7mm-08 for deer

m_freeman

Active Member
Messages
410
I have a question for the guys that know rifle calibers and Western Muley hunting. I have a 7mm-08 w/ 22" barrel, how far do you think the max effective range is with this caliber? Setting aside operator error just pure ballistics. Any experience or good info would help as I am planning a hunt not sure which State yet.
 
Well I would ask you this,,,,

How far have you been practicing as far as yards?

How familiar are you with the rifle?

Optics? Shells? Recoil?

You should know your gun better than anyone here should. Look at the balistics and go from there. Practice buddy and you will be fine.
 
>Well I would ask you this,,,,
>
>
>How far have you been practicing
>as far as yards?
>
>How familiar are you with the
>rifle?
>
>Optics? Shells? Recoil?
>
>You should know your gun better
>than anyone here should. Look
>at the balistics and go
>from there. Practice buddy and
>you will be fine.


yeh Rugarm77 I hear ya, I just don't want to waste time and money on a platform that just isn't up to the task. I don't think the 7mm-08 will be up to the task. Really don't want to be sitting across an unstalkable canyon looking at a monster muley on the other side and wishing I had put my time and money into a 6.5/284 or .270 win. I think I will put my money and time into a caliber with a little more downrange performance.
 
Do a search on here and you will have plenty of info. I currently have a custom 7mm-08 being built and I did a lot of research before picking the caliber. My gun isn't done yet but I think the caliber will do all you could ask for when it comes to deer.
 
300 yards


great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB
497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
I would not want to shot a 7mm-08 at a Muley farther than about 150-200yds. Your Energy in Foot Pounds is going to be around 1650-1750 and I would not want it any lower that that on a mature buck.
You seem to be unsure and questioning the caliber for a Muley at a little distance(and I do too). You do not want to go into the field with any doubt in your mind. Is it "enough gun" to take down a big Muley? Has there been many a deer and even bigger animals killed by a 7mm-08?...Yes, Yes, and there will be lots of guys on here that give you the generic "know your gun, know your ballistics, practice, practice, practice, blah,blah,blah". And while of course thats what you should do no matter what caliber you shoot, hunting conditions can be very unpredictable and I would rather have plenty of "gun" than "enough gun" to compensate for unperfect shots.
 
150-200 yds? 300 yds? You guys are nuts!!! :)

A 7mm-08 "with good ammo" is totally capable to cleanly take the largest muley buck that ever lived out to 500 yds and maybe a bit beyond. The limiting factor is the shooter and his or her abilities, not the cartridge.

I put it in the same class as the 6.5X284 and the 270 Winchester. Current Factory loadings produce 3000 FPS with 140 pills. In the hands of a capable marksman, a very deadly long range deer thumper, indeed!

Joey
 
If you're starting from scratch building a long range deer gun I wouldn't pick the 7mm-08. But to echo sageadvice, it's not that far behind a .270 or .280 like many people think. I shoot a .270 WSM for deer that flings the 140s at 3200 fps. I consider that a fantastic long range gun for deer, and your 7mm-08 will approach 3000 with that 22" barrel. I think the cartridge itself is capable to about 500 yards with a hot 140 grain load, your own capability will be a lot less if you do not actually shoot at those ranges. For people that only shoot the 100 yard paper I wouldn't advise shooting much beyond 300 yards with any caliber.

A good scope will make a big difference for the longer ranges. I've tried several types and my favorite scope thus far for deer is the Leupold VX-III 4.5-14 without the adjustable objective. It has a great field of view at 4.5 for shooting close up and the 14x is plenty for shots out to 500 or 600 yards. Adjustable objectives are nice for the extreme precision of varmint hunting or target shooting, but they're just a pain for hunting big game. Having target turrets is nice, and they now have a VX-III called the CDS which has a sweet elevation turret that is compact and calibrated to your gun.
 
well my uncle tipped one over at around 450 this year with his 7mm-08
?It takes a genius to whine appealingly.?
Mr.Whiny
 
M_Freeman, It doesn't sound like you are too happy with your 7mm-08 and are looking for reasons to replace it. You can certainly do that but i'd recommend that if you do, don't expect much difference ballistics's wise by going to the other cartridges that you mentioned. They just won't make hill of beans difference in what you appear to be looking for.

