7mm-08 vs .308
- Thread starter m1aggie01
- Start date
longwinters
Handloader
- Oct 10, 2004
- 1,476
- 1
I have had 2 of both. 7m-08s in a Browning Stainless Stalker and Rem CDL 700. The 308s were both Sako. I have found that both calibers can shoot better than the shooter and are easy to reload for. Course the 308 has a better variety of easy to find fodder in your typical mart. The 308 really tops out at 165 for most practical purposes and the 7m-08 at 140 gns. If you want a bit lighter recoil go for the 7m-08. If a slightly heavier bullet is your bent then the 308. As is the case in most like caliber comparisons there is not a "better" caliber.
I can go either way on this discussion and not bat an eye.
I can go either way on this discussion and not bat an eye.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,075
- 2,596
russ808":3v2sqpgo said:
that sux
Powerstroke
Handloader
- Feb 24, 2006
- 1,792
- 33
I'm with POP but biased at the same time " 7-08 " in my opinion. I don't have any experience with the .308 but have a M700 in the 7-08. Yes it's plenty big enough for elk with the 140/150gn B-tips. With that said, I've never launched any A-bonds out of mine, but it's not very picky and has GREAT accuracy!
With all that said and you thinking the majority of of your hunting will be W-tail, don't overlook the .260. I have a M7 in that caliber which has taken several elk as well. B/C of the .260's is awesome, either the 100 or 120 grn B-tips would be a W-tails worst nightmare!!
AntelopeSniper.....I hear ya on all the chains... Got to watch Gander though, prices change daily it seems and a lot of Remington product is " AT or OVER " Remington List price.... drive down the road two miles and buy it a hundred and fifty bucks less. Always good looking though.
With all that said and you thinking the majority of of your hunting will be W-tail, don't overlook the .260. I have a M7 in that caliber which has taken several elk as well. B/C of the .260's is awesome, either the 100 or 120 grn B-tips would be a W-tails worst nightmare!!
AntelopeSniper.....I hear ya on all the chains... Got to watch Gander though, prices change daily it seems and a lot of Remington product is " AT or OVER " Remington List price.... drive down the road two miles and buy it a hundred and fifty bucks less. Always good looking though.
YoteSmoker
Handloader
- Oct 3, 2006
- 1,602
- 0
"drive down the road two miles and buy it a hundred and fifty bucks less" well said!
Antelope_Sniper
Handloader
- Jan 25, 2008
- 2,618
- 0
Powerstroke, you are correct about GanderMountain.
I did buy my sons shotgun there when they had the 20% giftcards, which I used to buy an out of box leupold VXII 3-9 they had on clearance for $150.00 8)
I really liked their 200% price guarentee while it was running. Bought alot of bullets and brass from them then.
At one point I walked into the gun section, and the Hunting Manager asked me "What are you going to rip us off on today?"
I did buy my sons shotgun there when they had the 20% giftcards, which I used to buy an out of box leupold VXII 3-9 they had on clearance for $150.00 8)
I really liked their 200% price guarentee while it was running. Bought alot of bullets and brass from them then.
At one point I walked into the gun section, and the Hunting Manager asked me "What are you going to rip us off on today?"
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,395
- 6,760
The GM in Grand Rapids suck as well.
The last two times I went in there, I couldn't get anyone at the gun counter to even acknowledge me little lone assist me.
Their prices are way out of line too.
JD338
The last two times I went in there, I couldn't get anyone at the gun counter to even acknowledge me little lone assist me.
Their prices are way out of line too.
JD338
- Thread starter
- #29
Powerstroke":296t50kd said:
Powerstroke...great info. I have looked at the .260 some and do like it. I already have a 6mm and while not a .260 it will get the job done. My goal is to have a small (6mm), medium (7mm/.270) and large (30.06/.308) in my collection. Why you ask, just because this is America/TX and I can I guess!?!
I have also been looking recently at the .280 and it sounds really good also. It should, according to Layne Simpson in the newest Nosler manual, fit the bill for the .270 and 30.06, depending how it is loaded, and my father has enough 30.06s in his safe to outfit by brother, myself and him in rifle of that caliber. All in all, I am looking now in the 7mm range.
