jerry d

Ok thanks for the info Semi. You're not the first guy to say that about the 7-08 & 308

Sheridan

So, what you are saying is that you are looking to buy a rifle based on the percieved recoil & not the perfomance of the caliber and cartridge ?

There are many ways to tame recoil....................but at least you're honest !

jerry d

For me the recoil will have an effect on the preformance.

Pygmy

Comparing the recoil of the 7mm08 and the .308 assuming similar bullet weights and rifle weights is REALLY splitting hairs...

Also, every .270 I have shot has kicked a little harder than the 7mm08s I have shot, but that's splitting hairs also, as is comparing PERFORMANCE of the 7mm08 and .270, with similar bullet weights...

semi

I think what he is asking is what is a good all around cartridge that will be enough with recoil that is on the lighter side. A 308, 7mm-08 or 270 should all be pretty close in recoil. But if you are going to say they are all the same, you would probably want to get the most versitile round you can. All 3 of these work well for versitility. I just chose the 308 as i see it as the most versitile of all 3 with very manageable recoil. Slap a good recoil pad on any of these and it really tames them down.

To me the 270 is probably the most recoil. I have shot plenty of them and really they seem close to my 30.06.

jerry d

Thats exactly what I'm talking about. Due to upper back injury recoil has become an issue. I had to give up shooting sporting clays because it would aggrevate my back.When I go to the range I shoot a box of shells out of my 243 and there is no problem at all. Maybe I can shoot a 30.06 {it's what I used to shoot}but I don't want to buy one{sold my .06 a while ago}and fine out it's gonna aggrevate my back.
The 3 cartridges I was interested in are the 7-08,308 & 270.The reason I start this thread is because according to recoil charts the 7-08 is suppose to have 4-5lbs less recoil than the 270 & 308. Roughly about the same as a .35rem,which I own and have shot with no problem.
So if 7-08's recoil is about the same as the 270 or 308 I will go with either one of those rounds.Only because I dont reload as of yet and 270 & 308 is cheaper and a little more availible im my area.

Thank for input guys I appreciate it Anymore suggestions or advice is welcome

ipscshooter

Per the Chuck Hawks recoil table:

1. .270 Win. 130 gr. 8.0 lb. rifle: 16.5 ft lbs of recoil energy
2. .270 Win. 140 gr. 8.0 lb. rifle: 17.1 ft lbs of recoil energy
3. 7mm-08 140 gr. 8.0 lb. rifle: 12.6 ft lbs of recoil energy
4. .308 Win 150 gr. 7.5 lb. rifle: 15.8 ft lbs of recoil energy
5. .30-06 150 gr. 8.0 lb. rifle: 17.6 ft lbs of recoil energy

I have personal experience with the rounds in #'s 1,3, and 5, all shot through Remington 700 ADL's with synthetic stocks, and the numbers posted by Hawks seem to correlate well with actual felt recoil. The .270, to me, kicks noticeably harder than the 7mm-08.

Ballistics.... I think the 7mm has a slight edge as well. Not quite as flat as a 130 gr. .270, but, retains more energy down range...



.270 Win
130 gr. PSP

Muzzle 100 200 300 400 500
3060 2776 2510 2259 2022 1801
2702 2225 1818 1472 1180 936
1.5 zero -2.8 -20.9 -43.3


7mm-08
140 gr. PSP

2860 2625 2402 2189 1988 1798
2542 2142 1793 1490 1228 1005
1.8 zero -3.1 -22.9 -46.8


.308 Win
150 gr. PSP

2820 2533 2263 2009 1774 1560
2648 2137 1705 1344 1048 810

2.0 zero -3.4 -26.2 -54.8

jerry d

Yup,those are the charts I was referring to.
Notice the 308 is in a 7.5lb rifle & the 7mm08 is in an 8lb rifle.I'm wondering how much recoil would be reduced if the 308 was in a 8lb rifle.
Being you have experience with the 3 calibers I'm interested in which on do you like the best.Mainly this gun will be used as a backup deer rifle to my 243. But I have a friend that owns property in Montana and I have an open invitation to hunt elk there.But I aslo go to the range & shoot so I dont want something that's gonna beat the hell out of my back.

jerry d

I also should have mention the elk hunting is in mostly woodland not much shooting long distances across meadows.

ipscshooter

It would have been nice if Mr. Hawks had used the same weight rifle for all those cartridges. I suspect the .308 would still kick slightly harder than the 7mm-08, even if in the slightly heavier rifle. Of the three, I like the 7mm-08 best. Excellent compromise between recoil and down range power. As you can see from the ballistics I posted above, despite having a slight advantage at the muzzle, the .308 already has less energy than the 7mm at 100 yards. It takes a while longer for the 7mm-08 to pass the .270, but, it does, at about 300 yards... The .270 is a little flatter shooting, but, by only a couple inches at 400 yards.

For deer, I give the 7mm the edge. Elk become a slightly different story as the 140 gr 7mm and the 150 gr. .308 become more marginal, and the .308 with heavier bullets available over the counter gets a slight edge. I'm sure the 7mm-08 will still do the job, if you wait for the right shot. But, most folks seem to prefer a slightly heavier bullet for elk (although some folks on here have used 100 gr. .243's with success).

I use my 7mm-08 for deer and hogs, using the 140 gr. Remington PSP's, so haven't even looked at whether there are any "premium" bullets available. Generally, it's hard enough finding the Remmy green boxes, so EVERY time I'm at the store and see some, I pick up a couple boxes. I've probably got enough now for several lifetimes of deer seasons... The .270 and .308 get a bit of an edge in ammo availability.

I, too, am recoil averse. One of the reasons I love my .243. The 7mm is comfortable for me. Whereas my buddy's .270 was significantly less so... very close to my .30-06, and maybe a tad "sharper." My experience with a .308 has been in my much heavier M1A National Match rifle, so, a felt recoil comparison doesn't really correlate to my Model 700s.

All that being said.... I'd get the 7mm-08 without hesitation, and try to keep elk shots within 250-300 yards...