.308 vs 7mm 08 for moose.

Canuck65 said:
...... the moose won't know the difference.
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^^^^

Buy or load 140g quality bullets like Partitions, something bonded, or TTSX Barnes (could go 120 grain for these), and away she goes. I would make the same recommendation for 308 Win. Unless you insist on shooting cup-core bullets like Interlocks, SSTs or Sierra Gamekings, you are not gaining anything by going heavier.

My 2-cent opinion.
 
The moose won't know the difference, the bullet choice has a much bigger impact with on game performance than the cartridge.

I would go so far as to say that with the bullets of today, the 7-08 is actually a better cartridge than the .308. Not to disparage the .308, as it is a great cartridge as well

My little sister's first moose she shot last fall at about 185 yards. 7-08 139 gr LRX bullets, from her Browning Micro 20" barrel she picked up from Nechako Outdoors. 2 shots, although second shot probably wasn't needed. Moose made it about 10 human paces from where it was first hit. Thankfully not too far from a road so retrieval was not an epic event- unlike some retrievals I've had to do! :)


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Thanks for all the great feedback and info. We are going to go with the Savage Lady Hunter or Weatherby Camilla in 7mm 08. Cheers
 
I think the bullet itself is more important than the cartridge, given your choice. Regardless, I think those two choices are almost identical.
 
A 140gr 7mm bullet has the same SD as a 165gr 30cal bullet, and should have a higher BC too. I would not hesitate pulling the trigger on a moose with my 7mm08 loaded with a premium 140-150gr bullet, personally I'm using the 140gr Partition. IMO 160gr+ bullets are too heavy for the 7mm08 case if you are expecting to fit them in a magazine, too much case capacity lost to the long bullet.
 
Suther said:
A 140gr 7mm bullet has the same SD as a 165gr 30cal bullet, and should have a higher BC too. I would not hesitate pulling the trigger on a moose with my 7mm08 loaded with a premium 140-150gr bullet, personally I'm using the 140gr Partition. IMO 160gr+ bullets are too heavy for the 7mm08 case if you are expecting to fit them in a magazine, too much case capacity lost to the long bullet.
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Yes...was considering the 150 gr Hornady ELD X.
 
Clay00019 said:
Yes...was considering the 150 gr Hornady ELD X.
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I have a box of those, came in a package deal with some brass. Haven't loaded any yet, but when I do I think I'll be loading them too long to fit the magazine, as they are a pretty long bullet and will otherwise encroach on my powder capacity. JBM ballistics has a big list of bullet lengths, they claim the 175gr partition is shorter than the 150 ELD-X (1.36" vs 1.398").

Here is a 150eld-x, beside a 140 partition, beside a 130 speer hot cor. I could rip the tip off the ELD-X and it would still be longer than the 140 partition:
DiEPWKj.jpg
 
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Suther said:
I have a box of those, came in a package deal with some brass. Haven't loaded any yet, but when I do I think I'll be loading them too long to fit the magazine, as they are a pretty long bullet and will otherwise encroach on my powder capacity.

Here is a 150eld-x, beside a 140 partition, beside a 130 speer hot cor:
DiEPWKj.jpg
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Thanks for the pic good to know...I will go to cabelas and measure,a factory load of Hornady precisions.
 
Some guys have shot moose with a .243 although I wouldn't go that light.

Then some seem to think that a .338 win mag is the minimum you should use on moose. ( snicker)

You will be fine with your 7-08 so don't worry about it, just put the pill where it belongs.
 
My only advice is a good bullet (nosler partition or a hawk), and be aware the heart is lower and further forward than you may think if have never shot a moose.

Tried Numerous calbres to find the right one for wife, Finally settled on browning youth model 7-08. Just fyi, recoil between 30-30/375win/30-06 wasn't an issue. The Barrel length was. Reality is women are built different, and for her, the youth model was right.

Only other advice was given to me by my grandfather, when hunting moose, don't pick up your brass. You'll bend down to pick it up and when you look up the moose will be gone and you'll never see it again. Best of luck, post pick of the kill.
 
.308 may be more commonly available but the OP got 7-08 ammo for starting out. I'd just stay with the 7-08 for the wife.

I shoot a handload with 120 grain TTSX out of mine. The rifle and I like that load, black bear/moose/deer don't.
 
Don’t overthink the bullet weight. If she shoots it well, you are good to go. What I found with the 7mm-08 is the lighter bullets seem more effective. I would peak out at 140/150.

I have saw a lot of critters put down over the years, and bullet placement and construction play more part by far than weight.
 
Clay00019 said:
The Savage lady hunter is designed for women so it's an upgrade for her from a generic youth compact rifle.
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The Ruger American is popular enough that there are now aftermarket stock options - some of which might constitute an 'upgrade'.


 
Moose are not that hard to put down, not like an elk in my experience. However, you put a non-vital hit on one and you're very unlikely to ever see it again. Any legal combination of bullet weight/diameter/velocity will put one down as long as you don't attempt a shot that's beyond it's capabilities. If you're using a .243 with a target bullet, you better not try a quartering-to shot at 300 yards. Stick that same pill through the ribs at a good angle and it's lights out every time. That's why I use heavier tough bullets moving at higher velocities - gives me the option of taking that off-angle shot if it's the only opportunity given. Otherwise a broadside lung shot with a 300 magnum is not going to impress the moose any more than a 7mm-08 would.
 
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