Also, GM is high as all get-out. They are having a heck of a sale on powder and reloading components now, though. Might have to pick up some IMR 4530 for my 6mm and future 7mm purchase and some IMR 4064 for my 03s and M1 Garands before the sale is over though.
Powerstroke
Handloader
- Feb 24, 2006
- 1,792
- 33
m1aggie,
I hear ya, and good enough reason for me !! With that said, there quite a few of us with .280's & .280AI's.
I have a M700SS .280 that is a tack driver. I like that round as well due to the versatility. JD has a " beautiful " .280AI as well. Nothing like choices huh? :lol:
I'm thinking I need a .270 just to fill the numerical gap between my .260 and .280
I hear ya, and good enough reason for me !! With that said, there quite a few of us with .280's & .280AI's.
I have a M700SS .280 that is a tack driver. I like that round as well due to the versatility. JD has a " beautiful " .280AI as well. Nothing like choices huh? :lol:
I'm thinking I need a .270 just to fill the numerical gap between my .260 and .280
Antelope_Sniper
Handloader
- Jan 25, 2008
- 2,618
- 0
Stroker, .270 is a beautiful thing.
Aggie, for a "big gun" I like a .338. :grin:
.338 federal, .338 Win Mag, .338 RUM, they are ALL beautiful things!
Aggie, for a "big gun" I like a .338. :grin:
.338 federal, .338 Win Mag, .338 RUM, they are ALL beautiful things!
m1aggie01":3cdfx9pz said:
You need to go down to Carter's Country in humble or spring, I think? He has about four locations in houston. Biggest "small" gun shop in houston. I personally would prefer the browning over a model 7. I would however recommend the remington 700 LSS mountain rifle in 7-08; I have one in .260 and it is wonderful.
In college station there is also Champion firearms which used to have the best prices I have ever found, small shop but extremely high volume of sales. If champion doesn't have it or can't get it you don't need it. Great and knowledgeable people to deal with to.
By the way gig 'em; A&M Class of '97.
hvy barrel
Beginner
- Mar 1, 2006
- 52
- 0
I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,075
- 2,596
I have never seen a 7mm I did not like.
roysclockgun
Handloader
- Dec 17, 2005
- 736
- 0
For what you want, I would go with the 7mm-08. If you look at the ballistics, in terms of 7mm bullets vs 30 cal bullets, 7mm wins all the way up until you get over the 175 gr. weight. But then who needs 175 gr + to kill deer? 7mm bullets simply fly better than do 30 cal bullets.
?, if the 7mm bullets fly better than the 308. dia. bullets why don't they use the 7mm in the Palma Matches, 600, 800, 1000 yard matches plus the high power matches at Camp Perry plus the 100 yd. and 200 yd. Benchrest score matches and the 1000 yd. Benchrest matches. The 30 cal. is America's cal. It will always be more popular than the 7mm, just take a look at the die sales.
I guess I've got to think about this for a while.
I guess I've got to think about this for a while.
roysclockgun
Handloader
- Dec 17, 2005
- 736
- 0
6ppcar did write : "?, if the 7mm bullets fly better than the 308. dia. bullets why don't they use the 7mm in the Palma Matches, ...."
I cannot answer the question in full. That said, my partial answer is that since the advent of the 30-40 Krag, the US has been in love with the 30cal. Add to that, that since the early times, when US M1903 Rifles were released for public use, the American hunter has had a justifiable love affair with the 30-06. That love affair carried over into our use of the .308Win. All the while, the cartridges using the 7mm bullet were being used for hunting by the rest of the world, to include many savvy Americans. Military shoots were married to 30 cal cartridges.
The only reason that many militaries world wide went from 7mm cartridges to 8mm cartridges, was to avoid a logistics problem by having a different cartridge for their rifles, than was being used in the their machine guns! Early machine guns were thought to need heavy bullets, to be most effective. Therefore the 8mm bullets were used in early machine guns and the rifles were built to comply with that need. In truth, the 7mm Mausers will, on the whole, shoot better than will the same model in 8mm Mauser.
