Thoughts on a new hunting rifle in 7mm08

[tmoore912]

I was in the same predicament several months ago. I looked at the Tikka T3 Lite SS, Savage 16 FCSS and the Remington Mountain. I went with a Winchester Model 70 Ultra Shadow SS in 7mm-08. First Winchester, and I'm really liking it. Stock is flexible on the front end, and will probably replace it with a B&C lightweight stock soon.

I think I would have been good to go choosing any of those rifles.

 

[GooseGestapo]

My 7mm08 is a Rem Mod-7.
I really, really like the gun and caliber. One of my favorite.

If I were in the market for a new 7mm08, I'd get the Marlin XS7.

I've have/had several Savage M110',s and have a Savage Axis in .243.

I liked the Marlin XS7 better because of the "looks" and stock.
Mine was a .243 that I let a friend talk me into selling to him for his son.
It was/is very accurate (just like my axis) and was inexpensive and light.

My Remington is 1.5-2moa accurate which is "adequate". It's killed over 3 dozen deer, a couple of pigs and a 1,000lb 6x6 elk by a friend I loaned it to.
But, the Savage's and Marlin's will "shoot the pants" off of it....

I've done everything to the Remington except rebarrel it. But, I don't have the heart to as it's a "fast" bbl (20"). I originally bought the gun to rebarrel to .284win or 6.5-284. After chronographing it with PMC factory 139gr at over 3,000fps (hot ammo!), and my handloads with a 150gr Nosler Partiton gets 2,800fps (RL17), I'll "accept" the accuracy....

The rifle is a "dream" to carry and hunt with. I've carried it in the Wyoming mountains at over 11,000' elevation. Had many offers to sell it.... declined.
It wears a Leupold 2.5-8x Vari-X III. Absolutely perfect scope!

I too have a Rem. Mod-7 in .260. It's sub-moa and "prettier" than the 7mm08but the 7mm kills better...
(the .260 is a CDL, the 7mm is "semi-gloss" with a laminated stock...). Both have been glass bedded and triggers "tweaked".

 

[CaliCoastie]

my vote is towards a tikka(one reason is because i have one in stanless) I had a marlin xs7 in 7mm08, while others have had great results with theirs i had nothing but problems getting it down to moa. it ended up getting sold and for the price difference between the x7(now) and the tikka i wont even look at the X7s(not just be issues i had getting it to moa, it had the cheapest bluing ive ever seen on a rifle, a brass brush with gun oil started stripping it).
Good luck, i know there are examples of every rifle that shoot poorly, i hope you dont get one for a good long time.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

My experience with the 7mm-08 has been less than positive.

A couple Model 7's and a Kimber 84m and the accuracy was never there--I could never get a decent group out of any of them. I only used factory ammo and never did try handloading for it.

I doubt I'll ever buy another. Its just too easy to get a .270 or .30-06--stoke it with Power Points or the cheap Federal loads and get MOA or better from the get go.

 

[Doc Mongo]

Slight thread hijack: How does the 7mm-08 compare to a 7mm Rem Mag, in terms of range, trajectory, etc?

 

[tmoore912]

7mm-08:

Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
140 gr (9 g) Nosler Partition 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) 2,437 ft·lbf (3,304 J)
150 gr (10 g) Speer Hot-Cor SP 2,650 ft/s (810 m/s) 2,339 ft·lbf (3,171 J)
Test barrel length: 24 in
Source(s): Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page

7mm Remington Mag:

Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
110 gr (7 g) Barnes TTS [1] 3,500 ft/s (1,100 m/s) 2,992 ft·lbf (4,057 J)
140 gr (9 g) Nosler AB [2] 3,110 ft/s (950 m/s) 3,006 ft·lbf (4,076 J)
150 gr (10 g) Soft Point [3] 3,110 ft/s (950 m/s) 3,221 ft·lbf (4,367 J)
165 gr (11 g) Sierra GK BT [4] 2,950 ft/s (900 m/s) 3,188 ft·lbf (4,322 J)
175 gr (11 g) Soft Point [5] 2,860 ft/s (870 m/s) 3,178 ft·lbf (4,309 J)
Test barrel length: 24"
Source(s): Accurate Powder [1]