If you truly want a gun for longer range hunting of big game, IMO, you will want to step up to a Magnum type loading, one with substantial advantages in down range retained energies. As it is now, you have a very fine deer hunting cartridge with lots of ability. Like some rifles and their chamberings, you can carry around 4 quarters in your pocket or carry ten dimes... it still adds up to a dollar.

Joey
 
I was always a big gun guy till I watched my kid poleaxing nice animals with the 7-08.
I'd shoot .300 wby's, 7mm mags etc...
They were hip & had sexy ballistics.
But why put up with heavy recoil and earsplitting muzzle blast when you don't have to?
They create bad shooting habits and many are downright unpleasant to shoot.

The lil 7 has virtually no recoil, you can see the impact through the scope in fact.

Under the right conditions, it WILL reach out there....

520 yard Wyoming antelope

thomasc.jpg


It can put down big bodied muleys with ease.

99-1.jpg


1257989318.jpg


The lil 7 smokes blacktails.
350 yards.

img1668n.jpg



I caught myself sneaking his lil 7 out of the safe more & more when hunting blacktails near the house.

img1614ad.jpg


Some calibers are simply better than they appear on paper.
The 7mm-08 is definitely one of those.

Seeing is believing!
HH
 
>150-200 yds? 300 yds? You guys
>are nuts!!! :)
>
>A 7mm-08 "with good ammo" is
>totally capable to cleanly take
>the largest muley buck that
>ever lived out to 500
>yds and maybe a bit
>beyond. The limiting factor is
>the shooter and his or
>her abilities, not the cartridge.
>
>
>I put it in the same
>class as the 6.5X284 and
>the 270 Winchester. Current Factory
>loadings produce 3000 FPS with
>140 pills. In the hands
>of a capable marksman, a
>very deadly long range deer
>thumper, indeed!
>
>Joey

500 yds and a bit beyond on the biggest muley buck! Whos nuts?
What company makes factory ammo with 3000 FPS for the 7mm-08? I've looked a both Federal and Winchesters balistic charts and none of their loads produce more than 2800 FPS. And at 500yds the energy is only 982-1164 ft-lbs, right at the very minimum of what is widely considered the amount needed to take deer sized game.
I think that it is a great caliber for antelope and deer at closer ranges, and I am considering it for my 10 yr olds first deer rifle. But to tell someone its a "very deadly long range deer thumper" and he could cleanly take the largest muley buck that ever lived at 500+ yards is realy crazy. I would not want to take that shot with a solid bench rest, in ideal conditions, at a meat buck, let alone the biggest buck I've ever seen, in feild conditions, with the bare minimum knock down power.
It may be a better caliber than it is on paper, but it's not that much better. Just my opinion.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-15-10 AT 12:10PM (MST)[p]Moosey69, Who makes such ammo? Try this link
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=440504

You said "I would not want to shot a 7mm-08 at a Muley farther than about 150-200yds. Your Energy in Foot Pounds is going to be around 1650-1750 and I would not want it any lower that that on a mature buck."

I'm sorry but i had to laugh at your statement, you just sound so much like you don't know what you're talking about! 1650-1750 FPE is more energy than the recommended minimum for a huge Bull Elk let alone a mule deer!! The ammo in the link i posted shows over 1300 FPE @ 500yds in a great bullet.


You say, "Yes, Yes, and there will be lots of guys on here that give you the generic "know your gun, know your ballistics, practice, practice, practice, blah,blah,blah".

Blah, Blah, Blah?? Apparently you don't know of some cartridges capabilities! Again 150-200yds might be your advice but just too conservative to be a useful answer to the original poster's question.


Sorry if you don't agree! I would definitely not recommend that you, or most, shoot a buck with a 7mm-08 at 500yds but remember, the Question was asked of the Cartridge's Capabilities!! It is totally capable of doing plenty enough damage and in the hands of a skilled practiced marksman, can/will flat stone a mature buck cleanly out to that distance.

