308 vs 7-08

[palmer_mike]

Having shot a .308win (with 168gr bullets) for many years I’m now thinking of changing to a 7-08rem

Anyone have real world experience or these two chamberings side by side? I find t yes .308 with the bullets mentioned above great for muntjac, roe and fallow. In fact well shot animals rarely take a step lol.
Does the 7-08 have less ‘knock down’?

 

[Jono 4]

I've got a 7-08 Mike, great rifle, shot everything from Fox to a Kudu Bull and rutting red stags with it using 140gn Federal Fusion, most of the stuff falls over, less meat damage than my .243 overall lovely calibre. I have recently bought a 30-06 blaser, but only because its easier to break down for travelling overseas, not because the 7-08 lacked anything.

 

[NigelM]

I've used 7mm08 on the Reds and Sika for a few years now with 150gr ABLR's. I got it in preference to .308 because I felt 150gr was plenty of weight for anything on our shores and 150gr in 7mm had a better BC and therefore carried it's velocity and energy better than .308. It has proven to be more than enough gun and has shot Red, Sika, Fallow, Roe and Muntjac very successfully.

However, when I re-barrel it in the not too distant future it will turn into a 6.5mm. 140gr in a 6.5 at the same velocity as a 7mm08 has almost as much energy at 200m because the BC is better again.

 

[Fabnosh]

Hi PM

I have both and like them both equally. Both are excellent rifles and extremely accurate. I'd say I prefer the 7mm-08 in pretty much all respects other than the availability of ammo overseas......which was the reason I bought a .308. I reload but if my 7mm-08 never makes it to the destination (which has happened) there is little chance (unless it's the US) of finding factory ammo and the there is no chance of finding any in Africa.

The 7mm-08 is a really gentle round to shoot and a great balance between shooting comfort and knockdown power and, if you reload, there is no shortage of 7mm bullet options available so it becomes very versatile. Factory ammo is becoming more widely available if you reload.

Hope that helps a little in informing your thoughts.

FN

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Pretty sure @caberslash is an avid fan of the .308...

 

[Mungo]

There is so little difference between them it really isn't worth thinking about. You would REALLY struggle to notice any difference at all.

Below are data on two common loads - Federal 150gr ballistic tip in .308 and Federal 140gr ballistic tip in 7-08. I would challenge anyone outside of a climate controlled lab shooting an extremely high end bench rest rig to be able to detect any differences on paper, let along a stalker shooting at deer.

 

[Mungo]

By contrast, as @NigelM points out above, you do start to get genuine differences if you switch to a 6.5. Below are data for the same .308 load (150gr ballistic tip) against 143gr eldx in 6.5 Creedmoor. The .308 starts at 2800 fps, the Creedmoor at 2700 fps.

 

[Mungo]

I should add that the above are based on real data from chronographed loads, with drops and drifts confirmed at 300m, and the rest obtained from Strelok.

 

[Penyard]

I have both but they are quite different rigs with different jobs.

.308 is semi-custom built on a Krico action 18" barrel with full length suppressor and uses home loaded 165gr Accubond for 90% wild boar and is very good at it. The occasional deer it is asked to shoot does not seem to notice any issues.

The 7mm-08 is a semi-custom built on a Sako 85 action with a 24" barrel and fires 120gr Nosler BT (Hunting) at serious speed and is my main deer rifle. It has plenty of I am working on a Barnes TTSX 120gr load for this as part of my transition to non-toxic. I have also used a home load with 150gr Swift Scirocco bullets in this rifle which have been excellent for boar, the odd deer and ringing gongs out to 800m.

If I had to have one CF rifle in my cabinet it would be a 7mm-08 but probably not the one I currently have which is a big heavy thing. There is more than enough grunt and power in a 7mm-08 using good quality suitable ammunition for anything in the UK.

 

[Kalahari]

A gentleman would have a 7 x 57 before either of these johny come lately cartridges!

David.

 

[palmer_mike]

A gentleman would have a 7 x 57 before either of these johny come lately cartridges!

David.

But then I’m no gentleman

 

[iain b]

I’ve got both. To me at normal ranges there’s not much difference. Both have enough power for any UK game. It’s what you fancy at the time. Unless you reload then .308 is the best choice as 7mm is harder to find and more expensive

 

[User00040]

Does the 7-08 have less ‘knock down’?

