Author Topic: 7mm-08 vs 308 win for light deer rifle (Read 10392 times)

kenscot · « **on:** February 21, 2005, 03:08:43 AM »

I am considering a light 20 " barrel rifle in 7mm- 08 vs 308 for deer hunting I have no experience with this cartridge just looking for opinions and what loads and results others are using and getting

PA-Joe · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2005, 03:51:05 AM »

The 7mm has slightly better ballistics for the same bullet weight. I have three. IMR 4064 - 35-41 grains. Hornady 139 (use light loads for youth) or 162 (max 37 grains of 4064) and CCI 200 primers. Good to 300 yards.

If you don't reload the 308 has more of a bullet selection.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2005, 04:22:39 AM »

I have never owned a .308. Going instead with the 30-06 so I can't really say anything about that cartridge. However I do have a lot of experience with the 7-08 going back to when it was still a wildcat. And I think its one of the finest rounds around (hee hee).
I think if a fellow was doing all his hunting east of the Big River, it is the only cartridge he would need. While I don't recommend it for elk hunting nor, of course, the great bears, it does very well for everything else out west.
I have only recently started working with a .260. It may be a real sleeper of a deer cartridge. I have only killed two deer with it but its performance was impressive.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2005, 04:31:43 AM »

I have owned no .308s but have owned several 7-08s and consider it to be the ideal deer round. It's my personal choice and the one I recommend.

Ramrod · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2005, 12:31:14 PM »

With suitable bullets I don't see how there can be any difference between the two at normal deer hunting ranges. Both have more than enough juice to get the job done.

kenscot · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2005, 01:59:03 PM »

Well I decided on the 7mm-08. went try to order one and guess what No leftys available

so I said how about a 308 again none available :x I called browning they said they are waiting for a shipment, I asked when do they expect them perhaps the end of May :eek:
The best I could get was a 300WSM I thought about it for a minute but naaa a bit much for deer( I don't use my 7mm re mag as it is) & a lot of kick in a 6# 6oz rifle. What's a guy supposed to do?

beemanbeme · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2005, 04:29:12 AM »

My suggestion on that is WAIT until you can get what you want. Once you've made your mind up, no substitution will truly satisfy you. Even if you get another rifle and it does well, in the back of your mind there will always be the thought: "this is a good rifle but......................"

Gregory · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2005, 12:49:44 PM »

Any one have any idea of real world muzzle velocities you get from these short 20" tubes?

beemanbeme · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2005, 01:16:48 PM »

My memory may be faulty and my notes are out in the shed but I believe I was getting @2800fps thru a 18.5" model 7 barrel. 140gr NP in front of H4895.

tanoose · « **Reply #9 on:** February 27, 2005, 03:23:36 PM »

My personal choice was the 308 over the 7mm08 for deer and black bear in NY's Catskills. Range max 150 with most shots under 100 yds I was lookinf for a vbery light rig. I chose the Ruger M77 Campact with a 16 1/2" barrel . It sports a leupold vari-x II 2x7 and weight in at 6.6 pounds. You can carry it all day long. Recoil is maybe a little more then the 30/06 with High energy ammo. I thought the 180 grain bullets in the 308 would be a much better choice for big black bears. (300-500)

brasskeeper · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2005, 12:34:53 PM »

If you have to wait till may, so be it. If you have your heart set on that rifle, then you wont be completely satisfied with a runnerup

Rummer · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2005, 02:40:13 PM »

I have used the .308 but not the 7mm-08. I can't imagine that you would go wrong with either one. The .308 makes a slightly bigger hole and the 7-08 shoots a little flatter and may kick a little less (not that .308 recoil is bad). Both have a good selection of bulets available for the task at hand. I don't know which one has a better selection of factory loads

In my experience both the 150 gr ballistic tip and 150gr core-lokts are effective deer bullets.

Rummer

Omaha-BeenGlockin · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2005, 09:45:12 PM »

The .308 isn't all that far off the power of a .30-06---in a small --light--rifle it WILL buck pretty good---nothing unmanagable--but it will let you know its there.

Have 2 --.308 rifles right now---a FAL and a full-sized stainless Ruger 77---neither of these kicks very much---mainly because they are both big guns.

Been itchin for a lightweight in either .260 or 7mm-08----but with so many choices and different ways to go on the rifle---I've been holding off for a bit till I fully weigh all the options----and figure the cost-value that feels right to me. Extremes being the Ruger compact with a 16in barrel for $500 vs a HS Precision with 22in barrel for $2250 that's lighter than the Ruger by a good margin.

