grains of IMR 4064 and a WLR primer in once fired brass ...... 11 cent bullets, 13 cents worth of powder, and a 3 cent primer...... 27 cents x 20 = $5.40/box of 20 ...... and then used them to brush up on my milk jug busting skills..... out to 250 yards, it was too easy..... I handed it off to Eldest, as her 30/30 was getting hot to the touch....

LockedBreech · October 24, 2011, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobnpr

7mm-08: listed as 2339 ft/lbs with a 150 gr Speer.
30.06: listed as 2820 ft/lbs with the same weight bullet. Mostly apples to apples for comparison. As you can see, pretty significant difference. The 06 has the case capacity to push that bullet to 2900 fps, while the 7-08, using the .308 case, can push it to "only" 2,650 fps.

The 7-08 is a great round...just bought a Savage in that caliber to punch paper at long range. Better ballistics than the .308, and less felt recoil.

Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me.

Colt46 · October 24, 2011, 11:31 AM

A premium, heavy, bullet in the right place will do just fine.
My only knock on the .25 cal bullets is they don't offer anything more than 120 grs. A little light for larger game.

gak · October 24, 2011, 11:43 AM

Deleted- Duplicate post.

gak · October 24, 2011, 11:49 AM

Classic do (nearly) all cartridge. Essentially a.short action 270/.280 Perhaps think of as a ".270 lite" - but really only that qualifier over 300. However, I don't agree it's only a loader's cartridge. Unless you're a major range-meister, if you don't load .270, I wouldn't (necessarily) think you'd have to do 7mm. Look around. Also a great "mountain rifle" round that excels ballistically in shorter barrels versus some other choices. I agree with others, leave the moose to the bigger boys--generally starting with 3--. If you're hunting moose, you're presumably gearing (even more) specifically and appropriately for. Don't hear too much of "weekend warriors" going for moose--or elk for that matter, though it happens.

October 22, 2011, 08:19 PM	#1
dts686 Member Join Date: March 26, 2010 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 73	7mm-08 Caliber First, I'm the guy who asked if a 25-06 could kill a moose. I thank you for all your input, you folks are amazing. I now realize that it's not the right caliber. My son is getting a 22lr for his 9th birthday. But I am planning beyond that, for when he's 12 or so. I'm planning to take him on yearly hunts and through the years to hunt bigger and bigger game concluding with a moose. All of this to show my son in many ways that he is a man and that he has everything he needs to have a successful life. The question I now have is about the 7mm-08 caliber. It still has a fairly easy amount of recoil and I believe it can take any game in the contiguous 48 states. Am I correct in this thinking? Thank You Again! David

October 22, 2011, 10:12 PM	#6
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,249	Given that the 7-08 is basically a revamped 7X57, I would say you are good with that choice of chambering. Mice to moose, it will do it all. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

October 23, 2011, 09:12 AM	#11
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,694	I think the 7-08 is very near the "ideal" cartridge for North American hunting. It's only downfall is cost of factory ammo. Buying a 7-08 is a good reason to get into reloading. You will load your own premium ammo for far less than factory stuff. I load 110gr Barnes TTSX bullets in 7-08 for something like $18 a box, the closest factory equivalent is 120gr and $47 a box. Anyway, I really like 7-08 but I wouldn't own one if I didn't reload. Then again, if I was going to hunt moose, I might anyway. __________________ https://ecommercearms.com I am the owner/operator! Ask me for custom prices! No sales tax outside CO!

October 23, 2011, 06:13 PM	#16
LockedBreech Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Location: Rocky Mountain West Posts: 3,395	Very dumb question to piggyback - What is the strength of the 7mm-08 as compared to, say, 30-06? __________________ 16 Pistols, 5 Rifles, 1 Shotgun, no time to shoot them

October 24, 2011, 11:31 AM	#23
Colt46 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: Campbell Ca Posts: 1,090	It will do the job A premium, heavy, bullet in the right place will do just fine. My only knock on the .25 cal bullets is they don't offer anything more than 120 grs. A little light for larger game.

October 22, 2011, 08:27 PM	#2
codyb1991 Member Join Date: September 24, 2011 Location: Hoquiam, WA Posts: 88	I believe the 7mm-08 will drop a moose with good shot placement. Might need to use heavier bullets and shoot within 250 yards. I would shoot for the lungs.

October 22, 2011, 08:29 PM	#3
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,975	Yes. A little on the light side for really large animals, but with good bullets and at closer ranges I would use it on anything but the big bears. For 95% of anyones hunting needs the 7-08 or 308 are fine choices.

October 22, 2011, 09:22 PM	#4
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	You know you've stepped up to a big game caliber when you light off a 7mm08 compared to something like a 243. There are reduced recoil factory loads available for this caliber and it's easily downloaded if you're a handloader. It all depends on your young shooter but I wouldn't put him behind a standard factory loaded 7mm08 until absolutely necessary. The 7mm08 is really on the light side for moose. It begins to fall short when using heavier bullets that would be recommended for use on that size game. Some carefull loading might produce a good load using a premium or homogeneous metal bullet that would produce the wound characteristics needed for moose.