No, the 7mm pill retains energy a lot better on like for like weights vs. 30 cal

Not noticeable within 300m though (or even further) by the deer.

7mm08 ammo a lot harder to find. Brass more expensive. Must be better!

 

[Muir]

I've got both. Both accurate. Both deadly.
Bang. Dead. Pick the one you can get components easiest for.~Muir

 

[A Guy Out West]

A 7/08 can launch a 175 gr. Bullet at over 2600 FPS. That is a lot of knock down. Regardless, a 140 gr. Would be perfect for hunting in the UK.

 

[Mungo]

I've got both. Both accurate. Both deadly.
Bang. Dead. Pick the one you can get components easiest for.~Muir

This.

7-08 is rare enough in the UK that it can be hard to find ammo or components.

I went through a period of wanting one, but the combination of so little difference with a .308 and hard to source bits meant that I lost interest.

 

[eldon]

I had a 7-08 on my ticket for a while as like you I had the itch to scratch.
At the same time I had a perfectly acceptable 308 and just couldn't justify the difference in my own mind.
When renewal came the FEO asked what had happened and I explained this slight change of heart. I then amended the slot for a, dare I say it, 6.5 CM.
The 308 is a heavy bipod or high seat stalker and my 6.5 is a nice lightweight off-hand walkabout stalker; best of both worlds.

Maybe re-review what you are hoping to achieve as despite all the hype they all do the same function adequately?

 

[tom308w]

308 ammo available anywhere in the country 7.08 not so easy to get .take your pick but the 308 would be my choice

 

[Chris J]

I have both. Never had a deer complain. I have quite a few rifles in a range of cartridge formats and I'd say these middle weight options are two excellent choices for pretty much anything. If I could keep only one, it would be .... drum roll please.....

The 7mm. Why? Easy: I like that rifle more. One is a T3 light and the other is a Finnlite with a particularly nice Zeiss on top. Yes it's that stupid. Both share the same moderator. I home load and just found that actual velocities for me in the .308 were a bit low against the books. I switched to a 130gr bullet and it's a cracking set up. I've no desire to try and push out a 200gr RN from a .308 - I have a .300 Win for that. The 7mm takes a 140gr bullet and give me just that little bit more confidence in practice on longer shots. The tables say otherwise. Frankly, I'd perhaps swap your 168s for some 150s. Gain a bit of velocity, lose some recoil maybe and frankly not sacrifice anything.

Would I sell a .308 to buy a 7mm-08 no. Would I sell a .308 Tikka to buy a .308 Sako, ahh well, that's all about want not need isn't it.

Short version is - sometimes shooting is about what's going on in your head. If you think that 7mm-8 will be better then it will be. Doubt is something that I try to eliminate where ever I can. Does tea taste better in a china cup than a chipped mug? Of course not, the question is, do YOU think it does.

Sorry for this being a bit odd, I'm in a rather reflective mood today. There's an interesting difference between a choice and a decision. I'll share it with you, I can see you're all keen.

A choice is where the outcome doesn't actually matter. Presented with say two options, the outcome of which will do the same thing, you can literally flip a coin for it. "Ooooh I'm hungry, so many thing on the menu. I can't decide whether to have the fish or the chicken; I love them both" That is not a decision. It's a choice. Pick one

A decision is where the outcome matters due to its implications. So in this example Mike, I'd say it's really just a case of choosing.

 

[crow juice]

In my family the 7mm-08 Remington is just about the standard . Me , my 3 son-in-laws , and one of my grandsons use the 708 as our primary field gun. I suspect as the other 5 grandson's get to hunting age they will be equipped with the same caliber because I do the loading for all. My son has a 308 . My experience is that the deer and pigs will never know the difference. However, the 7mm-08 is clearly a much more comfortable gun to shoot and I think a better choice for a NEWBE . Based on what I have read above about the availability of brass for the 708 in the UK it would definitely be a choice for someone that handloads because it sounds like you would have to form brass from 308's which is easy to do. Some guns are just best for reloaders . I have a 25-06 as well and from time to time brass has not been readily available and forming from 30-06 or 270's is a simple solution.