Again, in the US, the 7mm cartridges were not that well known and until much more modern times, were any cartridges designated by mm widely accepted in the US. Look at the 280Rem, which had to go through name changes, before being recognized as a superior cartridge in the US.
Probably the 7mmRemMag had more to do with the 7mm bullet being accepted in the US, than did any other. Only today is the old 7x57mm cartridge being recognized in the US as among the finest of all big game cartridges.
I cannot answer the question in full. That said, my partial answer is that since the advent of the 30-40 Krag, the US has been in love with the 30cal. Add to that, that since the early times, when US M1903 Rifles were released for public use, the American hunter has had a justifiable love affair with the 30-06. That love affair carried over into our use of the .308Win. All the while, the cartridges using the 7mm bullet were being used for hunting by the rest of the world, to include many savvy Americans. Military shoots were married to 30 cal cartridges.
The only reason that many militaries world wide went from 7mm cartridges to 8mm cartridges, was to avoid a logistics problem by having a different cartridge for their rifles, than was being used in the their machine guns! Early machine guns were thought to need heavy bullets, to be most effective. Therefore the 8mm bullets were used in early machine guns and the rifles were built to comply with that need. In truth, the 7mm Mausers will, on the whole, shoot better than will the same model in 8mm Mauser.
Again, in the US, the 7mm cartridges were not that well known and until much more modern times, were any cartridges designated by mm widely accepted in the US. Look at the 280Rem, which had to go through name changes, before being recognized as a superior cartridge in the US.
Probably the 7mmRemMag had more to do with the 7mm bullet being accepted in the US, than did any other. Only today is the old 7x57mm cartridge being recognized in the US as among the finest of all big game cartridges.
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,395
- 6,760
You can get comparable BC's with lower weight bullets which will result on lower recoil. For what the intended purpose of the original question, either one would do a great job for deer hunting.
JD338
JD338
Yes the 7mm is popular, i just had a 280 AI build and i am sure it will perform good but i doubt the 7mm cal. will ever replace the 30 cal. Just take a look at the 300 Remington Ultra Mag and the 300 WSM how popular they are. I think Win as dropped the 7mm WSM this year.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,525
- 4,789
" if the 7mm bullets fly better than the 308. dia. bullets why don't they use the 7mm in the Palma Matches, 600, 800, 1000 yard matches"
International Palma is one of those interesting disciplines where there is a choice of only two cartridges: .308 and .223... The .308 is by far preferred, I know of only one shooter using a .223 in Palma competition - and he does it for the challenge.
The .308 is further limited by a bullet weight of 155 grains - hardly the best for long range shooting.
Palma guns are typically built to maximize performance from the 155 grain bullet fired from a .308 Win. As with most, mine has a 30" Krieger with a 1:13 twist and a "tight bore."
A 7-08 can fling a much higher BC bullet downrange - as can several other cartridges. At Camp Perry, even at 1000 yards, the 6 and 6.5 mm cartridges are cleaning up at long range... Not the .308 - unless it's specified by rules - as in Palma.
Of course this is a long, long way from which cartridge makes a better whitetail rifle! :grin: My opinion on that, for what it's worth, is that it won't matter at all. The deer will never know the difference, and the shooter will likely notice little difference either.
Regards, Guy
International Palma is one of those interesting disciplines where there is a choice of only two cartridges: .308 and .223... The .308 is by far preferred, I know of only one shooter using a .223 in Palma competition - and he does it for the challenge.
The .308 is further limited by a bullet weight of 155 grains - hardly the best for long range shooting.
Palma guns are typically built to maximize performance from the 155 grain bullet fired from a .308 Win. As with most, mine has a 30" Krieger with a 1:13 twist and a "tight bore."
A 7-08 can fling a much higher BC bullet downrange - as can several other cartridges. At Camp Perry, even at 1000 yards, the 6 and 6.5 mm cartridges are cleaning up at long range... Not the .308 - unless it's specified by rules - as in Palma.
Of course this is a long, long way from which cartridge makes a better whitetail rifle! :grin: My opinion on that, for what it's worth, is that it won't matter at all. The deer will never know the difference, and the shooter will likely notice little difference either.
Regards, Guy
