Anyone have real world exp with 7mm-08?

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CD08

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I am looking to buy my first hunting rifle in the next little while and was looking at different cartridges. The 7mm-08 seems to offer a pretty good balance between availability, accuracy, size, weight, recoil, cost...

Anyone have real world results taking down big game?

Thanks
 
Bought a 7/08 for the wife’s first rifle, I liked it so much i bought my own, 8 deer so far using factory and handloads, all one shot kills, It’s a great cartridge
 
It's a lot more capable than most know and many more people are using one than you could imagine.

More more do you need than a quality 140gr projectile doing 2850+ ft/sec?
 
I have shot moose elk and deer with mine. The first moose was quite a ways out. The elk was up close. I really like the cartridge. It has done everything I've asked it to do. I shoot mostly 140gr partitions.
 
I've used the 7.08 on Elk/Moose/Deer/Black Bears/Coyotes and Marmots. It took them all cleanly if I did my part. My go to bullet was and still is the 140 grain SST.

I hand load so ammo availability isn't and issue.

I have noticed that it isn't as popular as its kissing cousin the 308Win. This is apparent when you go to stores such as Wal Mart looking for ammo and it isn't stocked.

Most local gunshops and some big box stores do carry it but not a great selection.

I seriously LIKE the cartridge and the Model 7 rifle in a McMillan stock it's chambered in that is presently in my safe.

If I didn't hand load, I wouldn't have one. Why??? Because the 308Win will do everything as well and in some cases maybe a bit better and let us not forget, AMMO is AVAILABLE just about everywhere it is sold and usually with a good selection.
 
Good choice. Accurate, excellent terminal ballistics and less recoil.

Test a couple brands of ammo to see if it has a strong preference, and once you make a choice, buy 5 boxes of ammo of the same lot # for future hunting. (Assuming you don't reload or have a buddy who would load it for you.)
 
My sons both shoot 7-08's, they are both very satisfied. I shoot several rifles in 7x57, which propel the same bullets at the same speed. Perfect medium game round. Between us we've taken a bunch of whitetail and mule deer, some elk and moose. Any hunting bullet will work OK for deer, but for the bigger elk and moose I prefer premium controlled expansion bullets, especially if not stepping up from the 7-08's standard loading of 140 grains. 160 grain Nosler partition or Speer grand slam bullets at 2600 fps are "giant killers", with low recoil and good accuracy.
 
CD08 said:
I am looking to buy my first hunting rifle in the next little while and was looking at different cartridges. The 7mm-08 seems to offer a pretty good balance between availability, accuracy, size, weight, recoil, cost...

Anyone have real world results taking down big game?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The one reason I bought a 270 instead of a 7mm08 for my first rifle is the fact that I had to go to the LGS for ammo, and it wasn't cheap. They only had "higher" end ammo in it, stuff like Hornady American Whitetail or Federal Fusion, no winchester white box or fed blue box so it was $35/box instead of $20.

With the 270, I could buy ammo at any Crappy Tire or walmart, plus I could buy a Lee Loader for the caliber (although I ended up with a press and dies anyways) plus the rifle I was buying (savage Axis) only comes in a long action, so I'd be carrying the size/weight anyways, figured I might as well go with a 30-06 length cartridge at that point...

I plan to get a 7mm08 in the future, but I wouldn't consider it to be a high volume shooting caliber if you have to buy factory ammo to feed it (unless you can find a source for the cheap stuff perhaps?)

As you say though, it seems to be a very good balance of size, weight, and recoil. A 140gr 7mm pill has the same sectional density as a 165gr 308 pill, with a higher muzzle velocity, and the 154gr 7mm are comparable to the 180gr 308 pills, again with higher muzzle velocity (and likely less recoil to boot). Whats not to like?
 
Here is mine that was built. 139 at over 3000 162 at over 2800. No complaints form me on speed. Hoping to try on coyotes in a few weeks.

Edit: with factory american white tail I am getting 2980fps. I have yet to try superformance out of it

hsGEqBP.jpg
 
hometownhero said:
Here is mine that was built. 139 at over 3000 162 at over 2800. No complaints form me on speed. Hoping to try on coyotes in a few weeks.

Edit: with factory american white tail I am getting 2980fps. I have yet to try superformance out of it

hsGEqBP.jpg
Click to expand...

2980 fps? Damn, you have a fast barrel, the factory only claims 2840 for the American white tail.
 
350 Mag said:
Great cartridge.

Light weight rifles.

Will kill all but the largest game in N.A.

Excellent on Deer out to 300 yards.

Elk and Moose I would stay under 200.
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With the right loads these numbers can be extended by a few hundred yards. Heck by all the reports I have seen the creed is good on deer nearing the 700 yard range.
 
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