October 22, 2011, 09:47 PM	#5
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,648	Given that you plan to hunt various big game species before your son fires on the subject moose, I think you are making an excellent choice. Though "30" bore is more popular in the US, 7 mm really gives you the necessary range of bullet weights and has a better BC for a given weight. Of the popular 7 mm calibers, the 7mm-08 has the least recoil. It is often recommended for a "one gun" hunter. Bringing your son along with his shooting and tolerance of recoil is something you will have to think about, but starting with reduced recoil ammo was a good suggestion. Last year, my brother was preparing for his first elk hunt and getting used to Dad's old 7mm RM. I loaded him some light 120's, and it turned the beast to a pussycat. And varmints of various types are always available to hunt. No better way to get used to a rifle and learn hunting basics.

October 23, 2011, 12:41 AM	#8
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	What jimbob86 said.

October 23, 2011, 06:28 AM	#9
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I agree with what's been said but there is one exception to the comment comparing the 7mm08 to the 7x57. With bullets weighing 160 and up, the 7x57 turns in better performance(with handloads) than the 7mm08. This advantage is negated by the array of premium bullets 150 grain and under, many of which provide performance equal to or better than conventional cup and core 175 grainers

October 23, 2011, 07:40 AM	#10
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	You really need to reload to have the 7MM-08 realize its full potential. The ballsitics I hve studied are very similar to the 7MM Mauser (7x57) and I haven't noticed much difference in performance for heavier bullet weights, but I haven't looked at the charts lately.

October 23, 2011, 09:23 AM	#12
Glock.45 Member Join Date: January 23, 2010 Location: North East NH Posts: 44	My friend Justin takes a Moose and a Bear almost every year and hes uses a .270 Last years Bull was around 2400 lbs

October 23, 2011, 10:31 AM	#13
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Probably be helpful to set the rifle up with a Limbsaver recoil pad, or equivalent. Cuts down on felt recoil. Plus the usual deal of changing the length of pull, as need be...

October 23, 2011, 10:35 AM	#14
dts686 Member Join Date: March 26, 2010 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 73	Well as always you folks are nothing less that AWESOME! You helped steer me from the beginning and now I know what I want/need. Weatherby Vanguard calibrated for 7mm-08. I can't thank you enough for sharing with me your experience and wisdom. You always make me glad I am a member of this forum. By the way, I do plan on reloading my own ammo for this rifle. Need to start thinking about a scope for the rifle next. David

October 23, 2011, 05:40 PM	#15
ritepath Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,419	I bought my son a 7mm-08 handi rifle this year for deer season. It's 36" long and 5.5#....even with reduced recoil loads it's a heavy hitter for a 7yo kid. What everyone has said is right on about the cost of shooting it. I bought 3 different flavors of full power and two boxes of remington reduced recoil stuff. 25 bucks was the cheapest I got away with with the others in the 28-32 range.

October 23, 2011, 07:20 PM	#17
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	7mm-08: listed as 2339 ft/lbs with a 150 gr Speer. 30.06: listed as 2820 ft/lbs with the same weight bullet. Mostly apples to apples for comparison. As you can see, pretty significant difference. The 06 has the case capacity to push that bullet to 2900 fps, while the 7-08, using the .308 case, can push it to "only" 2,650 fps. The 7-08 is a great round...just bought a Savage in that caliber to punch paper at long range. Better ballistics than the .308, and less felt recoil.

October 23, 2011, 07:35 PM	#18
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Another way to look at the 7mm08 is to figure that it's basically a .308 with ten grains less bullet weight than the common 150-grain loading in the .308. For deer, there's no real point in going heavier than the 140-grain in 7mm08... On scopes: As a kid, I learned that I could hit jackrabbits at night in the spotlight out to around a hundred yards with a K2.5 on my '06. With a K4 on my Mini-14, I killed a bunch of jackrabbits out to 200 yards. I learned that 3X was good enough to kill a deer at 350 yards, hitting within an inch or so of where I intended. 7X is plenty good for prairie dogs to 300 yards. When I first got my 700 Ti in 7mm08, I really went overboard for weight and stuck a Weaver V3 on it. At 3X I was able to get sub-MOA groups. For a hunter, my opinion is that the field of view at 4X makes a fixed 4X about as good as ever a deer hunter would need. Sure, I have 3x9 variables, but that's for convenience at the bench rest and because I can afford it--it's not a matter of "need".

October 23, 2011, 07:37 PM	#19
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,694	2,300ft/lbs for 7-08 is very low... Factory ammo is usually 140gr and listed at 2,900 fps and, at least Rem Core- Lokt, reach that speed in 24" barrels. That's 2,600 ft/lbs.

October 23, 2011, 07:40 PM	#20
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	I have both the 7-08 and 7mm mag - the mag will do what the 7-08nwill do..........about 100-200 yards further the 7-08 is a great cartridge for everything except the big bears, IMO

October 24, 2011, 11:43 AM	#24
gak Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2005 Location: Aridzona Posts: 2,767	Deleted- Duplicate post. Last edited by gak; October 24, 2011 at 11:50 AM.

October 24, 2011, 11:49 AM	#25
gak Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2005 Location: Aridzona Posts: 2,767	Classic do (nearly) all cartridge. Essentially a.short action 270/.280 Perhaps think of as a ".270 lite" - but really only that qualifier over 300. However, I don't agree it's only a loader's cartridge. Unless you're a major range-meister, if you don't load .270, I wouldn't (necessarily) think you'd have to do 7mm. Look around. Also a great "mountain rifle" round that excels ballistically in shorter barrels versus some other choices. I agree with others, leave the moose to the bigger boys--generally starting with 3--. If you're hunting moose, you're presumably gearing (even more) specifically and appropriately for. Don't hear too much of "weekend warriors" going for moose--or elk for that matter, though it happens.