for a given case, and energy level, the smaller bullet will always product more wear. Now I know the Creedmore freaks will call me stupid, but that physics. A 7mm will wear out faster than a 7.6. That said, I think the 7-08 is about as close to a perfect round as can be, regard them highly. I don't own one, but do a 308, thou If a 7mm was available in a lighweight barrel for a similar price I may have gone that way. .308 is a bigger, heavier bullet, and while we may have forgotten the value of that in the quest to kill "knockdown power", it does still mean something, otherwise, we would all be shooting 22-250's. If you want to go cast bullet, 308 will get you a little farther, and some like the extra kick. 30 cal is a very diverse, relatively cheap bullet, with slightly more options. Finally, aside from slightly straighter ballistics, and slightly lower recoil, it doesn't offer more, at the cost of a much less common round. It comes nowhere near outclassing the 308 to the point of changing you hunting options, or target range, at least for 99.999% out there. But if the 7-08 came out instead of the 308, I doubt any complaints would be made, except the people saying it should have been a 6.5 instead.