270 win or 7mm-08?

Ormachek said:
.270 if you shoot factory.

7mm-08 if you reload.
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X2.:wave:

Im not a 7mm-08 fan ,but if you reload and like short action Bolts or either an auto or lever it will do nicely.(.308WIN is superior....cough..cough...did you know) The little 7 filled one role nicely many years ago. It was the lightest recoiling cartridge bullet combo to be able to knock over the 500 meter ram in Silouetticas Metalicas. Otherwise .308 please.....:popCorn:

For all others, Jack got it right many years ago.
 
just in case

I see you're from Alberta - I had the same dilemma last fall. I found a really nice mountain rifle for a great price in 7mm-08 and I wanted badly to put it to work.

The problem is, I spend a lot of time in grizzly country too. During hunting season, I don't want to carry a "stopper" as my hunting guy (I like to hunt with what I practice shooting a lot with, and my .375 and .416 "stoppers" give me a flinch after not many loads).

So I asked myself, "what's the most powerful hunting calibre I would take hunting in grizzly territory and still be able to, hopefully, with careful, cool determination and a bit of luck, be able to slow down a charging grizz long enough to take a follow-up shot?"

Neither the 7-08 nor the .270 is a "stopper", but if it came down to life-or-death, I would feel better with a stout 150-grain or 160-grain Nosler Partition in the .270 than any load in the 7mm-08. Others may disagree, but that's what it came down to for me.

If I wasn't such a wuss, and if I had more money to practice, I would think about a .280AI or one of the 300 mags, but for me (on a hunting weight gun) a couple of boxes in the .270 at a time and I can still hit what I want to hit, pretty far out. Anything bigger, and it's one box, or less, and that's not much practice when you think about it.
 
Redlich said:
I'm a huge fan of the 7mm-08, I think it's one of the most fantastically balanced compromises between killing power, recoil, accuracy and range that you can find.
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While it is a very good chambering, the difference between the 7/08 and a whole slew of other similar cartridges is so small it's not worth mentioning and certainly not while using the word "fantastically". ;)


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Personally these are two calibers that I've never owned... I do like them both ballistically. But the 7mm08 will be a tad easier on the shoulder. Either one would be fine for what you are looking at hunting. I would get to know a gunsmith and talk to him till you can figure out which one will be right for you. And, as one poster has said, this will give you a good option for reloading. Most of us didn't start reloading, but there is nothing more satisfying then having a gun that shoots "lights out". That builds confidence quickly and the results are very rewarding.
 
Wow, im overwhelmed with the comments, so I would like to say thank you first off. Its still gonna be a toss up with the gun i decide to go with....I def. like the fact the 7mm-08 has a lower recoil, flinching and being trigger scared wont be a good thing for me while shooting game starting out. I want to be confident right out of the gate. Once im comfortable shooting I can always go out and buy that elusive bigger calibre like a .300 or .308 for bigger game since I will be eligible for a moose or elk draw in approx. 3-4 years yet.
 
If you don't reload, go .270.

If you do reload and you plan on doing a lot of target shooting, with the potential to work up to long-range target shooting, go 7-08.

If you do reload but don't plan on doing much LR target work, but instead plan on using the rifle mainly for hunting, then go .270 (or better yet, .280).
 
dieselboy20 said:
Wow, im overwhelmed with the comments, so I would like to say thank you first off. Its still gonna be a toss up with the gun i decide to go with....I def. like the fact the 7mm-08 has a lower recoil, flinching and being trigger scared wont be a good thing for me while shooting game starting out. I want to be confident right out of the gate. Once im comfortable shooting I can always go out and buy that elusive bigger calibre like a .300 or .308 for bigger game since I will be eligible for a moose or elk draw in approx. 3-4 years yet.
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.270 has very light recoil, so it won't put you off. .308, for 99/100 shooters in a blind test, would be indistinguishable from 7-08 in recoil. And for the same bullet weight the .308 produces more energy and shoots a trifle flatter too, all on the same powder, due to the greater efficiency of the larger bore. Plus you can get ammo at any little shop. But then that brings us full circle to the .30 cal brother of the .270, the .30-06- likely the best all around North America cartridge going.
 
Id say go for the 270, unless you have kids or a wife that you are trying to get into shooting. The 7mm-08 is a great rifle for ladies or people shy of recoil.
 
