Why not 7mm-08?

[rooster440]

I went with the 7mm-08 for my wife and would do the same again. We are in Alaska and moose is on the menu (no luck yet). I feel a 160gr 7mm bullet provides a little more insurance than a 140gr 6.5mm bullet at similar velocities. She has only killed a caribou with it so far and it did the job more than adequately.

A friend of mine and his kids have all shot moose the 7mm-08!


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[KenLee]

It’s not a child’s cartridge, we always called them the perfect “girlfriend gun”

I call em Baby 7s...but I did provide one for lady friend

 

[hunterjmj]

In 2021 I took my wife rifle shopping and had her shoulder every rifle I could find. I told her to pick the one that just felt right. Well, one of the first ones was a Kimber 84M in 7mm 08 and she really like it but I felt she should try everything available which took a month or so. In the end she wanted the Kimber, so I went back and it was gone. I called every place I could think of in the state of Montana but all that was available was a Kimber 84M in 6.5 Creedmoor. So, she owns and shoots a 6.5 Creedmoor. That's is the reason we have a 6.5 in the safe.

 

[hikehuntrescue]

Bumping because I love my 7mm-08.

As for the reason why it's not more popular, that has WAY more to do with culture and marketing than with the actual capacities/performance of the cartridge. As has been shown on this thread, the 7/08 is more than adequate for the vast majority of big game walking this planet. Moose, grizz, elk, plenty of large/dangerous African game, etc have all been capably put down with the "baby 7". I might want something bigger for an elephant, as if I could bring myself to shoot an elephant anyway, but I digress...

Shooting culture in the US throughout most of the 20th century suffered (yes, suffered) from an overdose of machismo and the rock-dumb "big animal need big bullet" and "you know it's strong 'cause it bruises my shoulder" patterns of caveman thinking. By the time folks started paying attention to the success folks in the nordic countries were having with the likes of the 6.5 swede and the few American hunters bold enough to take elk and moose with the 243 win, Hornady's very talented marketing department was coming out with the 6.5 Creedmoor and the rest, as they say, is history. Now we live in a split culture arguing with itself on Rokslide about which cartridge is "big enough" to hunt X Y or Z while continuing to under-emphasize actual practice and shot placement.

Anyway, all that's to say the 7mm-08 just came out at the wrong time, and unfortunately developed a reputation as a "girlfriend gun." I guarantee you that if, instead of Remington elevating it from wildcat status in 1980, Hornady had released it in 2007, spec'd it with a 1:8 twist and put the same marketing $$ behind it, it would have been every bit as popular as the 6.5 creed turned out to be.

[steps down from soapbox]

Happy Thursday everybody

 

[Mlambertx86]

Wish they would make heavy varminter style

 

[Kimber7man]

Bumping because I love my 7mm-08.

As for the reason why it's not more popular, that has WAY more to do with culture and marketing than with the actual capacities/performance of the cartridge. As has been shown on this thread, the 7/08 is more than adequate for the vast majority of big game walking this planet. Moose, grizz, elk, plenty of large/dangerous African game, etc have all been capably put down with the "baby 7". I might want something bigger for an elephant, as if I could bring myself to shoot an elephant anyway, but I digress...

Shooting culture in the US throughout most of the 20th century suffered (yes, suffered) from an overdose of machismo and the rock-dumb "big animal need big bullet" and "you know it's strong 'cause it bruises my shoulder" patterns of caveman thinking. By the time folks started paying attention to the success folks in the nordic countries were having with the likes of the 6.5 swede and the few American hunters bold enough to take elk and moose with the 243 win, Hornady's very talented marketing department was coming out with the 6.5 Creedmoor and the rest, as they say, is history. Now we live in a split culture arguing with itself on Rokslide about which cartridge is "big enough" to hunt X Y or Z while continuing to under-emphasize actual practice and shot placement.

Anyway, all that's to say the 7mm-08 just came out at the wrong time, and unfortunately developed a reputation as a "girlfriend gun." I guarantee you that if, instead of Remington elevating it from wildcat status in 1980, Hornady had released it in 2007, spec'd it with a 1:8 twist and put the same marketing $$ behind it, it would have been every bit as popular as the 6.5 creed turned out to be.

[steps down from soapbox]

Happy Thursday everybody

7mm Creedmoor.
I think some people have wildcatted that one, wonder if it would handle the 162/168/175 even the 180 class bullet better?

 

[35WhelenAI]

Maybe it's been said before, 260 Remington should have been a good one too. This generation and time, people follow the marketing and the hype, don't stick with things for long if it's not right in front of their noses everywhere they look on the internet.