Guns4570 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2005, 09:47:46 AM »

I wanted a light one too. I went with the Remington 700 Light Varmint in .308 Winchester. The 7mm-08 was the other option, but I have too many other 08's I that I reload for to start with the 7mm-08 now days. To bad its not available in a lefty, its the sweetest 700 yet in my opinion.

magnum308 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2005, 12:20:50 PM »

My recommendation would be a light weight .308 Win. It's a great light mountain rifle. As I prefer the CRF (and can't imagine that there's not a Winchester classic fwt in LH in the USA) and get a light weight synthetic stock for it. I'd leave the barrel at 22" not much difference from 20" and still a nice, handy, fast-swinging rifle.

I have a pre 64 M70 fwt in .308 Win (22" barrel). It's a real performer. 150 gr bullets @ about 2,950 fps makes it a real hard hitter out to 300 yards. Might get a synthetic stock for it for hunting (though the pre 64 die hards may disapprove) it will keep the original stock looking nice and give me a real light weight mountain rifle. There's a well know hunting writer here in Oz (that's Australia) whose favourite deer rifle for many years was a very light weight Remington 600 with a synthetic stock and a soda straw thin barrel (all up weight with scope was about 5.5 lbs).

I think the .308 Win is a very under estimated cartridge. Whilst the 7MM-08 is a great round (because it is based on the great little .308 Win) the .308 Win with good 150gr bullets will have the edge on the 7MM with comparable (SD and BC) bullets (i.e. of around 139gr weight). If you use bullets any heavier than that in the 7MM-08 it's velocity (and tradjectory) is inferior to that of the .308 Win with 150gr bullets loaded to say 2,950fps for all reasonable hunting distances. But the .308 hits harder (bigger bullet diameter and heavier weight).

Ran them both through "Point Blank" and they are so close together it is canny. Though the .308 has 200 ft lbs more energy at 300 yards than the 7-08. Other ballistics, drop, retained velocity etc, are fairly similar.

The legendary advantages of the 7MM (long, high BC) bullets are only realised in the heavier match bullets (160gr plus) and when pushed at 7MM Rem Mag velocities. Hence the immense popularity of this round.

But for a light short actioned mountain rifle for deer you can't beat a .308 Win, though the 7-08 comes close to equalling it, but it doesn't better it. Plus the .308 Win legendary accuracy. My pre 64 M70 fwt is a real tack driver and (we) frequetly shoot .5" 3 shot groups @ 100 yards. Gives you great confidence in it as a hunting rifle.

Magnum308

kenscot · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2005, 01:14:34 PM »

After alot of phone calls I was able to find the micro hunter in 7mm-08. I mounted a leupold vari x2 3x9 scope on it. I really like the way the gun handles. Took it to the range for a hasty sighting in and to fire a couple of groups. I put a box of Rem 140gr PSP & 1/2 a box of Rem 140 gr Nosler partitions through it. For the most part it hung in there around 1" some less some more. I believe the larger groups to be my fault as I had spent the majority of the day shooting skeet in an icy wind and was a little shot by the time I got around to the rifle. I would think after a few more boxes of factory to break it in and a little handloading I should have my new favorite whitetail rig.

muzzleblast525 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2005, 04:13:53 PM »

Glad I read this post, as I've been thinking about a 7-08......Was really looking hard at the 270 WSM today, but I've heard a lot of good things about the 7-08......

mjbgalt · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2005, 05:11:43 PM »

i went through that too....after a lot of study and talking to people, i went with the 7mm-08.

-Matt

Zachary · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2005, 02:20:44 AM »

I own both, actually quite a few of each.

For most whitetail deer hunting within 250 yards, I honestly believe that the 7mm-08 has to be the ideal cartridge. Keep in mind that bullet construction is also important. Use stout premium 140s in a 7mm-08, and they will penetrate deeper than a 150grain, or perhaps even 165 grain plain jane .308 bullet. All else equal, if you will be hunting game larger than whitetails, then you should consider the .308. If it's just whitetails, then the 7mm-08 is your ticket.

