Why 7mm-08?

It is funny, but the 7mm-08 was developed for the silhouette game, or at least that is the arena where it developed a cult following. It did very well as a wildcat because it knocked the rams with authority and without the recoil of a 308.

That same downrange authority and lack of recoil make it a very good choice in a deer rifle, similar to the 6.5x55 and 7x57 for mild recoil but authority on game.

It's a good round, with a lot going for it.

Jimro
 
If you shoot often but do not reload your ammo, you would be better served with a 270 Winchester, or a 243, 308, or 30-'06. If you only shoot a box a year, no big deal. If you reload, it's all good. I prefer the classics, so 270 Winchester works for me.
 
If you shoot often but do not reload your ammo, you would be better served with a 270 Winchester, or a 243, 308, or 30-'06. If you only shoot a box a year, no big deal. If you reload, it's all good..
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If you shoot often regardless of caliber you would be better served thinking ahead and stocking up some.

I heard the same internet lore before I bought my first 7mm-08 in early 2009.Since then I have yet to not be able to find ammo for it and have it in my hand in 3 days or less even If I couldnt find it on someones shelf. The most expensive I have seen is Winchester Super X for about $34.
$18-23 a box is what Hornady whitetail runs. PPU is $16.99 a box. Remington coreloct was $26 a box at bass pro. Other than the Winchester I dont think any of the other would IMO be considered expensive.
Will the local stores be low or out of it during the middle of deer season I would imagine so. The shelves were pretty bare or low in other calibers also. Then again ... its the middle of deer season.

I bought 4 boxes of Hornady american whitetail at Academy last week . There was no 243 on the shelf, and in 30-06 there was maybe 2 choices of it. The others I didnt pay much attention too but pickings were slim in any of them.
 
I'd never had an experience with the 7mm-08 until the little sister's best friend got one for her birthday.

After some cursory Googling, and some reading here, I was suitably impressed by it's paper performance.

And then I got to shoot it.

Not a devoted fan boy of it yet, but it is on my short list of calibers to get.

I agree with it being the "ballistic sweet spot" and "perfect for new or smaller stature shooters."

Also, in doing some further reading, the 7mm-08 has appeal in countries where "military calibers" are prohibited.

My local gun shop had plenty of both Winchester Super-X and Hornady American Whitetail, at about $28 a box, which is par for the course around here.
 
Good performance on deer size game with lower recoil make it so popular. Those that are new to shooting or are recoil sensitive will like the 7mm-08. I am especially glad to see the times are a changing away from the magnums to the mid power good old get-r-done calibers. The days when you were led to believe if you didnt hunt deer with a 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag you didnt have enough rifle to get the job done are thankfully of the past.
I can see it over the years in magazines and on gun forums that the proven 243, 7mm-08, 308, 270,280, 30-06,etc. are growing back to their once popular and preferred glory.
 
I like the 7-08. I believe it is a better deer cartridge than .243 Win. which is definitely popular. I have two of them. Rarely hunt with them. Watching the reaction of game hit with the 7Rum is just too addictive.
 
7mm-08

what does it offer that you can't get from a .270, .308, .243, or 30-06 that there is a ton of ammo for...
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To a hand loader, the availability (or lack) of commercial ammo is of zero concern. For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone who considers themselves a fire arms enthusiast, would not be a hand loader.
 
For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone who considers themselves a fire arms enthusiast, would not be a hand loader.
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I'm with ya...
What it boils down to I think, is that there are some gun owners where the gun is merely the tool required to take game, and that's cool, too.

Kind of like the old comparison between what a car is to a car enthusiast that loves to drive-versus a car owner that views his truck or automobile as a necessary tool to get to and from work, or to the store.

For the pure hunter whose gun(s) may be twenty years old (or never) before the barrel needs to be replaced, and whose distance of engagement might be a couple of hundred yards at most, less than minute of angle accuracy is "good enough" for the intended purpose.

For those of us that subscribe to "only accurate rifles are interesting"- and know that precision ammo is a big part of that, handloading isn't an option...it's like the clubs are to a golfer.
 
