7mm-08 -- the forgotten caliber

[DaddyFlip]

I forgot I had filters set for bullet weights 90-117gr that @odonata had requested for his light and flat shooting thread. This list is for all bullet weights listed for each caliber. It helps the 7mm-08 move up the list a spot and gives a better idea of each cart's capability. Remember; one set of data for level playing field and for entertainment purposes only. I did add the average bullet weight column, so it should be clear that the 7-08 is the much more adequate big game hunting cartridge than the three carts above it.

 

[Cheesehead]

Honestly, I’ve never understood the 7mm-08’s reputation as a kid’s or lady’s rifle. It’s every bit as capable as the 6.5 creed or even the 308 for medium size game.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

Not forgotten here either. Tikka T3x 7mm-08 is my go to rifle for deer, elk, and black bear. A versatile caliber across various bullet weights.

What bullets do you use for each?

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

Honestly, I’ve never understood the 7mm-08’s reputation as a kid’s or lady’s rifle. It’s every bit as capable as the 6.5 creed or even the 308 for medium size game.

I will take it over the 6.5 creedmoor every day of the week for hunting.

 

[30-06Ken]

It will mimic my 270 winchester with 120 grain Barnes TTSX bullets. 48 grains of Ramshot Big Game with a 120 grain TTSX gets me ~ 3100 fps, in my Tikka its a 5 shot, 1 moa to 300 yards. outside of dangerous game there isn't anything this wont kill. Mild recoil, plentiful factory ammo, easily made brass from 308 Win., super accurate. What's not to love ??

 

[SaintPanzer]

In France, the cartridge 7mm-08 was very popular before the laws prohibiting rifles with calibers of military weapons were abolished. Since then, she has been superseded by the cartridge 308 Winchester. The cartridge was highly valued by shooters for its accuracy and precision in various rifles. She was hardly used for hunting because the cartridge 7x64 was the dominant choice there.

The cartridges 7x57 and 7mm-08 are not comparable because they are designed for different bullet weights within the 7mm caliber class. The success of the cartridge 7x57 by shooting bigger game lay in the use of heavier bullets than those used normally for the cartridge 7mm-08. Accordingly, the throat and twist rate of the barrels.

Wait, what?

I mean, I thought the whole point of the 7mm-08 was exactly that it was designed as a substitute for the .308 Win for those places that could not use the .308 Win, because a .308 Win is basically a 7.62X51mm, which is the 7.62 NATO. Neck the 7.62X51 down to 7X51, and there's your 7mm-08. If it weren't for the restriction, there would never have been a reason to develop the round.

I don't think is has a "bad rep", as much as I don't see it doing anything a .308 Winchester can't do, so to me it's more of a "why bother?" I mean, I like the .30-06 over the .308 Win, but mostly for the history, as I know the two a very ballistically similar. I also know that anywhere I go in the world (unless they actually forbid .308 Win), I will probably find .308 Winchester on the shelf.

Oh, and let's be honest. Those places that forbid the .308 Winchester because it's a "Military Round" (which was the reason France used) also forbid the 7X57, 8X57, .30-06, et al, for exactly the same reason. So to compare it to the 7X57 is really a non-sequitur, because the 7X57 couldn't be used anyway. And the 7X64? Herr Brenneke developed it as an improvement on the 7X57, but the 8X57 was used instead. I guess someone thought re-barreling AND re-chambering was easier than simply re-chambering. But that's a different story, for a different time.

 

[K E Johnson]

Not the most extraordinary cartridge in any way, but it does an excellent job nonetheless.
I have flatter shooting and harder hitting cartridges, but my Legendary Arms Works 7mm-08 is no fuss and no muss as a few deer around here have seen, like my buck from this year above.
Perfect for whitetails where I hunt in my opinion.
In most cases I like a heavy for caliber bullet. I have had my 7mm-08 for several years and have no plans to load heavier than 140 grain conventional jacketed or 120 grain mono metal for it.
If I thought I needed a heavier bullet, I would reach for a different rifle most likely, just because they are there. Not because the 7mm-08 is a slouch in any way.

