Is my 7mm-08 enough?

B

B. Miller

New member
What's up fellas!

Today I was talking to some fellow hunting buddies at school as we all prepare for the upcoming rifle season. When I told them what gun I had (7mm-08) and what grain (135) they all said it wasn't enough. To quote one, "The 7mm08 is a good beginner gun but you gotta move up to an .30-06"

Now I never had a problem with any deer I shot as they were all heart shots, but what if I am off? The deer around me have quite big bodies. I am now wondering if there is enough oomph behind it to take down a big bodied buck that I will hopefully see this year
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If you agree with my friends, would you recommend moving up to 145 grains? Getting another gun isn't really an option.
 
I shoot 140 BT's in my 7-08 Encore and have killed some pretty big deer with it. Just use a quality bullet and be accurate. I know a couple guys using them for Elk and saw a 200lb Mule deer my buddy shot with his the other week.
 
More than enough. I wouldn't be afraid to use it for elk and in one issue of my handloader magazines they used it for moose with success. Stick with your 08
 
For years we shot moose with a .270 with 130 grain bullets. I would think that if you put your shot in the right place it will work fine. Only change if you have time to check your zero and adjust if that is called for.
 
That is the gayest thing I have ever heard. Your 7-08 is perfect for pennsylvania whitetails. You could use any bullet weight from 120 to 160 and be good. If you want to up the performance of your rifle go with the hornady light mag or use some premium bullets like the barnes tsx, nosler etip, or some of the bonded offerings. I have heard that the federal fusion rounds are great bang for the buck.

If you reload then all the better. Pick a good bullet and go.
 
Your friends dont know what they are talking about.
I dont own a 7-08, but I know darn well that its big enough to kill any deer ive ever seen.

Deer are not armor plated,at least not around here anyway.
I think yours will be just dandy (youve already proven that!!!)
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they just fell into the bigger is better, must have been reading a hunting mag or watching some outdoor channel LOL.
I guess the marketing is working (though nothing wrong with the 30-06 its pretty dang good!)
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Good luck
 
"Good beginners gun but you gotta move up..." just tells me they don't know what they're talking about. If you can't kill deer with a 7mm-08 then you have some problems that a bigger more powerful cartridge isn't going to fix. I never understand that sort of mindset when it comes to cartridge selection. Guys buy their wife or kids a .243 or some such, but they themselves feel the need to have a Wizzum Magnum of some sort ignoring the whole while that the wife and kids just stack the deer dead as a sack of hammers with no trouble from their smaller cartridge. I guess the beginner, wife, or kids just don't know any better...
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Lol thanks for the confirmation everyone. I didn't think it was too small either. I had an exit hole with every deer, so with a bulky deer I will definitely have ample penetration (that's what she said)
 
my friends wife uses a Rem 7mm-08 as here primary huntin gun, i went on a hunt with them and dropped my rifle when i slipped on some ice and ended up using her rifle to kill my bull, it was a small bull, but i lived in PA for a while when i was younger and i never saw one as big as an elk.But if they are now, let me know i want at one
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Fin
 
Not quite! some big boys out there though...my dad hit a buck with his car in the mid 80's that I believe was 290 field dressed. Oh, and was a 26 point
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Nowadays there aren't quite as many mini cows walking around but we know there are some out there
 
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I wouldn't step up to a 30-06, according one a gunshop guy last week the 30 is only good up through antelope (90lbs) and then you need bigger. I'd start looking for a 30000 magnum.



But really if I remember the math right the 7-08 roughly matches a .270 which I call the minimum for elk. My old hunting buddy used 270 130gr on elk, just use the right bullet. I used a 30-06 and a premium bullet, was overkill for any elk I ever shot with it.
 
As others have stated the 7-08 is a very good whitetail deer cartridge.

Actually has some advantages over a 30-06 from the standpoint that it is likely a short action rifle which most most of the time makes for a somewhat lighter and easier to carry all day gun.

If you look at the ballistics of the 7mm bullet compared to the most likely used 30 cal bullets for whitetail in the 30-06 the 7 will be better, which results in flatter shooting, which is good and retains downrange energy better.
 
The 7-08 in my house has taken more game than any rifle I own.
Deer,Cougar,caribo, And even a moose in New Foundland.I was carrying my 300win mag all week and got tired of carrying it so I switched to my 7-08 for the last few days of hunting and got my moose with it.But I think bullet placement was a big factor all I could see was his head and horns and when he turned around to walk away I put one between his ears (80yds)DRT.
But I am a fan of bigger is better so just watch your yardage because of loss Foot Pounds.
New Foundland had a limit on Foot Pounds for guns that can be used for big game.
 
I have 3 7mm-08's have been using this caliber since 1984.
taken many deer and never ever felt i needed more.
2 deer i had to shoot left handed from a treestand.try that with a magnum.Ihave also shot deer with a 22-250. its all about bullet placememt
 
That's exactly why I personally hate 30-06's. THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THEM! A 222 or 223 is a "beginner" gun. A 7mm-08 is about perfect for Pa deer. Ask him if a 270 is a "beginner" gun. Then tell "inform" him that a 270 is smaller than your 08. Rediculous comment to make. If you like your 7mm-08 then keep it. If you want an excuse to get another gun on the other hand PM me and I'll delete this post incase your wife reads it. Just don't get a 30-06, if you want to "up grade" I'd go with the 300 win mag or 300 wsm. Then you can tell you're buddy HE needs to up grade.
 
Those guys sound like the ones that need the biggest of everything. You know what they say, The bigger the truck/boat the smaller the dingus.
 


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