7-08 Ammo shortage

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I was in a local Atwood's store here in south central Kansas and they had several boxes of 7-08. I don't have a rifle in that caliber, but I know it's not been available for a long time. I took it as another sign the shortages are not as bad.
 
Thanks for the replies. I did order a couple boxes from Midway. Not my first choice but they will work. I do have enough for a couple more seasons if I just hunt and sight in but I like to have a good stash. I have been thinking of a .308 for months but I haven't seen any in rifles I like. It seems they are either 6.5 Creedmoor or really oddball stuff. 6.5 Creedmoor is a fine round and very similar to the 7-08. But it is considerably more expensive and not a common as .308. I am warming up the 6.5 CM.
 
A few weeks ago, the Academy in my area had only 1 option of 7-08 ammo in stock. I'm researching cartridges for my first bolt-action rifle, and 7-08 seems like a great one, but the lack of ammo availability makes me hesitate to commit to it.
 
JDeere said:
Yep, the 6.5 creed and prc were designed for long range shooters and one cannot argue that they do well for that purpose. The 6.5 has been marketed well so it's popular with gotta have the latest and greatest crowd or the new shooter who is getting started...
Click to expand...
 
d2wing said:
I went to a couple sporting goods stores that are usually well stocked for supplies and ammo for the upcoming deer season. They had all kinds of oddball stuff and lots of 308 but no 7-08. The particular Hornady ammo I want is also out-of-stock online.
There was a few boxes of 6.5 Creedmoor but pretty expensive. Lots of .308. I looked at new rifles and nobody had them either except for a Savage Axis. No way. Just about every rifle that I liked was in 6.5 Creedmoor which is inferior to 7-08 for hunting. Hmmmm.
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I personally have never hunted with a 7-08, but, I did notice that our local Scheels had quite a bit on the shelf. They had quite a bit of stuff on the shelf that I haven’t seen in literally years.
 
Become the master of your own ammo supply . A Lee Hand Press Kit ( $72.99) and a set of Lee Reloading Dies ($36.49) Pacesetter 3-die set w/ shell holder and powder scoop .
Cost for hand press kit with rame prime and dies , 99% of the equipment you would need to reload 7mm-08 ammo (a powder scale is almost a necessity) will cost $110.00 from Midway USA ...
the dies and press are on sale and in stock now . The hand press does not require bench mounting and the process doesn't involve pounding in cases with a mallet ... it is a real press with real dies .
For $110.00 you can be your own ammo manufacturing business ... just think how that tick's off the left leaning liberals ... to know that for the cost of 3 boxes of factory ammo you can become an independant maker and they can't stop you ... might just want to get this set up for "what if" times !

I started reloading ammo and casting bullets in 1967 ... I have no idea what an ammo shortage is ... I just pull out the Lee Hand Press and crank out whatever I want .

You can do it too!
Gary
 
gwpercle said:
Become the master of your own ammo supply . A Lee Hand Press Kit ( $72.99) and a set of Lee Reloading Dies ($36.49) Pacesetter 3-die set w/ shell holder and powder scoop .
Cost for hand press kit with rame prime and dies , 99% of the equipment you would need to reload 7mm-08 ammo (a powder scale is almost a necessity) will cost $110.00 from Midway USA ...
the dies and press are on sale and in stock now . The hand press does not require bench mounting and the process doesn't involve pounding in cases with a mallet ... it is a real press with real dies .
For $110.00 you can be your own ammo manufacturing business ... just think how that tick's off the left leaning liberals ... to know that for the cost of 3 boxes of factory ammo you can become an independant maker and they can't stop you ... might just want to get this set up for "what if" times !

I started reloading ammo and casting bullets in 1967 ... I have no idea what an ammo shortage is ... I just pull out the Lee Hand Press and crank out whatever I want .

