Any 7-08 fans?

[john 800]

I was thinking about what to get the wife and kids if they decide to get into deer hunting. On paper, ballistics wise the 708 looks pretty good. I know the 6.5 creedmoor is all the rage, but, out of a short barrel and knowing the max range will be 200, with most shots under 100 the higher bc bullets dont are not a real strong seller.
soooooo, for anyone that has used a 708 for deer what are your favorite loads, amd powders? For bullets i am thinking a 130speer, or something in the 120,140 range should work fine.
With most cartriges, there are a few standby powders amd loads that seem to work in most rifles. What are they for 7-08?

 

[EOD Rob]

7-08 is a great choice for smaller and new shooters. Recoil is manageable and you have a wide selection of ammo/bullets out there. 130 speers are a great choice for deer. This will also depend on what twist the barrel is, but most factory hunting rifles are made to handle the 120gr - 140gr.
By the sound of your hunting area (100 to 200 yds) i would also take a look at a 243 Win. They have a little less recoil then the 7-08 and are just as effective. Have yet to see a deer size animal shake off a 95gr 6mm bullet. Lol
Both are easy to reload for if you have that as an option.
I think either way you go, you will be happy with the end state. Good luck with what ever direction you end up going!

 

[Coonman300]

You can’t go wrong with either for the conditions you describe. 7-08 is a great caliber. I like taking kids hunting and I have a compact 7-08 rifle for them. Many a deer have been taken with that rifle. It has a short barrel as you described but is very accurate and just hammers the deer. Since kids use this gun primarily I reload 140 grain Nosler Partitions. Overkill for Alabama deer but with excited kids that may hit a shoulder etc, I want good performance from the bullet.

I use 140 grain Bullets with a warm load of Varget.

 

[Flycaster1977]

Its a pretty good caliber for what your looking at. I load 120 grain barnes ttsx and have never had a deer walk away from one when shot at a reasonable distance. If i was going to shoot consistently over 200 yards, id look at another caliber.
The 7-08 likes a fast powder. Im using 42 grains of norma 203b, same as reloader 15. Varget would be another good choice.

 

[DiffEQ]

7/08 is my mountain rifle. Great performer but at < 8lbs loaded + glass, it kicks.
Wife and kids under 200? I'd do an AR15 in 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel. If you already have an AR, just build a complete upper.

 

[dthomas]

I use a tikka in 708 and it works well for deer. I use a 140 Sierra gameking was using varget but couldn't find it so I switched to n 540 and it works just as well as varget.

 

[Bill Norris]

A 7-08 is about as good as you could ask for with 120 to 140 gr. Nosler BT or AB. As mentioned above the faster powders seem to be more accurate. Shorter versions like the Rem Model 7 is a great choice for younger kids and wives as well.

 

[RegionRat]

A little stale with respect to some of the new options, but still a good starting point.
https://www.6mmbr.com/7mm284.html#7mm08

A great cartridge for bridging folks from students into hunters and very capable within the ranges you discussed.
ETA: If the weather is cold where you hunt, take a look at the Varget or similar that are temp stable.

 

[JEFFPPC]

So if recoil might be a problem it is an easy problem to fix. I started my step daughters with 22gr of 4198 with either a single shot pistol bullet by Hornady or Sierra. It gives you 2200 fps from a M7. Kills deer to 200 yards just fine. I put a pea sized ball of kapock filler out of an old coat on top of the powder to keep it in the rear of them case. It's also accurate.If you can not find the single shot pistol bullets I would go to Horn 120 HP or 120 Nosler BT.

 

[Loudenboomer]

If you care to slow it down for the kids Hogdon has some very lite loads with 4895 in the 7-08

 

[Intheshop]

One heckuva cast chambering.

I shoot 130's,around 20g H4198 for tin cans and turtles. Then also, about 1/2 way into jacketed book loads of Varget for some serious explosive terminal effects on varmints.

Use cup pointed set screws,machined into custom top punches of the bullet sizing dies. Allows you to adjust the set screw "depth" to make a semi-HP.... combined with a harda$$ alloy,it comes completely unglued on crows.

Good luck with your project.

 

[XTR]

I have one. I think it’s about the best all around hunting chambering out there.

 

[Homerange]

Picked up a 2nd hand Rem 780 in 7mm08 and a box of the cheapest Hornady projectiles I could find for a session of evaluating this caliber for the smaller to medium deer we have here in large areas of NZ.
In keeping with my experience of quite adequate performance is obtained from lighter projectiles as deer are thin skinned game therefore don't require heavy projectiles to efficiently kill when shooting angles are acceptable (who wants to mangle good eating meat from bad angled shots anyway ? ) so 120 grain loads over Varget were developed with little effort obtaining 1/2 MOA and the rifle placed back in the safe ready for action.
Just a few days later arrived a call from a mate just 15 min away with a group of reds in an open grassy field which was the perfect chance to really try the weapon out and especially the terminal performance of what most would consider too light projectile for medium sized deer.
As it panned out 2 were taken with the longest kill shots decades of hunting has offered at 180 and 250 yds.
Shot placement was optimum and terminal performance excellent and of course recoil far less than with heavier pills.

 

[7887mm08]

I have been shooting the 7mm08 since 1984. Currently own three.
139 gr hornady interlocks are all i have ever used. I have NEVER felt undergunned!
Many deer were put in the freezer with a rem 788 carbine.

 

[lb-ft]

@ 7887mm08, I love your user ID!!!

 

[thatguyshm]

7mm-08 is on my short list of calibers to own. I just picked up a very cheap savage Axis in 25-06, 7mm-08 is next. That being said, there's not much recoil in my 18" 308 shooting 130 ttsx at 3000 fps. I think if you went with a 125gr NBT or Accubond you'll get light recoil, can slow it down, and still have it grow with the shooters.

 

[std7mag]

7mm-08 is a fine cartridge!
Your wanting to use the 130gr Speer is a fine choice too.
The 120-140gr class bullets are where the 7mm-08 really shine.
As far as powders , dependent upon bullet weight, everything from H4895 through RL19 work well in it.
I had a 22" barrel on mine and usually used a medium burn rate powder.
All the 4350s, H414 (W760), RL16, RL17, Big Game, PP2000MR would be fine powders for what you want to shoot.
For deer hunting, the 120gr & 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets work well!
And don't be afraid to stretch it's legs!
My furthest deer harvested was 413 yards. 1 shot, deer only went 20 yards.

 

[epc308]

140 Sierra Game King or 139 Hornady sitting on top of 47.5g W760 has been the load since 1990 in my Remington mountain rifle. Both shoot to same point of aim, same group size, same killing power on deer. I get a consistent 5/8”-3/4” for both bullets, plenty good for minute of whitetail in northeast Land of Oz.

 

[Intheshop]

Daily driver.

 

[PhilC]

Any 7-08 fans?​

Yep.