Im a newbie and am researching ideas for a new rifle. I have ruled out the 6mm because I want a caliber suitable for game in my area,Mulies and Elk). While fascinated by the 6.5,I just bought a swede) I am curious why the 7mm-08 is never mentioned for precision shooting. My rational is that the bullets seem similar in having great sectional density and BC with the 7mm possibly edging out the 6.5. Seems like a great choice for hunting but is never mentioned for paper punching. Advantages that I can see are a greater selection of bullet weights and more readily available factory ammo/guns in the U.S. anyway. Sure there's always the .308 but I'm interested in something more unusual and seems that the 6.5-7mm would be flatter shooting.
7mm vs. 6.5, why not the 7mm-08
- Thread starter mrugly
- Start date
the sweed is a great gun. GREAT gun. people on the other side of the pond use the 6.5x55 sweed to hunt everything up to moose! with good results too!! it also makes a great target round as well. i think that it outperforms the .260, which is based on the .308 cartridge as well. i think that the 7-08 is also a great round, not as time tested as the 6.5x55 sweed, but a good round. i also believe that its been around for a long time. a wildcat round, go figure. i believe you can find it under ".284-08" i think though that the old round had a shoulder that was pushed more forward almost like an ackley improved.
AlanPF
Victoria Australia
7mm-08s are used, but if you're considering 7mm, probably 284 Win or 280AI are more suitable for driving the 168gn to 180gn projectiles at decent velocities i.e. 2800+ fps. I'm not sure what velocities are achievable with the 7mm-08, but the case capacity would suggest somewhat less than 2800fps, particularly with the 175-180gn projectiles.
Alan
Alan
I have considered the .280 though I dont know that I would go with an ackley improved because I feel that there is probably enough case capacity. The question is wheather to stay with a short action or not,actually for the .280 I was considering a TC Pro-hunter). The thread listed above was great, the velocities for the 7mm-08 seem addequite,~3000 fps) but the issue as addressed is that the caliber is great for hunting, however still no rhyme or reason why its not used in target applications,except, I have read, for high power silhouette) unless the heavier bullets are the ones to use.
Actually the 7mm08 is a target round. Back in the 70's the metallic silhouette shooters discovered that the 7-08 had a bit less recoil and a bit flatter trajectory at the ranges that MS is shot. I think the NRA game shoots the rams at 500 yds. NRA MS is shot offhand without any aids like a sling or coat or gloves etc.
The press that the round got back then propelled it to factory loaded status. Otherwise I doubt it would ever have gotten wide spread use as it really doesn't offer any advantage over the 308 or 260 for general target shooting or hunting.
The press that the round got back then propelled it to factory loaded status. Otherwise I doubt it would ever have gotten wide spread use as it really doesn't offer any advantage over the 308 or 260 for general target shooting or hunting.
Preacher
Gold $$ Contributor
If your looking for a well balanced 7mm why not have more horsepower than a 7/08 will do on a big Mulie in a not so perfect situation, let alone on a Elk in the same situation.
Lately I've become very impressed with the 7mm saum with 140 Accubonds, and would not hesitate sticking one in a big Elk in any situation it presented.
H4350 fills the case to the base of the bullet, and it's the best shooting 7mm I ever loaded for, and it's in a factory rifle I planned to strip until I shot it.......
I still like my .284 XP though.
Lately I've become very impressed with the 7mm saum with 140 Accubonds, and would not hesitate sticking one in a big Elk in any situation it presented.
H4350 fills the case to the base of the bullet, and it's the best shooting 7mm I ever loaded for, and it's in a factory rifle I planned to strip until I shot it.......
I still like my .284 XP though.
mrugly said:
Basically, each rifle game is different and there are tons of calibers out there with shooters who are looking for rounds tailored for their game. The 7-08 just does not meet their criteria, or more likely, they just like another round a little more. Why get a 7-08 for benchrest score when a 30BR works better? Why shoot 1000yd BR with a 7-08 when a 284 Win is a little faster? Even in metallic silhouette, most people have gotten away from the 7-08 because of recoil. Round selection is all about balance and compromising with recoil, velocity, action length/weight, bullet selection, etc. as major factors.
The 7-08 is an outstanding all-around round and I would guess it would work great for elk with proper bullet and shot selection. Getting away from the magnums for hunting has been a great decision for me as they were completely unnecessary in terms of weight, noise, and recoil. The extra 300fps was not worth it.
I'd always thought the straight 284 Win. would be a good cartridge when built on a long action to allow heavier bullets to be seated out far enough not to impinge on case capacity. After Jerry Tierny,sp?) won the 1000yd. BR nationals with his 284 a couple of years ago, I decided to build one for myself around a Rem 700LA. I chambered a 30" Bartlein 9-twist hvy. Palma with a PTG reamer based on Robert Whitley's print, but with a .318" neck. Rifle is pillar bedded in a McMillan A5 with a Jewell HVR, Satern sloped scope base, and a Nikon 4-16x50 tactical scope in steel TPS TSR rings. Weight is 15.25lbs.
