Tell me…what’s the 7mm-08 doing these days???

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Now that I have my XD-45, which I love, I feel that my search for the best EDC protection pistol is complete.
Now I find myself lusting after rifles.

My buddies at work prefer the Black Rifles.....with wild-ass expensive scopes, silencers, over-molded sniper stocks, etc....

I'm more into the lightweight packin' rifle. I just bought a Marlin 336Y .30-30. 16" barrel and a shortened buttstock (both me and my kids can shoot this one.)


And I've always liked the portability and feel of the Remington Model Seven. There are many folks that attest that the Model Seven will always play second best to its venerable bigger Model 700 series brother.
Fine - let them have their 700's. I like the Model Seven........with sights, thank you very much!
I was in J&G Sports Center in Throop yesterday and Gander Mountain. I had a chance to handle one again – sweeeeet!


Anyways......Though most PAFOA'ers know me as a handgun guy, I didn't start out that way.
My interest in firearms began in my middle teens.....and it was over rifles (with an affinity for leverguns).
I've been 'away' from long guns for many years and am now coming back to them.

Back when it was introduced, I immediately fell for the 7mm-08. It made soooo much sense. Hard hitting, flat trajectory deer medicine. But I see that the 7MM-08 isn't chambered is as many rifles as I thought it would these days.

What's your take on the future of the 7MM-08? How's its popularity these days?
No doubt, someone will wanna jump in and say "Hey Jerky......Just get a .308!" Naaaaw. Don't wanna.
I like the 7MM-08.


What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

[Pukindog]

Gary,
The 7mm08 has been around for a while. It will most likely be around for a long time. Great cartridge.

Jeff

[Karys]

I've always thought of the 7mm-08 as a "tweener" cartridge. It's got a little more power than the .243 but less recoil than the .308. I think it's a better cartridge for deer than the .243 because of the heavier bullet weights.

Quite a few guys at my gun club are getting 7mm-08's for their kids that are starting their first hunting season. They're starting them off with 120 grain loads and the kids seem to be doing OK with it.

[bigdog02]

My wife is a smaller framed woman and she has been using a 7mm-08 for years for deer and bear here in PA.
Powerful enough cartridge for both without the massive kick or ungodly heavy rifle.

[RocketFoot]

I think the 7mm-08 is great for anything up to deer sized game at maybe 200-250 yds. If you wanna go bigger, the 7mm Rem Mag is an awesome cartridge suitable for just about any type of North American Game. It is said to be about 35% more powerful than the 7mm-08...but I'm quoting from my memory! LOL

I still believe the 08 will be around for a long time, also. It certainly has it's place in the line up!

[DougX]

I've owned a stainless/synthetic model 7 in 7mm 08 for 12 years now and I believe it's one of the best whitetail cailibers. I shot at least 14 deer from 10-200 yards never more then once. It's light recoiling and powerful enough to kill anything in PA and most other states.

[Tomcat088]

First off Gary, don't let anybody talk trash about the model 7. I know LOTS of guys that swear by them, and they can be made to shoot as accurately as any Remington 700. Some smiths dread them because of all the small lugs, and not the 2 huge lugs of the Remington 700, but I think it looks neat as hell and has a nice bolt throw. The big problem with them is that you will have to work over and adjust alot of stocks for some of them. Some people make stocks for them, and some companies you gotta tweak out a Rem 700 SA, either way, they work, and they're NICE.

Now about the 7mm-08. . . . . . . . . OH HELL YEAH!! I would take the 7mm-08 any day of the week and twice on Sunday over the .308. I agree with you, it's flat shooting, hard hitting, and just a great round. Now about popularity, I would think that just because alot of rifles aren't chambered in it, doesn't mean that it isn't popular. Seems to me that I've seen alot more 7mm-08 around and mentioned that I have in the past. I'm a young buck though, so maybe I just wasn't familiar with it when I was younger. Either way, it's not going anywhere, especially if you reload. The .308 isn't going anywhere at all, so there will always be brass available for it. Then there are tons of 7mm bullets and they aren't going anywhere either, with the popularity of the 7mm mag, 7 WSM, all the wildcats like the 7STW, etc. They'll be making bullets for it for a long time, so you're in business. If someone wants to knock the 7mm-08 over the .308, lol, laugh in their face because they don't know much about rifles. If that's what they prefer, but they ain't hating on the 7mm-08, you should consider their advice. Either way, it's a great round and these days the choices of bullets is just getting broader, go for it buddy.

[ar15jules]

Killing deer is what it is doing. I hope to have one someday when the kids get old enough to hunt.
Jules