Baldrick Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Please can any owners or PWers with working knowledge of the 7mm-08 give me their critique of the calibre? The increasing pressures of work, and a dwindling interest in long-range shooting, mean that I really only need one fox rifle (I'll ditch my .22-250 for a .222) and one stalking rifle (the 'one rifle' notion doesn't work for me). I've been offered a good deal on a 7mm-08, which I am considering purchasing to replace four rather lonely centrefires in my safe. 90% of the stalking I now do is in English woodland, and once regular opportunities to shoot boar and Plains game now look limited in the immediate future. Any advice appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 would also be interested in peoples opinions. which make are you looking at baldrick i have seen a nice weatherby sub moa with good reviews and the remy mountain lss looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted May 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 (edited) It's a Sako M591, Harv (my choice of left-hand actions is extremely limited). Edited May 24, 2009 by Baldrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Hi Baldrick, I've had a 7mm-08 since last August and using 120g & 140g Nosler BT's & 140g Sierra Gamekings on Roe & Fallow at mid loads (2600 fps for the 140g & 2850 fps for the 120g) I have been really pleased with all results. Beasts have reacted well, furthest I've had to walk has been 20 yards to find one Fallow, all the rest have dropped on the spot. Around 10 deer in all. Moderated with an ASE Compact there is less noise than my .243 & ASE S5 + recoil is about the same. I did try 162g Amax at the range and found those a little kicky (relatively speaking). I have loads of confidence with this rifle and am really pleased I got it - a Steve Kershaw custom jobbie. All use so far has been within 200 yards. Feel free to ask any questions- loads have been with RL15 & N140 Cheers AndyCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted May 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Andy, thank you, that is a helpful post. I am surprised that perceived recoil was lower with the 7mm-08 than from a .243. I too would be sticking an ASE Compact on any 7mm-08 I bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swift4me Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 I don't own one myself, but a long time friend in California, (78 years old and lifelong rifleman and loader who has owned them all...), bought one from me in my store eight years ago for pigs and some of our smallish deer. Absolutely loves it. For someone who can place the shot, it is compact, you don't need a bunch of barrel, and a pleasure to shoot. If I remember, his was a Remington Model 7 mountain rifle, and I think the barrel was only 20", 22 at most. Good choice. I've whittled down to a .220 Swift, .270 WIN, and a .35 Whelen Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted May 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Pete, unfortunately our blinkered police force here won't entertain the notion of a .35 Whelen for deer, and the .270 I have is a little too much gun for my needs. A 20" barrel would do me fine (that's practically a carbine compared to the .270's barrel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Andy, thank you, that is a helpful post. I am surprised that perceived recoil was lower with the 7mm-08 than from a .243. I too would be sticking an ASE Compact on any 7mm-08 I bought. Hi Baldrick, Recoil about the same but noise / blast better with the Compact mod. Cheers AndyCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swift4me Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Hi Baldrick: I got into the Swift for coyotes, and never looked back. Where I hunted, the hides were never good, so I liked the flatness and incredible kinetics. The .270 is a fav for our feral pigs in California, and is an old pre-64 Model 70 Winchester beat up but all original, and the Whelen I built up from an old Model 70 Featherweight and I went with a 22 inch light sporter barrel. I shot a nice Yukon moose with it two years ago on a solo hunt in western Alaska. Incredible energy with 250 grain pills as long as you're not past 150 yards. I never liked the magnums for what I was doing, and I'm a bowhunter so like to get close if possible. I did shoot a coyote with the Whelen one time on a pig hunt. Swift A-frame at 50 yards, may as well have been a solid. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windknot Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Well, if it's any use to you I used to have a 7x64 Brenneke in South Africa, and found it overpowered for everything bar Eland and Zebra. I would have been much better off with a 7x57, which is a ballistic twin to the 7-08. With a 140gn bullet (I like Speer, ymmv) I'd be happy to take on anything in Britain and most animals in Africa. For the big stuff I'd prefer 160 gn Grand Slam (or Mag-Tip, if you still have some of those stashed away) starting at around 2500 fps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted May 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Pete, thanks for the input (I had a Ruger No 1 in .220 Swift for a short while, and loved it). Windknot, I've been toying with the 7x57 idea for a while, but while it's the equal of the 7mm-08 ballistically, it's off-limits for use in France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytie Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 I think it true to say that the 7mm-08 is built on a short action while the 7x57 is built on a medium length action. Practically this means that you can put a larger range of bigger bullets in the 7x57 case without interfereing with the powder charge in the case. I have used both recently and would be very happy with either round, but because I'm somthing of a traditonalist I think I would go with the 7x57. ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windknot Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Pete, thanks for the input (I had a Ruger No 1 in .220 Swift for a short while, and loved it). Windknot, I've been toying with the 7x57 idea for a while, but while it's the equal of the 7mm-08 ballistically, it's off-limits for use in France. Good Heavens! That one hasn't been a military cartridge for yonks now. It's not just us that have strange gun laws then, eh? The 7-08 will also fit into a short action, whereas the 7x57 needs a standard length action. Just right for that Sako action, then! I have a lot of faith in the 7mm bullet, irrespective of which case it's launched from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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