 

[Elkeater]

Honestly, I’ve never understood the 7mm-08’s reputation as a kid’s or lady’s rifle. It’s every bit as capable as the 6.5 creed or even the 308 for medium size game.

I’ve never understood this thinking either. It’s actually more capable than the creedmoor, though I also consider the creed to be a useful cartridge within its limits. I would honestly put the 7-08 up against any .308 and truthfully it can probably outperform the .308 in specific instances.

I will take it over the 6.5 creedmoor every day of the week for hunting.

That goes for me as well. My buddy and I have identical rifles. Except mine is chambered in 7-08ai and his is chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. When I built mine I already had all the stuff to load 7-08 so I went that route as this was in 2020 and components were hard to get. After shooting my rifle my buddy had to have one. So he built a twin. He already had all the stuff to load 6.5 creed so he went that way. We’ve been shooting critters side by side for several years with those rifles now. Probably somewhere in the 40 animal range between the two rifles. There’s no doubt the 7mm bullets just hit harder. When people ask about the 7-08 I call it a 6.5 creedmoor on steroids.

 

[WI-2021]

My first deer rifle was a left-handed Browning BAR in 7mm-08. I purchased it right after WI started allowing rifles for deer hunting statewide; previously my part of the state had been limited to slugs and muzzleloaders. It was quite the upgrade and killed deer very effectively. I never used it on anything else.

After a few years, I decided to get into suppressors and the BAR wasn't a good candidate to suppress with it's rather skinny barrel and the gas system, so I sold it. It's replacement was in .308 Winchester, mainly due to the larger ammo selection. It kills deer very effectively too. I also used the PH's .308 to kill impala, blesbuck, waterbuck, and blue wildebeest in SA earlier this year. While it did the job, I'd have preferred a little more gun on the waterbuck and blue wildebeest.

In my view, the 7mm-08 and .308 are largely interchangeable for deer, but the .308 is more versatile for the non-handloader due to ammunition options.

 

[CBH Australia]

Honestly, I’ve never understood the 7mm-08’s reputation as a kid’s or lady’s rifle. It’s every bit as capable as the 6.5 creed or even the 308 for medium size game.

Time to chime in.

Many years ago when money was tight and I was keen I wanted a deer legal calibre in a short action. I was a long way short of chasing deer at that point but I wanted something to grow into.
This is based on the one states requirement of a minimum of .270 calibre for certain species.
I formed the opinion that a 7mm-08 would be a great all rounder for Australia. A Remington Model 7 Kevlar stock was out of reach
In short I found a Zastave .308, later changed to a Parker Hale .308 and the a brand new Tikka T3 in .308 in about 2012 all were used on pest animals.
A few years later I found a Tikka CTR on clearance in 7mm-08 put a Meopta scope on it and bought 400 rounds of Factory Winchester am on 139gn dog point and shot pigs and foxes weekly. I started loading Nosler 120gn BT and it still stopped every thing that I hit properly.

I think it punches above its weight and delivers results.

I watched a YouTube comparison on 6.5 Creedmoor., 7mm-08 and .308. Using comparable factory ammo from memory. The presenter kept showing results, specs or ballistics and showing every time he favoured the 6.5Creedmoor saying when you look at it it’s pretty close even where the others had a better point.

Times change and I have a few rifle options and still think the 7mm-08 CTR 20” is a great truck rifle that I have made memories with.

.308 popularity overshadows 7mm-08 in Australia by miles. I would not even guess a ratio because it could be grossly understated.

Obviously 6.5Creedmoor also outnumbers 7mm-08 popularity by tons in Australia so no argument there

I do believe the 7mm-08 is a good allrounder and worthy consideration for a hunting rifle and it just happens to be low recoil making a good choice for youth and lady shooters.

