# Need the right caliber...



## redkiller99 (Feb 28, 2013)

I've decided that I'm gonna buy a new rifle. What I want is a short action bolt action in either the 7mm-08, or .308. I do know that they are similar but i like the size of the 7mm-08 more due to it shooting a little flatter and a little more accurate than the .308. This is just my opinion, I've never shot either one of these guns but I've read online about them. One problem I've seen is that there seems to be a lack of the 7mm-08s ammunition in the stores and variety and they are more expensive than the 308s. I hunt mostly for deer and hogs in the Floresvile area so I'll b shooting within 200 yards most definitely and I don't hunt from a blind, I usually track and stalk (this is why I want a short action). I want to know you guys opinions on what is better for me based on price of ammo and availability, plus the effectiveness in my given conditions. Any recommendations are appreciated and I would also like to know what kind of fun you guys recommend. I do like the Savages and the Winchesters, but I'd take any suggestions...thanks in advance.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

You answered the question in sentence number four. Buy one of each to be safe. Plenty of chit chat on 7-08 in this forum.


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## Jawbreaker (Feb 20, 2007)

Not an expert here by any means,but either chambering you mentioned will do almost any thing asked of it at 200 yards or less.I'm just guessing that there is more ammunition to be found in .308 due to its popularity.Bolt action rifles seem to be more accurate than autoloaders or pump action.If it was me,i would be happy with a .308 Remington 700.


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## CHunter (May 25, 2004)

Accuracy will depend on the rifle and the shooter, not so much the cartridge.

As you mentioned, the 7mm-08 will shoot flatter but yes, the ammo is harder to find.

If you reload, then you have a great selection of bullets and you can run 308 cases through the resizing die, trim them and you have a almost endless supply of brass.

One of the best rifles IMO for short action calibers is the Remington Model 7

Short barrel, short action and light. Great for blinds, vehicles and walking through thick brush yet with a cartridge capable of great range and power

Smart choice


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Sorry, sentence five. A friend of mine won a Model 7 in a raffle recently. He brought it over with a Redfield Revenge scope and mounted in my shop. Death in a plain brown wrapper. I should say black wrapper.


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## sixshootertexan (Nov 27, 2006)

The wife and son love the Model 7 they have in .243. I would go for the .308. The flatter shooting 7mm you want see the difference in only shooting to 200yds.


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## redkiller99 (Feb 28, 2013)

Thank you for all the replies...I think I'm kinda leaning towards the .308 for practical reasons. And I really need a good suggestion on a rifle to buy now. I want to keep the gun under $700 so I'll still have some money for a scope. Any recommendations? P.s. I would consider lightly used.


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## txbred (May 13, 2013)

u can get a Rem 700 SPS Tactical in 308 Win for under $700. great gun and surprisingly accurate for the cost. I shot a 1/2" group @ 100 the day i sighted mine in (out of the box) with Hornady 168 BTHP.


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## redkiller99 (Feb 28, 2013)

Sorry..I forgot to mention that I'd rather have a wood stock gun. But thank you for responding


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## topwateraddict (Mar 5, 2008)

*308*

For what you want to spend and what you will be using it for (spot and stalk) I would look at the tikka t3 lite. Great shooting rifle out of the box and comes with a really nice trigger compared to other stock triggers of other manufactures (i.e xmark trigger).


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## Longshot270 (Aug 5, 2011)

Cabela's has Remington 700s for $480 out the door right now. A friend got a .223 but they had a few .308s with the same price tag. Get that and a Boyd's featherweight stock and you are still in your price range with a very good looking rifle.


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## redkiller99 (Feb 28, 2013)

How does the Winchester model 70 featherweight look? They have it for $800 at Cabelas. I really like the look of this rifle. And the weight. Any reviews?


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

I went with a Thompson Venture in 308 with a Nikon 4-16, I have NO complaints...


