.308 vs 7 SAUM/7 WSM ballistic not so different for hunting inside 500 yards?

BjornF16

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Yeah i am aware of the debate about magnifications at different ranges, i tend to use a good magnification because roe deer are very small my friend. 50 pound animals, at 500 you want a bit of magnification even only to choose the exact area of the animal where the bullet is gonna impact, trust me :)

With a whitetail or a fellow deer the target is 3-4 times bigger and things change a lot
What is your min caliber requirement for Roe Deer?

I would want a smaller, flat shooting cartridge like .243Win or 6XC/CM for that small a target...then 308 for your Fallow Deer.

Here is what 150 ELD-X did at 280 yards

123_1-2.jpeg123_1-3.jpeg
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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What is your min caliber requirement for Roe Deer?

I would want a smaller, flat shooting cartridge like .243Win or 6XC/CM for that small a target...then 308 for your Fallow Deer.

Here is what 150 ELD-X did at 280 yards

View attachment 519330View attachment 519331
The performance of the eldx looks good, how does it behave when it hits bigger bones at various distances?

The minimum caliber for roe is .222 remington
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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A 308 with a 155 Scenar pushed by Varget at 2850-2900ish would be the easy button.
That's fast, wow! Let me check it out.

Btw the 308 with the right bullet can have ballistic of all respect
 

BjornF16

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The performance of the eldx looks good, how does it behave when it hits bigger bones at various distances?

The minimum caliber for roe is .222 remington
With those animals you're hunting you'll be fine with ELD-X. The only complaints I've ever heard were the bullet was a bit "splashy" at higher velocities (>3,000 fps) without an exit...but exits don't tell the whole story.

I shot big black bear through both shoulders with 140 ELD-M at 200 yds...no exit (bullet lodged in skin after breaking far shoulder) but bear didn't even take a step. IIRC, I recovered 50% bullet weight.

ELD-X has a thicker jacket than ELD-M and a locking ring.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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So eld-m basically expands more at lower velocities right?

Btw i am so sorry i cant find a single factory rifle chambered in 7 SAUM because that is the ideal cartridge for me.. it's so crazy that this cartridge doesn’t have any market support...why..
 

Sled

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So eld-m basically expands more at lower velocities right?

Btw i am so sorry i cant find a single factory rifle chambered in 7 SAUM because that is the ideal cartridge for me.. it's so crazy that this cartridge doesn’t have any market support...why..

It sounds like you need to stick with the 284 caliber for a do it all medium to long range rifle. What is the availability of the 7mm rem mag where you are? If the 7mm-08 isn't readily available and you want to shoot past medium range (500m), then a magnum might be a reasonable choice.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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It sounds like you need to stick with the 284 caliber for a do it all medium to long range rifle. What is the availability of the 7mm rem mag where you are? If the 7mm-08 isn't readily available and you want to shoot past medium range (500m), then a magnum might be a reasonable choice.
For a roe deer 500 m is a pretty long shot with it's small size.. by the way, we have plenty of 7 rem mag. I wish i didn't have to use ear protections when shooting tough. On the other hand i never tried a 7 mm rem mag so i don't know what i am talking about very well in this case
 

FLS

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You can actually backorder it on unknown munitions now.
They have more back orders than brass. Production doesn’t meet demand. That’s why the scalpers can get $4-5 per case. I’m sitting on a good supply, but there is no way I would recommend it for a new build unless you have secured a few hundred cases prior. Its good, but it’s not that good.
 

FLS

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If you really want a 7mm, take a look at the 284 Winchester. It’s the flavor of the month in Fclass right now and Lapua makes brass and it’s usually available.
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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They have more back orders than brass. Production doesn’t meet demand. That’s why the scalpers can get $4-5 per case. I’m sitting on a good supply, but there is no way I would recommend it for a new build unless you have secured a few hundred cases prior. Its good, but it’s not that good.
The fact that production doesn't meet the demand is crazy.. apparently the demand is not high enough. This way i don't see how any new caliber can have real wodespread availability. Other than 6.5 creedmore, all the other new calibers have marginal market support at best. I guess we have to develope a whole new technology to shoot metal at distance before we can see a radical change in the market because this market is so saturated of offerings
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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If you really want a 7mm, take a look at the 284 Winchester. It’s the flavor of the month in Fclass right now and Lapua makes brass and it’s usually available.
Man i'll just go for a .308.. not very good ballistic but excellent accuracy, platform choice, bullet availability, barrel life, less noise, less recoil, shorter barrels.

If i had to hunt bigger games or at longer distances i would make some compromises on these parameters but overall inside 500 yards 308 is good to go, for me it's the best choice actually. I won't shoot past 300 yards with strong wind and i will accept i have to use the ballistic turrets for elevation at shorter ranges than with these new and amazingly flat calibers. Anyway i can get close to the animals very reliably so there won't be problems.

Barrel life could seem marginal but here in Italy i can get more or less 25-30 tags/year so i go out hunting 25-30 times per year. Even with only 1 shot per animal (99% of the time that's the case), it's already 30 shots per year. Add at least other 50 for zeroiing after banging the scope/temperature changes/training and add at least one hundred for load development or tests of various commercial ammo and a barrel that last 1000 rounds will last less than 10 years. I don't like the idea.
 

Sled

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For a roe deer 500 m is a pretty long shot with it's small size.. by the way, we have plenty of 7 rem mag. I wish i didn't have to use ear protections when shooting tough. On the other hand i never tried a 7 mm rem mag so i don't know what i am talking about very well in this case

I'd suggest looking at a suppressor if it's legal in your area. If you're not going past 500m then there's no need for a magnum.

Reading below it looks like you decided to stick with a new 308. If you want to get some more speed out of it, look at the absolute hammer projectiles. If not, find something available in your area and have fun pulling the trigger. Good luck
 
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ssimo

ssimo

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I'd suggest looking at a suppressor if it's legal in your area. If you're not going past 500m then there's no need for a magnum.

Reading below it looks like you decided to stick with a new 308. If you want to get some more speed out of it, look at the absolute hammer projectiles. If not, find something available in your area and have fun pulling the trigger. Good luck
Basically the only decently aerodynamic commercial ammo available here is RWS speed tip. 165 grain H-mantel tipped bullets pushed at 2730 feet/sec, .420 BC. It's not crazy on paper performance but the H-mantel technology is interesting. It's basically a tipped, more aerodynamic, partition.
 
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Ernie

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For a roe deer 500 m is a pretty long shot with it's small size.. by the way, we have plenty of 7 rem mag. I wish i didn't have to use ear protections when shooting tough. On the other hand i never tried a 7 mm rem mag so i don't know what i am talking about very well in this case
Nothing wrong with your 308, but since the 7RM is popular there, that is the easy button for longer distances on small targets. Get a suppressor for your hunting rifles. It will reduce recoil and be easier on your ears
 

Andy Ivy

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If you want to tinker then tinker
If you want to kill sh!t sub 500y then dial the .308 and get to work
 
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