You can do it too!
Gary
Click to expand...
I did reload and even cast my own bullets decades ago. I have thought about it.
 
robin banks said:
got any 190 grain bullets for your creed? they got them for a 7-08
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Worthless distinction. The 7-08 doesn’t have enough mass in the ass to do anything with a bullet so heavy - and even if the novelty is pursued, what’s it doing in the field which isn’t done by more appropriate bullet weights in either the creed or the ‘-08 case? Nothing.

It’s ~50grn of powder vs. ~45, and a difference of .020”… don’t oversell it into something it isn’t.
 
hoardingthemanual said:
A few weeks ago, the Academy in my area had only 1 option of 7-08 ammo in stock. I'm researching cartridges for my first bolt-action rifle, and 7-08 seems like a great one, but the lack of ammo availability makes me hesitate to commit to it.
Click to expand...

Much ado is made about "optimal" cartridges but truth be told all "high speed" rifle cartridges (eg, NOT .30-30, .45-70, .350 Legend, etc) between .243 and .30-06 all work relatively similarly on whitetail deer (which is the most commonly hunted game in the country, and whose mass is a decent analog for people if you plan on using the rifle in any defensive role). If you're hunting larger animals like elk your minimum and maximums move up a little but not much.

Honestly if you want a "do-all" rifle that you'll always be able to find plenty of ammo for - buy a .30-06. I hunt with a 7mm-08 because it to me the balance of recoil to performance is good, and somewhat BECAUSE its a little off the beaten path, but I'm certainly not married to it as the only option (and I've got rifles in virtually all the other popular chamberings if I wanted to play with those).
 
The 7-08 is a fine round but has never been popular. On paper it is better than 308, but only by a tiny bit. At 500 yards it drops about an inch less and hits with about 30 more ft lbs of energy with less than 1 ft lb less recoil. I actually like the round but could never justify it over 308 which is much more readily available.

Compared to the 6.5CM a 7-08 bullet is about the thickness of your fingernail larger in diameter. A 140 gr 6.5mm bullet, a 160 gr 7mm bullet and a 180 gr .308 bullet will all give similar penetration and performance on any game animal. As a hunting cartridge pick one. All 3 do the same thing.

But right now ammo makers are making what is selling. They are selling popular cartridges faster than they can make them and they aren't going to stop the assembly lines and retool to make a handful of rounds for less popular cartridges.
 
Varminterror said:
Worthless distinction. The 7-08 doesn’t have enough mass in the ass to do anything with a bullet so heavy - and even if the novelty is pursued, what’s it doing in the field which isn’t done by more appropriate bullet weights in either the creed or the ‘-08 case? Nothing.

It’s ~50grn of powder vs. ~45, and a difference of .020”… don’t oversell it into something it isn’t.
Click to expand...
Agreed, and IMO
140-165 is really about the heaviest bullets i like over 40-45gr of powder. Both the creed and the 7-08 do well in that range. Which is why I own both.

If I want/need to shoot a heavier bullet I want more case.
190gr 7mm I want a magnum case....tho, my 280AI did surprisingly well with the 190A-tips accuracy wise, didnt chrono them tho.
 
you will have to look hard to find a deer hunter who can kill a deer at 300 yards in the woods standing on his hind legs with out leaning on something, i don,t give a crap if he,s useing a 6.cm-.260 rem-7-08-.308., hit them where they live and they will die, double lung shots for me. i have all the normal cartiges for deer and reload for them(no 6.5cm, but .260 rem and 6.5x55,s) all have been good deer cartiges.
 
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Varminterror said:
Worthless distinction. The 7-08 doesn’t have enough mass in the ass to do anything with a bullet so heavy - and even if the novelty is pursued, what’s it doing in the field which isn’t done by more appropriate bullet weights in either the creed or the ‘-08 case? Nothing.

It’s ~50grn of powder vs. ~45, and a difference of .020”… don’t oversell it into something it isn’t.
Click to expand...
how about with sta ball powder in the 7-08 pushing a 175 gr BC .68 at almost 2700 fps?
 