Joey
 
thanks for the info guys yes "seeing is believing" pretty much looks like if it is a NON magnum we have either 10 dimes or 4 quarters in the pocket.
 
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. There is no way in hell anybody should try and take down a Bull Elk at 200 yds (or any distance really) or a mature Muley at 500 yds with a 7mm-08 even though the cartridge is "capable". A 9mm or .40s&w pistol is "capable" of taking down a Muley at some distances but I would not like to take my chances with those during a rifle season. I'm sure there are some folks who have taken animals at long distances with the 7mm-08 but I'm also sure there are folks who have shot at animals that they had no buisness shooting that far at and have lost animals that they would not if they had a little more gun.
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-15-10 AT 04:42PM (MST)[p]I really like my wife's 7mm-08 and I would feel completely comfortable shooting a deer out to 400 yards (personal limitation) with it.

I've seen her dump an elk in his tracks at just over 300 yards with 140 grain Partitions.

edit* I just went to check the barrel length on that rifle--22"
 
I am no fan of the 308 or its offspring.but I'll stirr...I would shoot the biggest muley, ah hell, throw bull in their also, @ 500 with a 7-08, and not think twice... enjoy
 
Good shooting form trumps ballistics in many cases.
Of course if you are a highly skilled shooter. you are going to be much more deadly with those big magnums.
However, your average hunter aint skilled enough to maximize those rounds in my opinion.
Too many guys are hung up on big numbers, foot lbs of energy & trajectory stuff out of some manual.
If you ruin the lungs, the animal dies, I don't give a rats ass what the manual says.
All I know is that I'm really glad I got my kid started off with a low recoiling accurate rifle.
His rifle has a 3-10 Leupold with the B&C reticle.
He shoots 140 gr fusions factory loads, uses his rangefinder and out to 500 stuff dies.
That Lil 7mm-08 has taught him well and is plenty of deer gun for most guys.
Ford, Chevy, Dodge, run whatcha like.
HH
 
If anyone brought up the wind I missed it. If you are planning to shoot long distances "out west" you know wind will likely be a factor. I figure the drop shouldn't be a big deal, because before I shoot 4-5 hundred yards, I'll take plenty of time to study and range the shot. The real problem is the wind, which is hard to judge, and totally variable over the entire range. This is where a magnum pushing a high BC bullet has a real advantage over a short action cartridge.
 
Don't forget that BC doesn't change with the chambering--and .284 is one of the "good" ones for BC.

The velocity does make a difference though. The difference between a 7-08 and a 7mm Rem Mag is about 400 fps at the muzzle (2800 vs 3200). The difference between the 7-08 and a 7mm RUM is about 600 fps at the muzzle(2800 vs 3400). I don't know what that translates to in wind drift at normal hunting ranges, but I think it's a pretty good trade off between drift and felt recoil.

Funny that I'm pumping up the 7mm-08 since I mostly hunt with a .338 Win Mag. It's just nice to shoot the 7-08 and not get clobbered, and I have been completely (and unexpectedly)impressed with the little "7" so far.
 
7mm-08 will kill a deer as far out there as any other cartridge. My old man has killed plenty of big bucks and bulls with his 7-08 for me to discount it as "too small" to get the job done.

190" gross Colorado muley, 1 shot 584 yards. 7mm-08 140 hornady interlock handloads.

346" gross Utah bull elk, 536 yards. same load. 2 shots.

He's killed a lot more game than that, but at more modest ranges. I'd take a 7mm-08 just as quick as I'd shoot a .270 or any other non magnum cartridge.

If you can hit it in the vitals, it will kill the animal.

DeerBeDead
 
I bought my Ruger 77 in 7mm-08 almost 30 years ago, used at a small gun shop in red bluff ca. and to this day has been fun to shoot and light to carry. Pigs, antelope or deer, It's my favorite rifle.
I have killed a few elk with the rifle , but I take the 338 or 300 win to chase bull elk or moose.
Pick a gun that fits you and get to know your rifle. And like stated above,
SHOT Placement...
 

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