7mm-08 just as good as 308???

[Sweet 6.5]

139gr Hornady SST

And if you get your elk at 60 yards?

Sweet 6.5. Are you Impying that the 139 SST will not hold together at that range ,, velocity. Ive got some loaded & they shoot real good. I was planning on using them for deer.  Average shot would be 60 -- 100 yards

But there is a big difference between a deer and an elk.
At 300 yards you might get away with it but at close range on an elk I think a 139 SST might be too
soft. You will be playing a different ball game if you go to the heavier 162gr or if you want to stay with 139 just take the Interbond.  All in all I think you would be better of with the 154gr Interbond. Stong and fast enough with good weight retention to give you enough momentum.

[SHOOTALL]

An old guy named Bell killed over 1000 elephants with a 6.5 and a 7X57 mostly with FMJ bullets . The 708 is almost idenical to the 7X57 . nuff said.

With FMJ bullets to the brain I believe. Not something your average elk hunter is liable or legal to do.

I agree most hunters in general aren't as good at knowing the location of the vitials on the critters and how to hit it at any angle. Better to depend on bruit foice in a round than skill and field craft . Here we are not restricted from using FMJ's or head shots . As for elk only a couple are taken when they wondered over from others states until the comming season which is closed in an effort maybe to establish a heard here.

[mannyrock]

  For reasons I don't understand, nobody has chosen to answer the original question, which is:  Is the 7mm-08 "just as good" as the .308 on Elk?

   Answer:  NO.  The .308 handles the heavier bullets better  (165 grain and 180 grain), and is available in factory loaded, premium ammo in the heavier weights, which give performance substantially similar to the .30-06.

[Swampman]

  For reasons I don't understand, nobody has chosen to answer the original question, which is:  Is the 7mm-08 "just as good" as the .308 on Elk?

   Answer:  NO.  The .308 handles the heavier bullets better  (165 grain and 180 grain), and is available in factory loaded, premium ammo in the heavier weights, which give performance substantially similar to the .30-06.

Ding!.....correct answer!

[SHOOTALL]

That is correct if you only have an American mind set . I would venture to say there are alot of 6.5 sweede shooters that would take issue. When you consider in equal weight a 7 mm is longer and should go deeper .

[Swampman]

Them needle guns just don't cut the mustard.

[SHOOTALL]

guess it depends on the shooter .

[Swampman]

If you can shoot them in the eye all will work ok.  Sometimes I have to take a lung or shoulder shot so I stick with the .308s and up.

[SHOOTALL]

I know some try to magnum um to death instead of learning shot placement and marksmanship.

[Swampman]

You don't need a magnum.  You need a .30-06.

[SHOOTALL]

Got one and seldom use it . My 7X30 works well enough. To be honest in Va. anything from 243 to 300 WM works just fine and the biggest factor is weight and the distance you have to tote it.

[vabowhntr]

Shootall- I think I will have to do a little test,  I too am in VA and have a 243, a 7-08, a 308 and a 300 WM at my disposal.  I am guessing the deer I shoot with all four will run about the same, assuming I shoot them in the same place.

[SHOOTALL]

I bet you find deer shot inside 80 yards with a smaller lighter bullet drop faster. Big heavy bullets seem to pass thru. and work well just a tad slower has been my exp. I think that's why 30-30's are still used in woods and where shots are inside 100 yards .

[the jigger]

IMHO as good as ? NO! Up to the task? YES! As I see it with your short, compact rifle the yardage at which you take your shot/shots
is the concern. Short barrel-long range? GOOD judgement-Dead elk!
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

[glazer1972]

A 7mm-08 with a 175gr RN would kill anything a .308 would.

[mannyrock]

  Yes Granger, but what you are doing is performing heavy custom handloading of the 7mm-08, . . . just to get it up to the performance of a  run of the mill factory loaded .308 with a 180 grain bullet.  And, your heavy loaded 7mm-08 will never equal the power of the factory loaded light magnums or HE rounds readily available for the .308.  So, in my opinion, this makes the 7mm-08 inferior to the .308 for Elk.  The vast majority of hunter don't handload, and don't want to.   :-)

[SHOOTALL]

And why do we need super mags in the first place ? The slim for weight 7 mm as compared to the 308 will /should give better depth in target. I have both and see little difference on deer except meat damage . Both pass thru. How dead is dead ? Is it nessary to absorb more recoil ? If you hunt south of the US border it will be a 708 as it is whats legal ?

[mannyrock]

Shootall,

   Yes, the 7mm (being I think .280 caliber) is slimmer than the .308, . . by 28/1,000ths of an inch.  Far too little for me to care about.   A random headwind, or a 10 or 15 yard range difference, will have more effect on the terminal ballistics than that small measurement.  Give me the 180 grain bullet of the .308 any day of the week on an Elk.

   OK, but I can agree with you on one thing.  I live in Virginia too, and the 7mm-08 is absolutely perfect for any deer we may ever find here.

Best Regards, Mannyrock

[SHOOTALL]

Mannny , I sold my 708 .