7mm-08 for a Do-It-All rifle?

DougL3NC

Resident Hose Dragger
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2020
Messages
382
Location
Rowan County
Rating - 100%
20   0   0
Thinking about building up a Remage or Savage action, dropping it in a KRG Bravo chassis, and making a jack of all trades rifle. Intended purpose would be coyotes, deer, and shooting steel to no more than 800-900 yards. Yes, I WILL be hand loading and going with a 1x8 twist for the heavier pills.

Opinions from the masses?
 
Have you considered a 6.5-08? Higher BC bullets going faster or an ai version of either? Mag length may play an issue with heavier “pills” unless you are using a long action.
 
6.5x55 Swede is also a deadly accurate round. I loaded with IMR 7828SC with 140 Bergers VLD was and is a tack driver.
 
6.5x55 Swede is also a deadly accurate round. I loaded with IMR 7828SC with 140 Bergers VLD was and is a tack driver.
Can you fit that in a SA or does it require a LA to seat the bullets out where you optimize case capacity? I’ve always thought the x55 would be nice to have.
 
Much better options than a Grendel.
Depends on what you want to do. For the OPs stated purposes, it would work. Of course, he doesn't say how far he wants to shoot deer, etc.

Unless he wants to shoot them at the 8-900 yards like the steel. Then he's going to need more than 7-08
 
@DougL3NC , what drew you to 7mm-08 over other choices?
Flatter trajectory, more kinetic energy, pokes a slightly larger hole, and it's just more uncommon than 6.5 Creedmoor. Honestly, I'd consider .277 SIG Fury (6.8x51) but it's just too new to market to reliably get brass. I have no interest in 6.5 Grendel or 6ARC...I'd honestly go 6.8SPC if I were considering an "intermediate" cartridge.
 
I really like my 7/08 and have killed several deer with it. It is a delight to shoot. I do not care to try to kill game at distances greater than about 300 yards but can easily ring a gong at 400.
 
Flatter trajectory, more kinetic energy, pokes a slightly larger hole, and it's just more uncommon than 6.5 Creedmoor. Honestly, I'd consider .277 SIG Fury (6.8x51) but it's just too new to market to reliably get brass. I have no interest in 6.5 Grendel or 6ARC...I'd honestly go 6.8SPC if I were considering an "intermediate" cartridge.
270ai will get you close but you’ll get better brass with a 277-08ai, neck up Lapua 260 brass and fire form it. Get extra freebore so that big 170gn Berger won’t be sitting down in the case wasting capacity.
 
My savage 16in barrel consistently hits at 600meters. My bergara stretches it's legs and my ruger american predator drops deer
 
6.5 creedmore. Regardless of what folks think, it's a tackdriver, 1000meter slacker and deer slayer
I just got a reamer, brass and bullets for a 25 creed that should be right with or slightly exceed the 6.5. It it my first creed, I’ve resisted them for years shooting 260 or 260ai barrels
 
Do ti. The 7mm-08 is an excellent cartridge. Yes, there are some marginally better cartridges but the mm-08 but so what. There is always performance overlap for similar cartridges. Cartridges and their cases come into and out of favor like women's fashions. The popular 6.5mm Creedmoor is a good cartridge, so is the .308, which would be super popular if they renamed it to the amazing new 7.62x51 Creedmoor. ;)

To be clear, I have an AR-10 and a single shot pistol in 7mm-08, but also have a 6.5mm and 6mm Creedmoor rifles.
 
Flatter trajectory, more kinetic energy, pokes a slightly larger hole, and it's just more uncommon than 6.5 Creedmoor. Honestly, I'd consider .277 SIG Fury (6.8x51) but it's just too new to market to reliably get brass. I have no interest in 6.5 Grendel or 6ARC...I'd honestly go 6.8SPC if I were considering an "intermediate" cartridge.
It’s a good choice for what you’ll use it for.
 
My buddy has one in cheap savage axis. Kills coyotes and deer. Hints out to 300 yards. We sighted it in at my farm and it would put bullets in same hole. I really like it but I do t reload and getting ammo is sometimes tough for him
 
7mm-08 is one of the best do all cartridges out there. 162 ELDXs 27-2800 are impressive. You can get those speeds with Staball 6.5. I would go with a Tikka for my base rifle though, you can do shouldered pre fits and my factory Tikkas will shoot circles around my factory 700s. Smoother action, better trigger, all around better built rifles.
 
Last edited:
I have always been really interested in the 7mm08 but since I have a 270 and 308 I just never got one. I really like the 270 for deer hunting and the 7mm08 should perform just as well for any distance I would shoot a deer.
 
In rifle I reload 223, 6.5G, 243, 7-08, 300BLK & 308
My Sako 7-08 is a tack driver. My 1st hand loads with 130g Match Kings (I know, that’s light) printed a 100 yard, 5 round 3/8” group.
I never had a deer run more than 20 yards, usually they just fell over.

If’n I recall, the 7-08 was developed for 300 yard pistol competitions where energy was needed to knock down the plates. The 7-08 has less recoil, shoots flatter than 308 and maintains plenty of energy.
If you hand load, it’s a winner.
I also prefer a medium cartridge in a bolt gun. I don’t need to lift my cheek weld to cycle the bolt, it doesn’t come back that far.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom