The 7mm-08 Rem is a 308 Win case necked down to 7mm. It can be loaded with 100 grain bullets for varmints to 175 grains for black bear. I generally use a 140 grain bullet and as far as blood trails go I couldn' t tell you because they tend to drop in their tracks. Not saying it is a magic bullet but it is a great cartridge with excellent ballistics and very mild recoil. It doesn' t recoil much more than a 243 Win and less than a 308 Win. I have had success with Remington CoreLockts but I generally reload using IMR 3031 and Sierra GameKing 140 grain bullets. I don' t think you will be disappointed with a 7mm-08 Rem.