7mm-08 I guess isn't a real man's gun. :p

Funny how guys buy their wives,g/f's, kids, a "smaller" caliber to hunt they same game they are.Guess we know who knows how to make shot placement? ;)

Don't tell the ladies they can't shoot big rifles.




cody c said:
Id say go for the 270, unless you have kids or a wife that you are trying to get into shooting. The 7mm-08 is a great rifle for ladies or people shy of recoil.
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Kelly Timoffee said:
7mm-08 I guess isn't a real man's gun. :p

Funny how guys buy their wives,g/f's, kids, a "smaller" caliber to hunt they same game they are.Guess we know who knows how to make shot placement? ;)

Don't tell the ladies they can't shoot big rifles.
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Recoil's subjective, so I agree with your last statement there. My 115lb wife shoots my .375, so I always remind people, "If she can do it, you can too." Half the issue is the anticipation of the recoil, or made up recoil, like guys saying that 7-08 recoils less than .308. It really doesn't, at least not nealrly enough less most shooters would ever notice in a blind test. So a guy should buy the caliber he wants first and foremost and then learn to shoot it; they're all manageable within reason. Especially in the scope of sub-belted mag. .270, .30-06, 7-08, .338 Federal, .308... All the same.
 
Ya I was just stirring the pot a bit! Although I dont know if you can really call any rifle a ladies rifle (unless you bought it in pink), or a 270 a "real man's gun"

But, the old guy is looking at getting my mom a 7mm-08 as she doesnt like recoil (and actually bagged a bigger buck than the rest of us last year with her .308)
 
I know of a lady that has shot ALL African game and who knows how many boars with a copy of my 375HH full stock Sako. The recoil is traight back. She weighs in at about 100Lbs! I have sighted in a few hundred rifles for some dealers in the Montreal area. The worst kicks were the 300 Win Mag, 7 Mag and ANY Weatherbey! My 7-08 700BDL will out perform a 150 r 30-06 to over 400 yards! I shoot chucks at 700 paces with a 100 gr Hornady at 3450 fps. My 139BTSP Hornady and even 140 Partitions do three shot one hole groups at 100 M. Everything from chucks to Cariboo die when hit due to proper bullet PLACEMENT and SELECTION! I never shoot running game except for birds, but that is something else! I shot nearly a world record (1/2 inch short) Gnu in South Africa with my friends wife's 30-06 loaded with a 165 Hornady BT. It went all of 30 feet! The 30-06 kicks twice as hard as my 7-08. It needs more powder to get to speed. Recoil is a mathematical formula of ejecta (bullet weight) and powder. The 7mm has a better Ballistic coefficient. It flys better than a lot of other calibers except the 6.5! Long 338 fly well!

Regards,

Henry:cool:
 
Been tryin to tell folks that all you need is a 7mm-08, you can hunt whatever you want , compete with it, practice with it.

What more could one want from a little pea shooter? ;)

It's not the big bang that gets results, it's that 7mm bullet that you have placed ever so well.



hnachaj said:
I know of a lady that has shot ALL African game and who knows how many boars with a copy of my 375HH full stock Sako. The recoil is traight back. She weighs in at about 100Lbs! I have sighted in a few hundred rifles for some dealers in the Montreal area. The worst kicks were the 300 Win Mag, 7 Mag and ANY Weatherbey! My 7-08 700BDL will out perform a 150 r 30-06 to over 400 yards! I shoot chucks at 700 paces with a 100 gr Hornady at 3450 fps. My 139BTSP Hornady and even 140 Partitions do three shot one hole groups at 100 M. Everything from chucks to Cariboo die when hit due to proper bullet PLACEMENT and SELECTION! I never shoot running game except for birds, but that is something else! I shot nearly a world record (1/2 inch short) Gnu in South Africa with my friends wife's 30-06 loaded with a 165 Hornady BT. It went all of 30 feet! The 30-06 kicks twice as hard as my 7-08. It needs more powder to get to speed. Recoil is a mathematical formula of ejecta (bullet weight) and powder. The 7mm has a better Ballistic coefficient. It flys better than a lot of other calibers except the 6.5! Long 338 fly well!