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## BradV (Jun 27, 2012)

Within 200 yards the drop difference is negligible. Zeroed at 100 yards you may see no more than 1" difference at 200 yards with typical ammo. Accuracy wise from a factory rifle you will likely not see any difference either. If you aren't handloading I would probably go for a .308 as you have many more choices of factory ammunition. The Tikka T3 mentioned earlier would be an excellent choice to look at.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Get the rifle and caliber you want.

Buy ammo online such as www.midwayusa.com. You will find what you are looking for.

Eight different loads are currently in stock for 7mm-08
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortb...&statuses=Available&statuses=Closeout Special

When you find what shoots best then buy a five year to ten year supply of that ammo -around 10 boxes. 200 rounds is a lot of hunting ammo.

Store it in a .50BMG ammo can in an air conditioned closet and it will be good for many years.

Then only restock when on sale or using discount coupons.


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## DCAVA (Aug 5, 2013)

I bought a bolt action Savage model 110 in wood stock, chambered in 7mm 08 prolly 25 years ago, topped it with a Simmons Deerfield 3-9x40 scope and it is a mean shootin' machine that I still use every year. The old school Simmons optics are far superior to what they are producing now, I have the same scope, purchased around the same times, on three rifles and once zeroed, have not been moved since; prolly 20+ years or so. 

I shoot Remmy core-lokt 140 grain PSP thru the 7/08; this ammo is devastating on deer/hog size game and readily available @ Academy, wally world and Bass Pro. 

Big time drop on the .308; not a bad caliber, but the 7-08 is the right choice IMHO....


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## THE JAMMER (Aug 1, 2005)

_7mm-08 shoots flatter and a bit more accurate than 308????_

I am one of the biggest proponents of the 7mm-08 on this forum, but man you might want to check that out. Make sure you are comparing using the same weight and BC bullet. I think you might be hard pressed to prove the 7mm-08 is more accurate than a 308.

don't have time right now to get into the tables but 7mm-08 flatter than 308 with same weight bullet?? I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED.


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## DCAVA (Aug 5, 2013)

THE JAMMER said:


> _7mm-08 shoots flatter and a bit more accurate than 308????_
> 
> I am one of the biggest proponents of the 7mm-08 on this forum, but man you might want to check that out. Make sure you are comparing using the same weight and BC bullet. I think you might be hard pressed to prove the 7mm-08 is more accurate than a 308.
> 
> don't have time right now to get into the tables but 7mm-08 flatter than 308 with same weight bullet?? I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED.


Have at it Jammer, I would be interested to see the tables w/out having to dig for them on the interwebz...lol


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## Superman70 (Aug 13, 2014)

For a stalking rifle I would look at a etc encore. I just bought one for my father in law. The way the rifles are built you can get a 24 inch barrel for full ballistic performance and still have a very short and well balanced rifle. The weather shied model that I bought him was 868 dollars with a 3x9x40 Nikon pro staff and scope mounts. They have easily adjusted triggers and offer plenty of future options. We love them. I have one in 243 that gets lot of use because it is handy for a walking coyote rifle and easy to maneuver in a deer blind. 


That's saying a lot because I have about 20 to choose from.


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## Superman70 (Aug 13, 2014)

That featherweight is a good gun. I have a 270. It kicks a little bit because of the weight and I had to do some work with the dremel to get my barrel fully floated. Those are only minor issues to me and it may be the most attractive moderately priced rifle ever built. I rarely ever get mine out of the safe but those classic lines make it a keeper if it didn't shoot at all.


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## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

You'll love the .308 - I have 6 of them. I have an old Winchester 88 that was dead on zero year after year and I have made 150 yard head shots with it. I have used my AR-10 this year and have dropped 4 hogs and a cull - none took a single step. My grandson shot 2 does this week with my old Interarms .308 - one was a quartering lung shot and the other was a head shot and both dropped like a rock. The .308 is a versatile round with a lot of load choices and accuracy is as good as the rifle and shooter. I don't have a Model 70 Featherweight in .308 but do have one in 25WSSM and love the gun. Short and light and easy to handle in the stand. Wouldn't mind having one in .308 but I am taking a liking to the AR.


