That one yes. Bill's is about an 11 pound rig, with a brake. 162 gr with quite a bit od H-Varget, and it still doesn't recoil as much as I expected.

My light weight one is also, very mild. I'd put both my girls behind it.

No doubt Jason, they aren't that bad. Gave a M700 Classic 7mm-08 to a friend that helped me out big time and She loves it. Got another stock and cut it down to fit her with a decelerator on it.

All this talk of the 7mm-08 I will take the 788 out on the next hunt, it needs to get some fresh air and I know what it will do if something comes by that needs killing.

Kmon, thank you for posting that link to the JOC article. What a read and what a life he had.

Makes me think seriously about getting hip deep in the M70 XTR 7x57 trade deal I backed into last fall. I've just began to start loading again, after finally finding the time to do something other than work on this old house. I did a trade deal with a guy in Montana for some 260 brass and wound up with a pile of 7mm bullets with some 400 SST & Spire 139's, 200 150 LRX's, 200+ IB 154's and some Speer 160's and had planned on using the Hornady 139gr'ers in the Mauser, and saving the bigger stuff for a 7Rmg VG II that wandered home with me couple months ago...but it looks like the Mauser will do everything I need the deeper in geezerhood I get. I bought some loaded 7x57 Privi 140's for the brass, that are giving me close to MOA already...something to look forward to this winter besides bitchin' about Jerry Jones latest drama's.
Ron

I haven't read all the replies nor do I claim to be expert in shooting or ballistics.

I will say, my next rifle most likely will be a 7-08.... unless I find a Belgium BAR in 30-06

But I've never saw more deer fall dead than with my Winchester 30-06

It was devastating on Whitetail, i was there!

The elk I shot last Wednesday with my 7-08 never got the memo that I wasn't shooting a magnum. Bang flop at 300 yds with a 162 ELD-M at 2666 fps.

You're just another one of the guys that shoot a whole lot, but doesn't hunt very much. The hog I killed Saturday with it didnt get the memo either.

No it's not inadequate by any stretch.

I'm a fan of the round.

I'm simply saying the three other common calibers I own get the nod first, and there are a lot of rounds available that are better ballistically and around the same recoil. No one is going to argue that a 7mm-08 is underpowered for deer sized game or really even elk at modest ranges.


I'm not dogging the round at all I have bought two and about to buy a 3rd

So one elk and one hog is the measure of a rounds capability ?

One hog and one elk?

My land, and range is my part time job. I've got a rifle next to me all day, most days a month, every month. And more often than not, it has been a 7mm-08. One hog, on my part, is laughable.

Cody called me in June asking my take on a short action rifle build to play on the range, as well as to hunt with. He is a skilled handloader, so I recommended a 7mm-08 A.I. he didn't go A.I. because he doesn't want the extra velocity, and he likes trimming brass.

But so far he has been extremely happy with the standard 7mm-08. Trust me, theres been plenty of hogs, coyotes, and whitetail that have fallen to the 7mm-08.

Don't own a 7-08 but I do have a few 7x57's. Great cartridge, love it. If I had only one rifle and cartridge though it would be a 30-06.

No it does not nor will it ever have the capabilities of an '06 but it is nonetheless a formidable cartridge that is currently enjoying a surge in popularity. It does a lot of things well with minimal recoil and performs well in carbine length barrels. In my estimation it is about perfect on deer size game. Although adequate within reasonable range for elk or moose the '06 is more adequate. That does not mean it's not a good choice. Heck, I shoot most of my does with a .223 and I know there are better choices, but it's a fun way to go. Using a 7-08 for elk or moose puts a higher premium on patience and marksmanship. In the right hands it is lethal.

Nuance and detail is always skipped over on these threads.

The question is “Is the 7mm-08 the new ‘do everything cartridge’ including for elk and larger game?”

The answer is “No.”

The question is not “Will the 7mm-08 kill an elk?” or “Can I take my 7mm-08 elk hunting?”

If they made the Tikka CTR in 7-08, I probably would have got it instead of the 6.5 creedmoor. I don't feel handicapped by the creedmoor at all, but the 7-08 does seem to be just a hair better as a "do-it-all" cartridge.

what's your favorite bullet for the 7mm08?
I shot one doe through the top of the head (from a tower blind) at 100 yards, done.
Shot a doe yesterday through the neck, dead center and it went down instantly but got up and ran when I went to get it.
I assumed it was dead, it was not. Must have "just" missed the spine. I was shooting the Hornady Full Boar ammo with the GMX bullet.

Never in 40 years of hunting have I seen a deer get up from a center neck shot. I suspect the bullet simply didn't expand, there was blood pouring out of a 1" hole and it would have bled out of course (my bad for moving in too quick). After thinking about the other deer, the bullet went in top of skull and exited the neck right under the lower jack, same size hole. I realize it is just two deer but I think the bullet is just too stout for 7mm08 velocities on thin skinned whitetail. I am sure it would work fine on a high shoulder shot of a big buck and anchor him. Out of all the loads I shot it and the 120 Fusions shot the tightest groups. I will probably run the 120 Fusions this weekend. I have some Nosler ammo with the 140 ABs and killed a lot of deer with that bullet out of my 280AI. It just didn't group tahat great, right at 1"

Good lord man no one is arguing if a 7mm-08 will kill a deer or not

Well, then I don't know what your argument is then.

"One hog and one elk"

What is that?

If only they made a 7mm-08 Creedmoor. Now that would be the ultimate all-around cartridge.

The point I was making is two animals killed with a cartridge does not warrant its merit as a all around cartridge.

So you're ignoring the 100+ other animals talked about in this thread.

Got it.

Less powder capacity, Tim.

What 100's of animals? Where has thst been mentioned?

I've killed about a 100 with a .22-250 but it isn't a all around cartridge

Also no one is arguing that it isn't a good round

Does it really place a higher premium on shot patience and marksmanship? What makes the 30-06 more adequate?

I would wager that anywhere you could shoot a moose with a 30-06 and a 220 grain you could shoot it with a 175 grain 7mm-08 and achieve the exact same result and even at the same distances. Bullet in the vitals is a bullet in the vitals and it will die.

I took exception to these specifically, and find them laughable actually. You've evidently missed the two hunt reports posted by BMD here, where his daughter whacked numerous African plains game with a 7-08, up to and including wildebeest and kudu, which are elk sized.