Author Topic: 308 vs 7-08 vs 260 - comparative experience (Read 2932 times)

BattleRifleG3 · « **on:** October 19, 2005, 07:42:23 AM »

Just posted a thread a few days ago on 270 vs 30-06 to see what folks think of their comparison based on my experiences, ie that the 270 seems to recoil at least as much, have a nasty muzzle blast, and lighter ballistics to boot.

Wonder then how the 7-08 compared to the 308 with recoil, muzzle blast, and ballistics. And how about throwing in the 260? I've been an armchair fan of the 260 Rem but having looked up ballistics don't see how it's better than the 7-08, except for excellent high accuracy bulet choices.

PA-Joe · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2005, 07:44:13 AM »

They're about the same!

PEPAW · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2005, 07:50:30 AM »

Just about the same. Sectional Density may be better. Longer, skinnier bullet. I use 140 grain Factories on deer and hogs in the .260 and it works perfectly. I had a 6mm and a 7 mm, so the 6.5 hit the middle of my "collection." Recoil is light, as is the short action.

pepaw

Coalminer7 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2005, 03:52:40 PM »

Have all 3, 7mm-08 in model 7, .308 in older 760 with a chopped barrel to 17.5" and a newer 7600 in .260. Really like that .260, my youngest daughter shoots it. The 7mm-08 is the most unlucky gun I have, every time I carrry it Scotty beams all the deer away. The .308 has killed about
6 deer, never had 1 get away, most where Bang Flops, if i had to pick 1 it would be the .260. Shoots good, low recoil, just a nice caliber, 140 grain bullets should kill everything that walks, crawls and flys in PA. That 7mm-08 realy kicks, it is 1 of the first ones out with the 18.5" barrel.

BattleRifleG3 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2005, 09:18:40 PM »

How is the 7-08 kick compared to a 308?

PEPAW · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2005, 01:27:17 AM »

Recoil is very close with same '08 case, with same 140 grain bullet. But the type of rifle will define the recoil. I personally would go with a longer barrel (22-24) of heavier contour. Then you won't notice the recoil or the muzzle blast like with my 20" Model 7. I think the heavier barrel is worth the extra weight for steadier shooting.

pepaw

beemanbeme · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:50:23 AM »

I have never owned a .308, opting to go the 30-06 route but I own several 7-08's and have used them for a good number of years (15-20) on both mulies and whitetails. I think they're as close as you can get to the perfect deer rifle.
Out west, I used 140gr NPs or 145gr Grand Slams. For whitetails, I used 139gr Hornadys and 140gr Core Lokts. A couple of years ago, I loaded up some 154gr RN bullets. They will take a whitetails right off its feet.
Last year I put together a .260 and used it to shoot two whitetail deer. 140gr Core Lokt bullets. One at rock chunkin' distance and one at 250 yards. Neither moved out of their tracks.
I do not perceive either as having significant recoil.

firstshot · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2005, 07:37:03 AM »

BattleRifleG3

I've owned a Browning BLR in 308, a 6.5x55 Sweade (like a 260) and now have a Rem Mtn LSS in 7mm-08. The BLR kicked like a mule, but I was shooting 180Grn bullets. To me, there isn't much difference in the recoil of the 6.5x55 (260) and the 7mm-08 with bouth shooting 140 Grn bullets. Both have very light recoil which is conducive to putting in a lot of range time and learning to shoot your rifle extremely well......end result "meat in the freezer".

beemanbeme

Quote from: beemanbeme

A couple of years ago, I loaded up some 154gr RN bullets. They will take a whitetails right off its feet.

I certainly don't intend to hijack the thread, but sure would like to hear more about your hunting experiences with the Hornady 154 RN. I've worked up a load using 47.5 grn H414 and am getting 2,736 fps and average group size is 0.568" CTC @ 100Yds. I've just never hunted with them.

Thanks

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

beemanbeme · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2005, 04:27:48 AM »

I turned to the 154 RN bullet almost as a fluke. The first year after I moved to WV, I shot a small buck --@120#-- using a 145gr Grand Slam. I knew from experience that the bullet was a little too hard to be using on a whitetail but it was what I had loaded up. I shot the deer on a little flat near the top of one of the mountains. I was above him and the shot tipped him over well enough but didn't kill him outright. He never regained his feet but kicked over the edge of the flat. Every convulsion he had took him another 25 yards down this steep assed mountain. By the time I got him back on top, I would have estimated his weight somewhere around 300+#.
Sooooo I knew I needed a softer bullet. I thought about the 140 Horns and Core Lokts but then, maybe from reading a thread in one of the rooms, I decided to give the RN's a try. A 250 yard shot would be an extremely long one for where I hunt so I could only see advantages for using the bullet.
I've kilt three deer using the 154 RN and each has dropped on the spot. The wound channel and exit hole have been substantial but not like the obscene gaping wounds that some folks get from HP bullets and such.
Try 'em, you'll like 'em. :grin:

firstshot · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2005, 07:17:44 AM »

beemanbeme

Thanks for the insight!! I picked up a Rem 700 Mtn LSSS in 7mm-08 this last spring so I haven't got to hunt with it yet. I've have been working up loads for it all summer and it shoots MOA or better with everything I've tried except ballistic tips and they even came in at about 1.3" CTC @ 100Yds.

