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7mm-08
Remington
The 7mm-08 Remington is a
rifle cartridge that is almost a direct copy of a wildcat cartridge developed
around 1958 known as the 7mm/308. As these names would suggest, it is the .308
Winchester case necked down to accept 7 mm (.284) bullets with a small increase
in case length. Of cartridges based upon the .308, it is the second most
popular behind only the .243 Winchester. However, the .308 is more popular than
both. In 1980, the Remington Arms company popularized the cartridge by applying
its own name and offering it as a chambering for their Model 788 and Model 700
rifles.
Suggested
Use
- Deer
- Black Bear
- Sheep / Goat
- Moose (short range)
- Elk (short range)
Performance
With the wide range of
bullet weights available, the 7mm-08 is suitable for "varminting,
game-hunting, silhouette, and long-range shooting." It is also suitable
for plains game." For long-range target and metallic silhouette shooting,
the "plastic-tipped 162gr A-Max has proven to be very accurate with a
0.625 BC (G1). This A-Max bullet, and the 150gr Sierra Match King, are popular
with silhouette shooters."
The 7mm-08 Remington works
in most hunting environments, including dense forest areas and large open
fields. It has a flatter trajectory than the .308 Win. and .30-06 Springfield
at similar bullet weights because the slightly smaller-diameter 7mm bullet
generally has a better ballistic coefficient (BC), and is thus less affected by
drag and crosswind while in flight. Its trajectory is comparable to the .270
Winchester.
Its recoil is a bit more
than a .243 Win. and less than most loads in a .308 Win. This mild recoil makes
it suitable for youth and adults who are new shooters; however, the cartridge
serves experienced shooters and hunters equally well.
Howard Brant of Shooting
Industry magazine wrote: "the 7mm-08 is a real sleeper as far as the
hunting field is concerned. It is a grand cartridge which packs more than
sufficient wallop to efficiently down all medium-sized big-game animals found
in North America and elsewhere."
Wayne van Zwoll of
Petersen's Hunting magazine wrote: "Efficient case design and a bullet
weight range suitable for most North American big game make the 7mm-08 a fine
choice for all-around hunting. Civil in recoil, it's a perfect match for
lightweight, short-action rifles. It has also courted favor on metallic
silhouette ranges, where its 140-grain bullets reach 500-yard targets faster
and with as much energy as 150-grain .308s." He also described it as
"deadly" for elk.
David E. Petzal of Field
& Stream, wrote, "The virtues of the 7mm/08 include very light recoil,
not much muzzle blast, plenty of bullet weight to do the job, and gilt-edged
accuracy."
The 7mm-08, with
appropriate loads, meets the required standard for moose hunting in Sweden,
Finland, and Norway. Such loads allow it, for that purpose, to be compared
favourably with the 6.5x55mm, 7x57mm, 7x57mmR, .300 Savage, .303 British, and
some .308 Winchester and .270 Winchester loads; they have killed many
moose.
With appropriately
constructed bullets, the cartridge is usable on elk, black bears and hogs.
It must be stressed,
though, that the 7mm-08 Rem. is unsuitable for use on the three big
bears, polar, brown, and grizzly, and on other dangerous game. In a
self-defensive situation requiring stopping power on dangerous game at close
range, use of a larger and heavier caliber is strongly advised. Stephen
Herrero, a bear behavior expert, cites a study by the U. S. Forestry Service in
Alaska that concluded the .458 Win. Mag. with a 510gr load, 375 H.&H. Mag.
with a 300gr load, .338 Win Mag. with a 300gr load, and .30-06 with a 220gr
load were "superior for protection against bears
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