 

[mdwest]

The most avid hunter and trapper I know (literally travels around the US 100+ days a year to take advantage of different trapping seasons… and sits in the woods every single day of deer season, every single year, etc etc uses a 7-08 exclusively on all medium sized game… doesn’t matter if we’re talking whitetail, pronghorn, black bear, elk, mountain lion, or any other North American medium sized game… his 7-08 is the medicine he brings…

I’ve never known him to not be successful..

 

[t7spoon]

What bullets do you use for each?

140gr Nosler Accubond, factory loaded Nosler Trophy Ammunition. 2825 fps muzzle velocity.

 

[cash_tx]

Contrary to the positive sentiments that are popular in this thread, the 7mm-08 (much like the 30-06 cartridge discussed in an adjacent thread) is a wholly outdated and inadequate cartridge for field use in any current day hunting scenario; and as a result, any unwanted vintage walnut and blue steel rifles chambered in this formerly viable cartridge can now be dropped off anonymously at my newly established 7mm-08 rescue shelter in North Texas.

 

[Jefferry404]

To put words in a picture... my take for this "unwanted" cartridge
PBR with accuracy and game vital zones.
Chart is most useful for iron sighted rifle, whereas hold over not so easy.
Elk out to 215yds and reasonable energy of almost 1800 ft-lb.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

Contrary to the positive sentiments that are popular in this thread, the 7mm-08 (much like the 30-06 cartridge discussed in an adjacent thread) is a wholly outdated and inadequate cartridge for field use in any current day hunting scenario; and as a result, any unwanted vintage walnut and blue steel rifles chambered in this formerly viable cartridge can now be dropped off anonymously at my newly established 7mm-08 rescue shelter in North Texas.

Brilliant

 

[Ryan]

I recall there was an article in some magazine back in the '80's by an African PH talking quite highly of the cartridge.

If it was forgotten it wouldn't be a an option for lefties. But it is.

I own a stock left handed Savage model 16 in 7-08 that's dropped caribou with ease. And while I don't think it's a great caliber for moose in Alaska, I can say I talked with a guy who raved about how his son had dropped two moose with his 7mm-08 and was picking up ammo for #3 that year.

 

[Flbt]

Well I didn’t like it.
It might have been the ammo all I could get at the time was 140gr Winchester in the black box. With the dark stuff on the bullets.
Any way shot 2 deer with it
Went back to the 6mm it killed quicker

 

[Bonk]

Let me tell you how forgettable 7mm-08 is. I forget whether or not I still own one. Honest. I’m gonna have to go down to the safe and look around to be sure. I know I’m a fan of the cartridge and I know for certain I used to own one. A Ruger M77 I think. Whether or not I still own one is a complete mystery until I check the safe. As I think about it my ex-wife may have gotten it in the divorce. Still gotta check to know for sure though. Good grief…….

I checked today and, alas, there wasn’t a 7mm-08 in the safe.

 

[BonUm16]

Well I didn’t like it.
It might have been the ammo all I could get at the time was 140gr Winchester in the black box. With the dark stuff on the bullets.
Any way shot 2 deer with it
Went back to the 6mm it killed quicker

Like this?

If so, and your experience with it was a decade or two ago, it was almost certainly the ammo. Those older Ballistic Silvertips were very frangible.

I put four rounds from that box of .300WSM in to a busted up buck the last few minutes of light on the final day of our 2010 deer season. Every single shot was a kill shot and not one bullet penetrated even remotely intact into the chest. Shock killed that deer.

 

[Flbt]

Like this?

View attachment 735556

If so, and your experience with it was a decade or two ago, it was almost certainly the ammo. Those older Ballistic Silvertips were very frangible.

I put four rounds from that box of .300WSM in to a busted up buck the last few minutes of light on the final day of our 2010 deer season. Every single shot was a kill shot and not one bullet penetrated even remotely intact into the chest. Shock killed that deer.

Looks like the exact same stuff.
It did not act like it opened up.
Hole in hole out the size of a dime.
The 6mm 80 gr federl blue box 6mm hole in fist size throug the shoulder/ hart