Did a search to see if I could find a previous discussion on this topic with no success so figured I'd throw it out there. I am considering a budget rifle build based of a savage short action. I was set on 260 Remington but while surfing the web and doing some research also started looking at the 7mm 08. the high BC 7mm bullets are very attractive. Was wondering if anyone had experience with both have heard a lot of great things about the 260 but havn't heard much about the 7mm 08 other then its a popular silhouette and hunting round. Seems to me like it would be a excellent all around long range performer. Further rifle I am planning would be a quasi tactical/practical rifle but would primarily be used for range not hunting.
260 rem vs 7mm 08
- Thread starter Freerider
- Start date
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
I load for both , you probably would see a bit better retained energy down range on the 7-08. Bullet choices for hunting are a bit better in the 7mm area. As for target use either one is going to do just fine. You can get good accuracy out of both with many different powders out there.
From what I have been seeing is that the 7-08 is an extremely popular all-round hunting cartridge that some guys use for range work, and the .260 is a very popular target cartridge that some guys use for hunting if you catch my drift.
I am biased towards the 7-08 though as I use it for damn near everything.
From what I have been seeing is that the 7-08 is an extremely popular all-round hunting cartridge that some guys use for range work, and the .260 is a very popular target cartridge that some guys use for hunting if you catch my drift.
I am biased towards the 7-08 though as I use it for damn near everything.
The 7-08 is a prerfectly adequate cartridge. Its drawback is its lack of oomph for propelling the hingest BC bullets. Long range precision shooting is all about ballistic coefficients, and much like the 6.5X47 lapua, the 7-08 lacks the horsepower to really cash-in on the virtues of the heaviest bullets. In the case of the 7mm line-up 175 - 190 grain 7mm match bullets rule.
The 260 handles the heavy high BC 6.5mm bullets just fine, and there is a really good selection of 6.5 bullets. The icing on the cake is now the fact that lapua makes 260 cases.
One is not really more accurate than the other, and the BC's are not that far apart if you were to use 168 grain 7mm bullets. The other plus for the 7-08 is barrel life. It is exceptional.
The 260 handles the heavy high BC 6.5mm bullets just fine, and there is a really good selection of 6.5 bullets. The icing on the cake is now the fact that lapua makes 260 cases.
One is not really more accurate than the other, and the BC's are not that far apart if you were to use 168 grain 7mm bullets. The other plus for the 7-08 is barrel life. It is exceptional.
Lots of guys on the hide shooting the 162 AMAX @ 2800 fps. in the 7mm-08. That load shoots inside of a 6.5mm 139 Scenar going @ 2850 fps. according to JBM.
The Hide has a good reloading section with lots of load data posted for both of these rounds. Run some simulations in JBM with the bullets you want to use, using common velocities people are getting for bullets of the same weight and that will give you a way of comparing the two in a quantitative way.
The Hide has a good reloading section with lots of load data posted for both of these rounds. Run some simulations in JBM with the bullets you want to use, using common velocities people are getting for bullets of the same weight and that will give you a way of comparing the two in a quantitative way.
blacktailslayer
Regular
- Location
- Ladysmith, B.C.
rifle
This is an easy call for me, .260 if it's for just targets. Lapua is coming out with brass for the .260.The .260 will push a 140 Berger better than the 7mm-08 will push a 168 Berger. If it's going to be used for hunting at all go 7mm-08. Pretty simple to use Lapua brass with it too by necking up 260 or necking down 308.
This is an easy call for me, .260 if it's for just targets. Lapua is coming out with brass for the .260.The .260 will push a 140 Berger better than the 7mm-08 will push a 168 Berger. If it's going to be used for hunting at all go 7mm-08. Pretty simple to use Lapua brass with it too by necking up 260 or necking down 308.
