Finally got me a 7mm-08

[kombi1976]

 About 5 yrs back when I first wanted to try and get into deer hunting I decided I’d get a 7x57. That was fine but I didn’t have the dollars for a new gun and there were no old 7x57s I could afford so I ended up buying a much abused and sporterised ’41 k98 in 8x57JS from a friend. In the end the stock was thrown in favour of a Choate sporter stock, the bbl was replaced with a Sprinter stainless 26” heavy sporter bbl and the trigger was upgraded to a Timney sportsman. I took a fair bit of game with that rifle, primarily goats and similar game but each time I took it deer hunting I was never confident to take longer shots. It also didn’t really group smaller than 1.5” on a regular basis and that isn’t a good basis for 300yd shots, even on an animal the size of a deer.
 
Around the same time the 8x57 was fully tricked up I bought a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 9.3x62 and loved it from the first. I’ve rarely missed with it apart from those times I didn’t hold over properly and it’s great for a long day in steep country. It’s also a stone cold killer. I’ve nick named it “The Judge” and for good reason. It smacks stuff down hard! 
 
Last June came around and it was my third outing after fallow deer, the first 2 being unsuccessful. I was heading south to hunt sambar deer the next weekend and as my hunting buddy Drew described it, I needed to get the “monkey off my back” or perhaps the deer off my back.    And I succeeded. Using his Sako 85 Stainless Laminate in 7mm-08 I knocked over a spiker buck at 180m. The differences between it and the 8x57JS were stark. I was assured it would hit if I put the crosshairs on it. The recoil and muzzle blast in the midst of buck fever was like an air rifle. Even when my blood was up the 8mm had been loud and fairly stiff and it wasn’t a light rifle. And best of all the buck folded up immediately and just lay there. None of the “full penetration and run 100yds” I’d experienced with 150gr pills in the 8mm. It was immediate. Later that day I also nailed at fawn at 50yds with the 9.3x62 so I was well and truly no virgin anymore in terms of deer.

Drew & I with my first deer, the spiker buck, and his Sako 7mm-08:

 
As we drove home from the hunt I turned to Drew and said “Y’know, after today I think it’s time I sold a few things and bought a 7mm-08 instead.” He looked at me with a bemused expression and said “Well, thank goodness you got there by yourself. I thought I was going to have to introduce the idea myself!” I consulted the “minister of war and finance” and she said so long as my sales financed the purchase and we didn’t spend any from general funds it was cool with her.
 
My happiness with the 9.3mm had swayed me toward T3s and when the price dropped from $1200 to $895 I put a deposit on a Lite Stainless in 7mm-08. After a long lay away I finally picked the rifle up not long ago. Drew also kindly bought me a 5-shot mag for my 40th birthday recently. Here are some pics. New in the box with the 5-shot mag along side:

 The box open:

The rifle and mag out:

Alongside the 9.3x62 (top w/Leupold VX-I 2-7x32) both with 3 and 5 shot mags:

 Fitted with a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x42 which a kind friend from the US got for me for an excellent price:

The calibre stamp on the bbl:

I’m still waiting on Rem brass and some a Lee Collet 3-die set to try it out at the range and the alloy factory rings need to be replaced by Talley steel rings sooner rather than later. But it should be ideal for hunting anything short of sambar deer or buffalo. But hey, I have the 9.3mm for sambar and a Ruger #1H 450/400 when I get to go for buffs. I'll post a range and hunt report when I finally get it out shooting.
 

 
 
 

[dpe.ahoy]

Congrats on your new purchase!  I'm kind of a 7mm nut myself, got the kids 7mm-08's for their deer/elk rifles and I have several of my own.  One of mine is just like yours only stainless, light weight and deadly.  The darn magazines are almost as much as the older Browning BLR mags, make sure sure ya don't loose one!  DP

[Siskiyou]

Congratulations on a nice rifle.  The 7MM-08 is easy to load and accurate.  I have been for loading my granddaughter's.  Brother gave her a lot of good loads when he passed it to her.  Sierra and Speer bullets from 120-grains to 140-grains.  He also provided Lee dies and I loaded some 145-grain Speer using H-414.  Seems like you can feed the rifle the weights mention and it is accurate.  Her rifle started life as a 22-250 and was re-bored to 7MM-08.  A fine choice.
 
What bullets are you using?
 
 

[kombi1976]

The 7mm family is a great family of cartridges. I almost bought a 7x64 Brenneke when I bought my T3 in 9.3x62 and thought about getting a H&R/NEF Handi-rifle in 280 Rem when they made them with the 26" bbls. But after using my mate's Sako 7mm-08 there was no doubt in my mind I should get one too. And I have 2 mags for both of my T3s; - a 3-shot and a 5-shot each.

Your granddaughter's Ruger RSI is a gorgeous rifle, Siskiyou. I've always loved the look of them. I'll be using 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips as these are ideal for the fallow deer we hunt. While a 7mm-08 is ample for big deer when I hunt sambar deer next week, which are similar to elk in the body, I'll be using my 9.3x62 with 270gr Speer Semi-Spitzers. Much of it is close cover work and 9.3mm cartridges are stoppers.

[longwinters]

Gotta love the 7m-08.  Especially in a Sako.


Long

[nomosendero]

Nice setup there. Thanks for sharing

[RevJim]

 I have a young friend who has one of those Tikkas, in .338 Federal. He uses the 185 TSX factory loads. He has used it on mule deer and a big spike elk last year. My SIL just picked up a good deal on a used one, in 7mm Remington Magnum. He is going to try the 180 Bergers in the HSM ammo before handloading. I like everything about the little Tikkas but the polymer magazine and mag latch. I'm too anal about reliability, ha. Good luck on that Sambar!

[kombi1976]

I've heard alot of people gripe about reliability and and the plastics on alot of European rifles but the only plastic part on T3s that concerns me is the bolt shroud. I plan on replacing them with stainless or alloy ones at some time down the track. And the magazines are identical to the Sako A5 items. My only gripe the design of T3s is the single action length and the way they block the action and mag for 308 based cartridges. The action length really limits OAL with bigger cartridges like 338 Win Mag and the blocking means that even though the action is longer than a 308/7mm-08/243/etc. needs you still can't use that extra length to seat heavy bullets further out. But for the price the accuracy and build can't be beat. I can count on one hand the number of game I've missed with my 9.3mm and it's all been my fault.
 
P.S. As it happened I didn't manage to nail a sambar. I did come away with a fallow fawn though. Here's my hunt report....
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,280815.0.html