 

[Kimber7man]

The easy ammo button just might be this:

Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm-08 Rem Ammo 150 grain ELD-X Tipped Case of 200 Rounds 85578 - GUNPRIME %

buy Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm-08 Rem Ammo 150 grain ELD-X Tipped Case of 200 Rounds 85578 for sale best price

gunprime.com

 

[hikehuntrescue]

7mm Creedmoor.
I think some people have wildcatted that one, wonder if it would handle the 162/168/175 even the 180 class bullet better?

I've wondered the same thing. Sharpen the shoulder to 30 or 35° and keep the total powder capacity the same, allowing for a slightly longer bullet. But the real determinant of course is barrel twist. Hard to stabilize a 180 in a 1:9.5 twist...

If I ever manage to burn out the barrel on mine, I'm gonna have a faster twist barrel put on it so I can play around with the heavier bullets.

 

[z987k]

I've wondered the same thing. Sharpen the shoulder to 30 or 35° and keep the total powder capacity the same, allowing for a slightly longer bullet. But the real determinant of course is barrel twist. Hard to stabilize a 180 in a 1:9.5 twist...

If I ever manage to burn out the barrel on mine, I'm gonna have a faster twist barrel put on it so I can play around with the heavier bullets.

A 180gr out of a creedmoor sized case is going to be quite slow. To the point the decreased MV will overcome the increased BC. Unless you overpressure the crap out of it like the "published" 7SAW numbers.
In which case, you'd be better off necking 277 fury up.

 

[Southernfried]

Wish they would make heavy varminter style

I have not shot one of these barrels, but ya cant get much more varmint style barrel than 1.2" or MTU lol in 708
708 outlier barrel
and I am thinking of doing one in 708, 308 or 6cm for my R700. If I handloaded I know I would, their 7mm come in 1 in 8 twist as well.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Because the saami spec'd twist rate on the 7mm is a bit slow.

With a custom barrel, the 7mm08 is better imo.

I'm shooting the 162 ELDX out of my 18" 7-08 without any stability issues. If you want to shoot the 170s or even the 180, maybe a faster twist is needed. If not, there are a ton of excellent bullets available from 140-162 for the 7-08. Much longer and you're sacrificing case capacity for BCs that don't provide any gain due to the reduced MV.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

The advantage of the 6.5 Creedmoor is that the chamber and throat are designed to use long, high BC bullets in typical short action magazines, without having to seat so far in the case.
I could happily kill a lot of stuff with a 260 or 7mm-08, but both of those benefit from magazines longer than 2.820, in my opinion.
I'm far from an expert, though. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

True, but in a Tikka all you need is LA bolt stop and L mag. Easy peasy and no gunsmith needed.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

It's a great round for medium sized game. Go for it.

My buddy had one and killed plenty of deer with it. It was also extremely accurate.

The 7-08 is a proven big game cartridge. There is no reason a man can't be confident shooting elk with it. My daughter killed a magnum cow at 185 yards with one 162 ELDX in WY last fall. Out of 18" barrel, MV was 2628, and she placed in the crease, destroying the heart, both lungs, and shattering the far side humerus bone.

@Pharmseller has an entire photo album with 7-08 kills.

 

[z987k]

True, but in a Tikka all you need is LA bolt stop and L mag. Easy peasy and no gunsmith needed.

You'd probably need a custom throat on the chamber also. It's unlikely you can seat a 160 or 180 class to 3.XXX and not be jamming the lands in a SAAMI chamber.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

You'd probably need a custom throat on the chamber also. It's unlikely you can seat a 160 or 180 class to 3.XXX and not be jamming the lands in a SAAMI chamber.

My factory T3x is just off the lands at 2.925 with the 162. 46.5 grains of SB 6.5 in Alpha brass with CCI LRP, and she shoots .75-1.25 ten shot groups. With suppressor it is just an exceptionally pleasant and accurate rifle to shoot.

Agree the 170s or 180s would eat up too much case capacity in a factory throat. If I wanted to shoot the heavy 7mm, I'd go with .284 or .280AI.

 

[Thinkingman]

The easy ammo button just might be this:

Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm-08 Rem Ammo 150 grain ELD-X Tipped Case of 200 Rounds 85578 - GUNPRIME %

buy Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm-08 Rem Ammo 150 grain ELD-X Tipped Case of 200 Rounds 85578 for sale best price

gunprime.com

Here's a couple of groups I shot on Saturday sighting in my T3 7-08 with a new Meopta scope.
I was walking them in then shot groups.
150gr ELDX over 48.0gr Staball 6.5.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

 

[Pharmseller]

@Pharmseller has an entire photo album with 7-08 kills.

Everyone knows the Mighty -08 only works for women and kids.




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