Tough choice. The 7mm has more bore surface area and will make more efficient use of the available pressure. Also has bullets with slightly higher BC. But, on the other side of the coin, to get the higher BC, bullet weight goes up, as does recoil. No more case capacity for the 7mm. Probably a splitting hairs decision, and you can't make a bad choice. If the 7mm was an improved version with a little more powder to make up for the heavier bullet, I would say the decision then goes to the 7mm.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
I have some A-Max in 162 ready to test possibly tomorrow, I will post what I get for velocities and group sizes.If anyone is interested.
bulldog284
CGN Regular
- Location
- pigeon hill
kelly
please do i would like to see what you come out with..
please do i would like to see what you come out with..
Be very intrested was looking at the 7-08 shooting one of the heavier 160's should shoot circles around a 308 shooting 168. Just wondering how it Would compare to a 260 shooting heavy 6.5's should do well will have to do more research.
The 7-08 does everything the .308 does, but does it FAR better. The 140 6.5 bullet has a G1BC of .612. That kicks the crap out of anything but the heaviest 7mm bullets and travels faster that its equivalent BC in 7mm in a 260 vs. a 7-08.
brendaen1669 said:
When comapring two calibers, the weight means absolutely nothing. It is Ballistic Coefficient that you are looking for and a 140 in 7mm would be shyte compared to any 6.5 bullet of an equivalent weight.
Last edited:
I was looking for a new rifle for my daughter recently and after reading a lot on the calibers and getting lots of advice I went with the 7mm-08
here is a link to the thread in which people offerd advice to me
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559702
here is a link to the thread in which people offerd advice to me
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559702
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Here is today's results you were interested in.
Did have some wind and snow to contend with at the time.So, I am very disappointed with the results.If I cannot improve on these I will try my SMK's
I will refine the powder load and go to BR2 primers over the 200's.
The trajectory/velocity I can handle as it stays super sonic out to 1300 yards, but would need better groups for sure.
What distance? I see you are using 760. I believe that is a ball powder and may be quite temperature sensitive. I find it hard in cold weather to keep the powder at any kind of consistent temperature. They sit on the bench and get real cold. You pop them into a warm or even hot chamber. Then depending on your time delay to pull the trigger, who knows what the powder temperature is when it goes bang.
My thoughts would be at least for the winter to use one of Hodgdon's Extreme powders like H4350 or Varget. Hodgdon is showing a little better velocity with H4350.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
I actually shouldn't have even been out there today, I don't plan on doing much target and plinking work at sub-zero temperatures, but It was the first decent day I could get out so I went. I'll try again when it gets better out. Although my hunting round was doing fine today with different bullet and same powder.100 yard distance today right around 0 degrees. Personally I don't feel there would be a big effect with these temps, maybe in the -20 or lower is more believable to me.
Last edited:
I choose the 7mm-08 over the 260 as I believe it is more versatile. I say this after over 20 years of shooting a Rem 700 V in 7mm-08 and much experience with Rem Model 7 SS, 700 Mountain 700 SPS and Weatherby Weatherguards. I have never saw the need to use anything but Remington brass right out of the bag although I now do a bit of brass prep.
The following targets show my fire forming load using new Rem brass with a Speer 110 TNT, seated at 2.8", ahead of 48.2 grains of Varget. This load comes out of the 24" barrel at 3250fps on a cool day and 3300fps on a hot day and will shoot 1/4" groups all day long. Even managed a 3.4" wind dispersed group at 600 yards.
I then neck size the brass and seat a 162 A-Max ahead of 47 grains of H4350, 0.030" off the lands with CCI BR2 primers. The COAL 2.925" necessitates single shot feeding but a MV of 2777fps on a 20 Celsius day and 2750 on a cool day puts in 2" groups at 600 yards. Never got a chance to try on a moose at 600+ yards but am sure it would do the job.
For hunting I load a Speer 145 BT in a neck sized brass ahead of 48.5 grains of H4350 with a COAL of 2.77" which is about 0.010" off the land. MV is 2940fps and groups are usually in the 1/3 MOA range. Moose, elk and deer at 500+ yards are dead meat.
Last edited:
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Yes, I may try some different powder to see what happens, It is one big experiment this reloading game, just wish a fellow had more time to get out and shoot, and decent weather also wouldn't hurt.
