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