Zachary

poncaguy · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2005, 07:25:19 AM »

270 WSM and 7mmn-08.......my favorite deer rounds, and elk and bear if I ever get the chance to hunt them :?

Slamfire · « **Reply #20 on:** May 11, 2005, 07:24:30 PM »

I got hold of a non collectable Japanese Arisaka carbine in 6.5x50 and rechambered it to .260. It is light and handy although I'm a southpaw I like it quite a bit. I use it mostly in the woods, and on rainy days. Our deer, bear, and hog seasons all run together so you don't have time to change rifles switching one to another. I figure that little gun is plenty for any of them. I killed some meat elk with a different one.

kombi1976 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 17, 2005, 06:23:35 PM »

7mm-08 any day of the week.
Less recoil, brilliant accuracy, good range.

firstshot · « **Reply #22 on:** May 24, 2005, 05:34:06 PM »

Here is a ballistic comparison of the 7mm-08 VS 308 from Remingtons BALLISTICS COMPARISON CHARTS @
http://www.remington.com/NR/exeres/000014d2dhzaqbajqdgkipen/RemArms+Product+Group.asp?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fammo%2fballistics%2fballistics%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7b4F84126C-5E11-4B1F-89E6-95AB18499B6A%7d&NRQUERYTERMINATOR=1&cookie%5Ftest=1

Click on the chart to see a "clear" full size version

Granted, this is ballistics of Remingtons factory ammo and the closest I could get on matching bullet weight was 140Grn Vs 150Grn, but even so, from 100Yds on there is hardly a spits worth of difference between the two. Especially if you were to adjust so they were shooting the same bullet weight.

For the same bullet weights, the 7mm-08 will have better sectional density and possibly better ballistic coefficients. The 7mm-08 can shoot a bit lighter bullets while the 308 on the other hand can shoot heavier bullets than the 7mm-08.

Take your pick........the deer won't know the difference!

I chose a Rem 700 Mountian LSS in 7mm-08

firstshot
--------------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

victorcharlie · « **Reply #23 on:** May 25, 2005, 04:05:03 AM »

The only real advantage goes to the .308 as ammo is much easier to find for the .308...........as far as deer goes........dead is dead, and either one would work fine.......

147 Grain · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2005, 07:26:04 AM »

While either caliber will do the job, if given the choice, I'd go with the 7mm-08 due to better bullet aerodynamics and SD / penetrating power. The 140-gr. Nosler AccuBond is an outstanding choice in this caliber.

Doc T · « **Reply #25 on:** July 18, 2005, 08:22:34 AM »

Personally, I like the 7mm-08. The deer won't know the difference and the shooter probably wouldn't either. First you need to decide on the RIFLE that you like best and fits you best, and THEN see what caliber it is available in. It may only be offered in a .308 . If it is offered in both, then your personal preference comes into play. Then I would get a 7mm-08 and hope that it liked the Hornady Light Mag ammo!

kombi1976 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 18, 2005, 02:15:46 PM »

Quote from: Doc T

Then I would get a 7mm-08 and hope that it liked the Hornady Light Mag ammo!

Well, there's a solution to that, isn't there.
Start handloading and have "Doc T's Light Mag" brand ammo all the time that's accurate and cheaper to boot. :wink:
Actually, that sounds like Simpson & Son's Health Tonic for those who are familiar with the episode. :mrgreen:

Big Paulie · « **Reply #27 on:** July 19, 2005, 09:19:50 AM »

How bout this analysis?

If you already own a 30-06 rifle, then buy the 7-08.

If you don't own a 30-06 rifle, then buy the .308. It will nicely fill the bill for about 95% of the 30-06 uses and 95% of the 7-08 uses.

Also consider this:

If you already have a .308, then buy the light rifle in .308 as well. There is a 95% overlap between the .308 and the 7-08, and it does not make sense to have to buy two different types of ammo to cover the same things.

Finally, if you don't own any medium game rifles, and you just want to own one, and you want to have it in a light rifle configeration, then buy the 7-08. Standing alone, with no other considerations, it is a great round.

Big Paulie

GTBuzz · « **Reply #28 on:** July 19, 2005, 07:32:10 PM »

Congrats on your rifle purchase, I hope it serves you well. I do have to say I find some amusement how these posts can bring out strong opinions one way or the other. The differences between the two in recoil, trajectory, and killing power are more in the imagination than reality.

kombi1976 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 19, 2005, 11:01:21 PM »

Quote from: GTBuzz

Congrats on your rifle purchase, I hope it serves you well. I do have to say I find some amusement how these posts can bring out strong opinions one way or the other. The differences between the two in recoil, trajectory, and killing power are more in the imagination than reality.

Ditto....good choice. :-)
Besides, 30 cal is sooooo last century.

Yeah, yeah, I know, 7mm-08 is no spring chicken but it sounds cooler, IMHO.