Favorite bullet has been the Berger 180 VLD, loaded to around 2800fps with either H4831 or N165. F210s or CCI BR2s both give good results in WW brass. I haven't had the best results for some reason in this barrel with S175MKs - they shot fine in the first barrel I chambered - a 28" PacNor 3-groove 9-twist in Win. HV contour. Whatever the reason, I've stuck with B180s, and shot my first clean,200-8x) at 1000 with them at Byers, Co. last summer. Recently received an order of JLK 180s & 168s from Steve Milholland, and am looking forward to doing some testing with both these bullets. The Hornady 162 AMax also gives good results out of the Bartlein at 600, but with four Dashers & a couple of 6x47s, I don't see the need to deal with the 284's recoil for 600yd. any/any matches.
Favorite bullet has been the Berger 180 VLD, loaded to around 2800fps with either H4831 or N165. F210s or CCI BR2s both give good results in WW brass. I haven't had the best results for some reason in this barrel with S175MKs - they shot fine in the first barrel I chambered - a 28" PacNor 3-groove 9-twist in Win. HV contour. Whatever the reason, I've stuck with B180s, and shot my first clean,200-8x) at 1000 with them at Byers, Co. last summer. Recently received an order of JLK 180s & 168s from Steve Milholland, and am looking forward to doing some testing with both these bullets. The Hornady 162 AMax also gives good results out of the Bartlein at 600, but with four Dashers & a couple of 6x47s, I don't see the need to deal with the 284's recoil for 600yd. any/any matches.
You mentioned hunting... while I realize this my run counter to other's experiences with the 7-08, my own experiences with that round hunting and using the original Barnes X-bullets were horrendous and sickening. The bullets simply would not open up on game, even at ranges as close as 20 to 75 yards, pushed to maximum velocity in my former 22"-barreled Rem Mountain Rifle. I hit one smaller 4x4 whitetail deer with the Barnes X 130gr. at 20 paces in fact in a nasty sleet and high-winds storm that turned around at the first shot right through the boiler room and just stood there an looked at me. Another shot through the boiler room; didn't move a single step; another third - this time in the neck,just missed the spine though) - just stared at me; fourth shot I finally broke the spine near the base of the skull and he went down. I was sickened. Another deer the following year after trying I believe it was the 120s to get a bit more velocity/expansion, same thing; 2 through the boiler room, 2 through the neck. I swore I'd never, ever use that gun again. Post mortem showed minimal damage to the deer - apparently definite under expansion. By my guesstimation, if I were a bullet manufacturer, given that the majority of hunting rounds for 7mm are of the 7mm Rem Mag variety, I might consider engineering the bullets to open up optimally at velocities generated by the Magnum - no manufacturer of bullets for big game wants the reputation that their bullets blow up on contact, right? My guess is that this was what was happening here.
Based on that assumption I switched to the .260 Remington and have had exactly zero problems since. Admittedly I aslo went to the Nosler Partitions predominantly at the same time. I've taken 7 deer at ranges from 20 to about 225 yards; 1 bobcat at just 12 paces; 1 cougar that walked out at 20 paces; and one black bear,through both shoulders in fact and bullet still exited to my suprise) at 50 paces; all one shot kills.
That being said I've heard of others that have had no problems hunting with a 7mm-08, so take this with a grain of salt. But personally I would not go back to hunting with the 7mm,at least with the Barnes) unless I was using a case with the capacity of at a minimum the .280. Cheers!
-Scott L
Based on that assumption I switched to the .260 Remington and have had exactly zero problems since. Admittedly I aslo went to the Nosler Partitions predominantly at the same time. I've taken 7 deer at ranges from 20 to about 225 yards; 1 bobcat at just 12 paces; 1 cougar that walked out at 20 paces; and one black bear,through both shoulders in fact and bullet still exited to my suprise) at 50 paces; all one shot kills.
That being said I've heard of others that have had no problems hunting with a 7mm-08, so take this with a grain of salt. But personally I would not go back to hunting with the 7mm,at least with the Barnes) unless I was using a case with the capacity of at a minimum the .280. Cheers!
-Scott L
I also agree with the 7mm-08.....
I compared the 1000 yard balistics of the 6.5-284 with a 140 gr match bullet at 2950 fps, to the 7mm-08 with a 162 gr match bullet at 2700 fps.
Granted the 6.5 was flatter by 3 or 4 inches, but the 7mm-08 had 10 inches less wind drift at 1000 with a 10 mph cross wind.
in KD shooting trajectory is of little importance but wind drift is the key....
I compared the 1000 yard balistics of the 6.5-284 with a 140 gr match bullet at 2950 fps, to the 7mm-08 with a 162 gr match bullet at 2700 fps.
Granted the 6.5 was flatter by 3 or 4 inches, but the 7mm-08 had 10 inches less wind drift at 1000 with a 10 mph cross wind.
in KD shooting trajectory is of little importance but wind drift is the key....
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