Kind of funny with the power talk but I picked up my 7-08 and down load it to match 7BR, until I rebarrel it. 20 years of killing hogs at night with it. 140 grain partition, always worked for me.
 
LoonWulf said:
Agreed, and IMO
140-165 is really about the heaviest bullets i like over 40-45gr of powder. Both the creed and the 7-08 do well in that range. Which is why I own both.

If I want/need to shoot a heavier bullet I want more case.
190gr 7mm I want a magnum case....tho, my 280AI did surprisingly well with the 190A-tips accuracy wise, didnt chrono them tho.
Click to expand...
I think that some of the advances in powder have breathed a new life into some “classic” cartridges(ie, leverevolution in a 30-30). And I admire the creedmoors and PRCs(building a 300 PRC and a creedmoor is on the shortlist) but it makes my heart hurt to see people poopoo and relegate the 7-08, 30-06,270,25-06,insertmanyothershere, to the woodpile. I was looking through a huge gun store the other day. Not a 25-06 in the place. 1 270, no 30-06. Do some of the new ones “do it better”? Yes, on paper. BUT!!!!!!, there are a lot of whitetail(and lots of other game for that matter) that have long since fed the family that fell to one of the “won’t work” cartridges. I won’t argue with people. They can use what they like(in reason obviously), BUT!!!, if gramps comes out there with his 30-30, 7-08,270etcetc, don’t poke fun. Probably shot more deer than I’ve have seen. :):):):)

I admire the 7-08, and it seems like a “why didn’t it really catch on?” Cartridge. The .30 TC is another I ask myself about. Several others too… I shoot another historic cartridge; 250-3000… I’ve seen a lot of 7mm-08 ammo since I’ve seen any for that…
 
7-08 is an awesome cartridge but also one of those have always told people not to have unless you are a reloader.

The 6.5 creed is still in the latest new magical flavor category and 308...well 308 is just 308 it will likely always be one of those that stands the test of time.
 
d2wing said:
The 7-08 shoots a slightly bigger bullet, more frontal area faster with more energy in like weights. The Creedmoor does have a better B.C. and overtakes the 7-08 but that doesn't come into play at normal hunting ranges. Splitting hairs as far as some of you are concerned. I am not a bandwagon guy. I may stoop to buying a 6.5 but not going to wear a man bun.
Click to expand...

It would be cheaper to buy a starter kit and start loading your own ammo than to just buy a new gun chambered in the latest preppy cartridge.
 
robin banks said:
how about with sta ball powder in the 7-08 pushing a 175 gr BC .68 at almost 2700 fps?
Click to expand...

What animal at what distance, specifically, do you believe can this over-book load for 7-08 load harvest which isn’t also done with a .704G1 BC 153 A-tip at 2750fps??? (Of note, the 153 has an SD of .313, with the 175 7mm also at .310).

Again, nothing, and with no difference in effective range.

Also again, don’t sell this difference as something it isn’t. The 308 case and the Creedmoor case are standard bolt face, short action cartridges pushing very similar small bore bullets of similar weights to similar speeds. Distinctions without differences.
 
d2wing said:
I went to a couple sporting goods stores that are usually well stocked for supplies and ammo for the upcoming deer season. They had all kinds of oddball stuff and lots of 308 but no 7-08. The particular Hornady ammo I want is also out-of-stock online.
There was a few boxes of 6.5 Creedmoor but pretty expensive. Lots of .308. I looked at new rifles and nobody had them either except for a Savage Axis. No way. Just about every rifle that I liked was in 6.5 Creedmoor which is inferior to 7-08 for hunting. Hmmmm.
Click to expand...

Start reloading or forget it.
 
Sound like not a lot of people stockpile ammo. When I sold my 300 mag I swapped the 12 boxes of ammo I had for other calibers I could use. Before the ammo shortage, just before deer season common rounds would go on sale and I’d stock up. I’d like to start reloading at some point. That point will be if I get a 260 rem someday. I have a old guy that loads 243 for me on occasion and they shoot great, that’s sparking some interest in reloading.
 
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