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7mm-08... good caliber or ?

17K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Tracer 
#1 ·
i was looking at 7mm-08 as a potential deer hunting candidate. It seems to be right in between a 30-06 and a 25-06.

Anyone have any experience with this round?

Is ammo hard to find in this caliber? :cool:
 
#2 ·
Tater, I've owned a Remington Mod 700 chambered in 7mm-08 since 1995. It is an excellent cartridge that combines superb long range accuracy with modest recoil. It is especially well suited for whitetails and mule deer but a bit light for elk. Because of 7mm bullet popularity, you can load anything from 115 gr to 175 gr. I've found bullets in the 139-145 gr weights are optimum. Factory ammo is usually available from larger sporting goods stores. I shoot nothing but reloads and my pet load is a Hornady 139 gr BTSP loaded with 41 gr of Varget. It chronographs right at 2800 fps and is dead nuts accurate.
 
#3 ·
Actually it would be more like right between the .308 and .243 as it's based on the .308 case and not the '06, but power wise you're in the correct ballpark.

Iowegan's information is good (as always :)). I do not own one but have shot one that belongs to a friend and have become enamored of the cartridge. I will likely buy one soon as my next deer rifle. I presently have a .30-06 and a .243 and would like something "in between". I'd also like a .308 though so it may come before the 7-08. The older I get, the more I appreciate short action calibers that carry easier in the woods :).

As far as ammo availability, I see it occasionally at some of the Walmarts around here. Remington Corelokt. Not sure of the bullet weight.
 
#4 ·
Dear Tater,I now hunt in pa. with a revolver but I hunted for years with a Savage 11FC in 7mm-08 and found this cartridge to be about perfect. Recoil is,well, polite. and accuracy is outstanding. My son now uses this rifle and I doubt he will ever buy a hunting rifle and I doubt I will ever get this one back. One can find this chambering in a multitude of rifles ranging from long barrelled distance shooting rifles to short barrelled "brush guns".
Velocity is affected in shorter barrelles ,but not as much as you actually notice in a hunting rig.
My pet load is a 145 grain Speer on top of 40 grains of 4064. A hunter just cannot go wrong with a 7mm-08 and if you should purchase one I am sure you would not regret it. Good luck in all your hunting and shooting adventures
 
#8 ·
I love this round. I will try Iowegan load on Hornady bullets. I was wanting to try them anyway as I have had great luck with them in other calibers plus Varget can not be beat. It is to rifle calibers what Alliant Unique is to pistol calibers very versatile.
roc1
 
#9 ·
I have always been a big fan of the 7mm-08, manageable recoil, very flat shooting, and the brass seems to last forever. I have brass that I have reloaded at least 15 times, and haven't had to trim cases.
 
#11 ·
The next longgun on my list will be a M77 Frontier in 7mm-08. I will be buying it for my son to use/have. I was going to buy him one this year, but he could use one more year to grow into the length of pull. He shot his first deer with my old .30-30.

Great caliber!!!
 
#12 ·
I have a friend who shoots the 7mm-08 in the Rem Model Seven for deer here in NC. He does quite well with it. I own one chambered in the .308, not much difference between the two actually. So many calibers....so little time....
 
#13 ·
Tater........I purchased a model 70 Winchester around 12 years ago for my daughter first deer rifle. I really didn't know what to expect from the little featherweight Winchester but It is plenty of gun for any big buck in the woods. It is also easy to load for too, in case you get a hankerin to do so.:D
 
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