I'll tell you a long time ago my Dad bought me an 06' and I went to it from a 7x57 shooting the 139s to the 150 in the 06' . The 7x57 was a chopped Chilian Mauser the 06' a brand new Savage 110 and that Savage did me just plain wrong I was black and blue every time we went to the range . I guess it never occured to us to put a recoil pad on it . My shooting suffered for it and the 06' sat in the closet for ...... well a long time and I was young and dumb........... I shot the 6" group 7x57 instead of the 2" 06' because I didn't get beatup by the steel plate and could shoot a full box and then 20 -25 20 ga. on claysand only be spotty not bruised .

Suffice it to say that the 7x57 was a much lighter recoiling rifle perhaps a half a # heavier . With a good recoil pad and some wieght added for range duties your 7mm-08 could be as tame as any 22-250.