Regards,

Henry:cool:
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hnachaj said:
I know of a lady that has shot ALL African game and who knows how many boars with a copy of my 375HH full stock Sako. The recoil is traight back. She weighs in at about 100Lbs! I have sighted in a few hundred rifles for some dealers in the Montreal area. The worst kicks were the 300 Win Mag, 7 Mag and ANY Weatherbey! My 7-08 700BDL will out perform a 150 r 30-06 to over 400 yards! I shoot chucks at 700 paces with a 100 gr Hornady at 3450 fps. My 139BTSP Hornady and even 140 Partitions do three shot one hole groups at 100 M. Everything from chucks to Cariboo die when hit due to proper bullet PLACEMENT and SELECTION! I never shoot running game except for birds, but that is something else! I shot nearly a world record (1/2 inch short) Gnu in South Africa with my friends wife's 30-06 loaded with a 165 Hornady BT. It went all of 30 feet! The 30-06 kicks twice as hard as my 7-08. It needs more powder to get to speed. Recoil is a mathematical formula of ejecta (bullet weight) and powder. The 7mm has a better Ballistic coefficient. It flys better than a lot of other calibers except the 6.5! Long 338 fly well!

Regards,

Henry:cool:
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***warning mass sarcasm***

Right on, so then recoil shouldnt exist for any other people in any caliber up to and including 375 H&H because the 100lb. lady in africa shoots anything that moves? I will take it all the first time shooters and let them have at it with a 308 norma or 300 weatherby then, that should get more people into shooting I guess. Please tell me you mean something else by this??

And since we all can have great bullet placement from soon after we start learning to shoot, we should all buy small calibers, as no one should need to compensate with a larger heavier projectile to make sure we drop elk or caribou immediately, and shouldnt need to concern ourselves with an ethical shot or risking damaging more meat in order to drop an animal right on the spot?? Perfect bullet placement is a pretty big claim, one Im not willing to make. Why does it seem other people are and that they expect everyone else to be able to claim as well???

I am not a 100% confident shot at 400 yards or 700 paces, I will stick to a little heavier projectiles than the lighter 7mm's until I get there, but I will pass this advice onto new shooters though.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have started with the 7mm-08 and practised shooting it for ten years before ever going out to hunt, so that as a new hunter I would have perfect bullet placement with every shot I took.
 
The 375 HH is not comfortable to shoot but with a proper heavy rifle and inline stock, can be tolerable. Once you have hunted and shot some 20 or so calibers and tested them on paper and game over 45 years, you can make a comment. You should read some of the great African hunting stories about bullet placement. All African game has been hunted with the venerable 7x57 Mauser! Michael Yardley could teach you a few things about hunting big game all over Europe and the big continent.

The most important thing that a serious hunter must proove is, the clean kill! I have shot all sorts of game from praire dogs with my PPK/s 380 and XP100 in 17 Rem, woodchucks with a number of pistols, NA big game with the 375HH and &-08 to Gnu in Africa. From Hungarians in Vermont with my 45 to Cariboo with an SSK 45-70. I have always evaluated bullet performance and shot placement BEFORE shooting game. To do otherwise is irresponsible. To shoot game on the run while not sure of who CAN be behind or of a SURE kill, is irresponsible.

One of the most important lessons of shooting long range and as well as hunting was sniping during my militia time and more important was IHMSA Silhouette shooting with open sights to 200M. I was able to do 3/4 inch 4 shot groups at 100 M with open sights. Practice makes perfect. One reads the wind. One controls ones breath. One focusses on the target.

Learn from those of experience!

Regards,
Henry
 
I think what he's trying to say is for the accomplished rifle shot, which most of this forum's talk is aimed at, a .375 is a piece of cake. Most other big game hunting places in the world outside North America (India, Africa, and to an extent Australia and South America) a .375 H&H is viewed as medium, a .300 as small. Most of my friends in Zimbabwe who hunt started on a .375 H&H and consider that standard, and the truth is it's not a cartridge that will hurt you at all. The recoil's strong, but not painful or severe, and completely harmless. Where a .470 Nitro can make you sore, most will find a .375 poses no problem for actual physical beating.

In North America, and this is no bravado or slight against anyone, the naked truth is we're addicted to ultra-light recoiling cartridges. Northern Canada's a bit different, more .338, .375 and .416 Mags up here, but for the mostpart light for game cartridges and muzzlebreaks and recoil reducers etc are a North American phenomena. To be sure, 7x57 has a storied history in Africa too, but I'm talking about the general attitudes towards cartridges and recoil in Africa and elsewhere versus North America.
 
Ardent, after looking at my post, it probably does come off as a little harsh.

That isnt my intent, but I think I do have a point. If someone can explain how I am wrong, I will admit it and have gained a stronger perspective for it. But it is something that I think should be considered, and I enjoy hearing the members on the forums' perspectives on as well. If I seem something that doesnt add up I will generally point it out, and hope that someone else will correct me when Im wrong. I suppose thats how the wise find their wisdom.
 
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