Anyone hunt with the 7mm-08?

[nralover]

I am just curiouswhat your real world performance has been. I am thinking of getting one to watch the fields with...

[MichaelT.]

I own all different guns in all different cals. , and the gun that gets carried most is a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08. I have been using this gun for 16+ years ( before everyone discovered the 7mm-08 ) , and I love it. The cal. is about as perfect as I have seen for a deer round. Even in a short / light gun like my model 7, the recoil is not bad, it is very accurate, there are several good loadings available for it ( I currently ( last few years ) have been shooting the Hornady light mag with the sst bullet ) , and it is good to 400+ yards which is farther than most folks can shoot.

If you are considering it, I would just say that if you get one, you will not be sorry. The performance on game is great..... One shot kills, and very few have ever run off ..... and the ones that have went down close by ....... but they ran off because I made a less than wonderful shot.

The quality of the 7mm-08 as a super deer round is testified to by how popular the cal. has become in such a short time. It has exploded in popularity over the last 10 - 12 years.

Hope this helps...

MET

[oldelkhunter]

The 7mm-08 is a wonderful round. I had a Kimber 7mm-08(WHich I sold like an idiot) and killed the biggest doe I have ever seen in Alabama with it. I might add it was a very spooked Big Doe for Alabama( 160 lbs live weight) and it ran 20 feet and thencartwheeled down a hill. It was shot thru the lungs with a 140 corelockt. Anything I have shot with a 7mm caliber cartridge has been instantaneous or almost instananeous death on deer. Nothing about the 7mm-08 would make me think it wouldn't perform exactly the same.

[Doe Dumper]

My experiences are pretty much identical to Michael's and Oldelk's. Killed deer from 3 yards to 300+ with it using plain ol 140 core lokts.

[trailer]

I have also hunted with the 7mm-08 and have no regrets. Nice round to work with when reloading. Recoils very manageable. Shot a nice heavy buck last year using 140 gr.Federal Fusion bullet and when I hit him he dropped in his tracks. The shot was only 60 yards away. Poor buck didn"™t see it coming...

[Pawildman]

You're probably gonna hear more stories like have just been posted. I switched to the 7-08 about four years ago. I hunted with a 7 Mag for 20 yrs. before that. I'm not going back or looking back. There's just something about that little 7 that really does the job. I've been shooting 140 gr. Accubonds in mine. It's my go-to rifle for deer anymore. I'm a happy man......

[rhans53]

I've got a Sako 7 08 that will pick the corners off a fly's wings at 100. (ok not really but it will do .75 all day long). Any way 1st buck quatering away,140 gr corelock probably around 2600 (yeh loaded a bit light) at about 50 yards bullet did not exit but was under the skin of the front shoulder, not a good blood trail for 15 yards but decent after that he went 35 yds maybe, I decided to go to a 150 bullet for better penitration. 200lb hog at 15, she went 15 yards but not a pass threw not a good blood trail but I saw her go down. Yote at 15 DRT. A small buck at 65yds using 150 gr nosler part good broadside shot, good pass threw good blood, went 20 yards. I have recovered everything I've shot with the gun so no complaints. Hunted with my 338 feds last year and it's a really hard hitting round.

[nchawkeye]

I've got 2 brothers, both have grown sons that hunt as well...One has a 7mm-08 and a .280...
The other has 2-.270s...The one with the 7mms, bought both in the early 80s, better than
a hundred deer have been killed with each of those guns...When skinning deer, I can't tell
any difference between the 3 calibers mentioned nor can I tell any real difference in recoil...
They all group their preferred factory loadings into about a inch and a quarter...

If I didn't have a .243 and had to decide between any of the 3 above, it would be a hard choice...

I'd probably end up with a .270, just because it shoots just a tad flatter and you have a little more
choices in factory ammo...

[herman]

I like to use different calibers when I hunt and have to say the 260 is my favorite but I just use it once in awhile also.
Year before last I dropped a doe with the 7/08 at 200 yds useing a hornady 120 SP,this past year I hunted with the 7/08 some and took 2 deer useing the hornady 120 HP.at doe 140 yds,buck at 100yds.All dropped where they stood.All three were just behind the shoulder shots and complete pass throughs.the first year I had the 7/08 I dropped one useing the 139 hornady sst but don't remember how far it was.
The 7/08 is a great caliber and I just tested some newberger bullets in it and a 7 mag and they shot very well out to 300 yds.Theres a pic of those groups in Reloading.
Target zeroing the 120 hp in at 100 yds,the deer the doe was at 140 yds and the buck at 100 yds.

[PaJack]

My favorite caliber for deer,check out this link...

http://members.tripod.com/sed88/rem7/