Ammo Cost Revisited

7mm-08 is more expensive ammo than 270 Winchester. Comparing apples to apples; Remington Corelokt to Remington Corelokt, expect to pay around 8 bucks or so more for a box of 20 rounds. No big deal, but it's true. For those of us that reload, it's irrelevant. But reloading is not for everyone. Sometimes it's hard for us to be unbiased when our own pet cartridge is in the line-up. No doubt, there are occasions where a good deal on 7mm-08 ammo can lead a fan of the caliber to be in denial about it. If you reload, it uses less powder and so is very slightly more economical for ammo than 270 Winchester. It's all good.... Cheers, and merry Christmas to y'all. Pathfinder
 
As to the question of why some do not reload, there are many answers.
I have handloaded since the days of it being a necessity if you cared to hit the broad side of a barn. Today, you can get factory ammo that is excellent quality. If one chooses to not handload, it is a legitimate concern to compare factory ammo prices. I bought some factory ammo a few months ago because the loaded ammo was almost as cheap as I could buy brass. I intended to burn it up plinking. The stuff shot so good, I stocked up on it and have no intention handloading that cartridge as long as I can buy that ammo for $12 per box.
 
I freely admit that I am a fan boy of the 7-08 and .280 Rem., but though it is a good round and using proper bullets a dam fine deer round it certainly is not magical. It doesn't offer much different from the .260 Rem, 6.5s, .257 Roberts, .243 Win, .308 etc., or some other short action rounds when compared in same platform. Each is more than capable and hand loading is sort of like having a scoop of ice cream on your apple pie.
 
Someone called the 7mm-08 an updated 7x57 and that is literally true. Remington wanted a 7mm round for its Model 7 but the 7x57 was too long and also if they made the 7x57 hotter, it would be dangerous in old rifles made for that caliber. It is a very good cartridge, though, like many others, its performance is overlapped by other cartridges.

Jim
 
Also the 7-08 runs in a short action and I believe most 7x57's run in a long action.

I bought my 7-08 for that reason years ago. I wanted a light short action round with enough put down power for Texas Deer and the 7-08 worked out perfectly for the task.
 
7-08 is as suitable as any other chambering in its class and is as good as the the person behind the trigger.

I reload for 340WBY, 300WBY, 6.5-284, 223, 44mag. I have in the past have reloaded for 30-30, 7.7JAP, 308, 9mm, 45ACP, 300winmag, and 7mmRM. The WBY's and 6.5-284, along with 7.7JAP almost require that you load your own. It's not necessarily because of the expense of the ammunition, but the selection of available ammunition.

While I have never owned or even shot 7-08, it's as viable a chambering as any other cartridge in its class. The 51mm case is about as efficient a choice for medium to largish game as is available to the shooter and hunter.

I have a soft spot for 7mm , the first magnum rifle I owned and reloaded for was a 7mag I started reloading for in 1976. Along with 7.62, 7mm offers more bullet choices than any other caliber that I can think of.

It could be that its popularity with your friends is that it works and works as well as any other chambering available if your willing to load it for yourself.
So, people use it because it works and works well, with out being over powered or expensive to reload for.

Brass is easily obtained especially if you are able to to slightly reform 308 brass.

Some shooters, including myself enjoy shooting obscure chamberings, just like some people enjoy driving antique cars. Personally, I have an interest in grossly overpowered cartridges, as well as grossly overpowered cars and women.

7-08 could be considered as being in the Goldilocks zone of cartridges, not too fast, not too slow, but for some it's just right.
 
"Some shooters, including myself enjoy shooting obscure chamberings, just like some people enjoy driving antique cars. Personally, I have an interest in grossly overpowered cartridges, as well as grossly overpowered cars and women. "

A man after my own heart. :D
 
But is that to be read...
"overpowered cars , and women...
Or,

"overpowered cars and (overpowered) women?

:D
 
Same 57 mm brass.Usefull 6mm bullets are shorter than useful 7 mm bullets.
Some short actions were chambered in 257 Roberts,too.Same parent case.I prefer the Mauser for the cartridges of 7x57 parent case.Case taper,mag box,feed rails,etc are all correct unmodified.

Most of the short actions were designed around the .308 case family.Once again,.243 though .358,everything is smooth.

The cartridge performances overlap.For myself,Short action?.243,260,7-08,etc.In a Mauser? 6mm,257 R,6.5x55,7x57,etc.

Its just easier to feed them what they were designed for.
 
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