Along with the 154 Hdy RN's, I've also got a great load for 145Grn Speer SP HotCor. Using IMR4350, my gun pushes these along at 2,830fps with 1/2" groups @ 100.

I just haven't made up my mind which I want to use. I don't know, but there is something about RN ammo that just intrigues me. They look cool and just seem to have whitetail written all over them. The trajectory of teh 145 HotCors on the other hand matches the trajectory of my Burris 3-9x40 Ballistic Plex reticle almost exactly.

Decisions, Decisions... :?

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

lokewolf · « **Reply #10 on:** November 07, 2005, 07:18:02 AM »

A .308 will kick just a little bit more than the 7mm-08. I have two guns in 7mm-08 to compare recoil kick by..so hear is the beans. When shooting my Rem 7600 with plastic buttplate and 22" barrel, this gun shoots more accurately and has a very noticeable reduction in recoil kick and muzzle movement than my BLR in 7mm-08!!

I liked the 260 but ammo and gun choices were very limited...the 7-08 had more choices and ammo was more accessible. The 308, if you want to step up a little bit in caliber has slight more recoil and doesn't shoot quite as flat as the 7-08. The casing along with the 7mm bullet is very efficient and is pretty darn close to having the same ballistics as the .270, only if your using the Hornady SST ammo which claims 3000fps with a 139gr sst bullet. The 7-08 was and is getting more and more popular, but factory ammo isn't as diverse as the 308 or 30-06 in comparision...its getting there.

BattleRifleG3 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 07, 2005, 09:20:04 AM »

I will always have a 308 and a 30-06. I'm just wondering if I'd be happy for a 7-08 or 260 in comparison or whether along with having the 308 I'd think what's the point? I'm not extremely recoil sensitive, but reduction is always fine, as is a flatter trajectory, it would just have to be enough to be worth adding another caliber.

Slamfire · « **Reply #12 on:** November 07, 2005, 04:01:51 PM »

The comparison of 7mm-08 to .260 both using 140 grain bullets isn't valid. You need to compare the rifle using bullets of similar sectional density. Doing that give you a .260 with a 120 grain bullet and definetly less rocoil. As for the .308, they are pretty helpless, to get good velocity you have to use the stubby little 150 grain bullets. If you want a 180 grain bullet you start giving up velocity and range. By the time you get to 200 grain bullets you'd might as well be using a .30-30. The military doesn't have the same requirements as big game hunters, a man ain't much compared to an elk or moose.

DAD · « **Reply #13 on:** November 09, 2005, 09:08:23 AM »

Thought I would give you my 2 cents worth. I went with the 308 when I was doing the same thing thats going on here. The reason was ammo availablity when not hunting around my house. In the general stores I have always found 30-06,308,270,30-30,243. One and a while some others. The 308 will do what the others will do and with less recoil except for the 30-30, 243.

1marty · « **Reply #14 on:** November 09, 2005, 02:41:51 PM »

I've been hunting for over 45 years and always used a 06. Recently I saw a remington 700 sps in a 7-08 and because of the price I decided to buy it. Why I've wasted all these years shooting a 06 is beyond me. the 7-08 shoots 1" groups consistantly out to 100 yards with winchester silver ballistic tips. I took my first deer with it and after a well placed shot it went down like a ton of bricks.

longwinters · « **Reply #15 on:** November 11, 2005, 10:51:42 AM »

From my limited experience, the recoil of the 7m-08 is quite a bit less than from the 308. But . . . The only way to compare in a fair way is to shoot the different calibers out of the same make and model of rifle. I had a 7m-08 barrel for an Encore that I thought kicked hard. Got the same caliber in a Browning stainless stalker and the kick is nothing. I have had the same experience with different 308 rifles. So your question, while a good one, will bring lots of answers that may conflict. Personally I would go with the 7m-08 because it will do everything I need it to insofar as deer go. I cannot speak to the 260 since I have never shot any rifles in this caliber.

Long

BattleRifleG3 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2005, 08:07:31 PM »

Quote from: longwinters

The only way to compare in a fair way is to shoot the different calibers out of the same make and model of rifle.

I totally agree. I was hoping a few folks might in fact be able to make that comparison. Lots of very knowledgeable folks here. For reference, a standard weight bolt action is basically what I had in mind.