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## Jack's Pocket (Jul 16, 2014)

I own both the 308 and 7-08 prefer the 7-08 myself
but I reload. Very rarely shoot either except for hunts to Central
Texas or out of state. 
Prefer the lever action for working on hogs in East Texas
The 45-70 is nice in if you make contact he is laying there.
That creates the problem of me having to haul him off.
Favorite is the 32-40 rolls them and with mild recoil I get multiple targets.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

This is a good thread with a lot of agreement that 7MM-08 and .308 are top shelf cals.I have a .308,my most-est favorite rifle of all,and always wanted an 7-08,but never needed it with the .308 always preforming better than I can.You outta have fun picking out the rifle you want.Every gun mentioned would be a dandy in my opinion.


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## Bharvey (Mar 24, 2013)

I own a .308 and have shot both calibers. The reason I went with the .308 is similar to the reason some people choose a .40 or .45 over a 9mm. It may be a slower round, but when something's hit with it, it knows it's hit. (Of course I'm leaving out the topic of shot placement: I carry a 9mm lol) 

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Weatherby as a gun choice. I own a Ruger M77 Hawkeye .270 and given Ruger's notorious reputation for bad accuracy, mine drive's tacks. My .308, however, is a Weatherby in synthetic stock and you can get them for under $700. There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of the previous makes that have been stated, but my PERSONAL opinion is that Weatherby makes some of the most accurate and cost effective rifles off the shelf. They guarantee MOA grouping on some of their models and sub-MOA on other models. I have a Weatherby S-2 and it guarantees sub-MOA at 100yds; which it does do. I have an uncle that has a Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm-08 and he loves it. I will say this though, his antelope ran a lot further than mine...lol


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## redkiller99 (Feb 28, 2013)

Me and my buddy were just looking online and we found a website called Boyd's that makes custom wood stocks. For maybe $250 I could get the one I want in the right fittings for the rifle I will buy. Now, the problem isn't about the wood or synthetic...I just want to know what the best hunting rifle is that I can find for around $600... I'd honestly prefer synthetic now because the wood will only add to the cost. Plus I'll have an extra all weather stock for backup. I just need to know what rifle has the best accuracy, and the best craftsmanship for the price, something that has more money put in the metal than the stock. I think I like the stainless barrels a little more just for the weather resistance and the overall look of the gun, but blued will honestly work just as good for me. I just need an idea because if everything works out the right way with the stainless barrel, I will get the wood that complements it well along with a stainless scope...I really want this to be a one of a kind rifle that I will have for a long time that is really unique...


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Have you looked at Howa? they used to sell barrelled actions for very reasonable price. That was about five years ago. I don't know if they are still marketing barrelled action or not. 
You can add Boyd's wood stock to it and still stay under $600. 
Interarms used to market Howa and also Interarms Mark X Mauser barrelled actions made in Yugo. They were very good basis for custom wood stock rifles.


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## Dukdogtx (Jul 30, 2009)

Superman70 said:


> That featherweight is a good gun. I have a 270. It kicks a little bit because of the weight and I had to do some work with the dremel to get my barrel fully floated. Those are only minor issues to me and it may be the most attractive moderately priced rifle ever built. I rarely ever get mine out of the safe but those classic lines make it a keeper if it didn't shoot at all.


X2!!!
Just bought a beautiful new Winchester model 70 featherweight in 25-06 and put a 4-12x40 Nikon Prostaff on it. Gun and scope cost me under $950. Great deal thru GunBrokers.com.


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

I had an old Model 7 / 7mm-08 that I sold about ten years ago when I thought I had "too many" short action rifles. I missed it so much, within a couple of years, I bought another just like it.

My personal preference would be if I wanted to shoot heavier than 150g bullet, I'd go .308. < 150g, I like the 7mm-08. Not that you can't shoot heavier/lighter with either, just my preference.


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## Dukdogtx (Jul 30, 2009)

Wolf, I have a Winchester .308 already. I'm excited to shoot


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