Ct, the 7mm-08 is an outstanding cartridge. People seem to shoot it extremely well, largely do to the fact that it does not produce a lot of excess recoil. I have found it to be effective all the way up to elk if range does not get beyond a couple of hundred yards or so. This cartridge with a quality 140 grain bullet is really hard to beat. It should have enough energy to drop deer out about as far as most people can accurately shoot.