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  #1  
Old 12-25-2011, 08:15 AM
oldman45 oldman45 is offline
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Can someone here please explain the difference between a 7mm mag and a 7mm-08?

I like the 7mm mag and it is my Go To gun when I want todo some serious hunting. Lately I have been hearing mentioning of the 7mm-08. Are the rounds interchangeable in rifles? Which is the better round for flat land shooting in the 100-200 yard range?
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Old 12-25-2011, 08:30 AM
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Can someone here please explain the difference between a 7mm mag and a 7mm-08?

I like the 7mm mag and it is my Go To gun when I want todo some serious hunting. Lately I have been hearing mentioning of the 7mm-08. Are the rounds interchangeable in rifles? Which is the better round for flat land shooting in the 100-200 yard range?

The 7mm-08 is a .308 case necked down to take a 7mm (.284) diameter bullet. So, no it isn't even close to being interchangeable with the 7mm Rem. Magnum or the 7mm Weatherby magnum, or any other 7mm round. For shooting at 100-200 yards the 7mm-08 will work for anything you are likely to encounter in Louisiana. And it will have less recoil than whatever 7mm magnum caliber you have. The downside is that unless you load your own ammo you will be very limited in the selection of ammo and bullet weights with the 7mm-08.
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Old 12-25-2011, 10:08 AM
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Thanks. Now I have a better understanding of the two.

One more question. Is either one better than the other or is there any really noticible difference?

My reason for asking is a neighbor has a 7mm-08 and is needing to get rid of it. The gun looks like new, has a decent scope on it and his price is sort of right for the gun. I already have rifles in other calibers but until very recently I did not know they made a 7mm-08
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Old 12-25-2011, 10:19 AM
Joe Kent Joe Kent is offline
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Two entirely different rds. other than the fact they shoot the same diameter bullets. I have and use both but for different things. If I were to buy a new rifle today, I would probably skip the sevens and go to the 6.5's. Better bullet bc's and still capable of getting the job done , whether hunting or target shooting. In fact I am adding a 6.5 Creedmore to the battery in the near future and perhaps a 6.5/284 after that even tho it's a barrel burner.
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Old 12-25-2011, 10:23 AM
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Two entirely different rds. other than the fact they shoot the same diameter bullets. I have and use both but for different things. If I were to buy a new rifle today, I would probably skip the sevens and go to the 6.5's. Better bullet bc's and still capable of getting the job done , whether hunting or target shooting. In fact I am adding a 6.5 Creedmore to the battery in the near future and perhaps a 6.5/284 after that even tho it's a barrel burner.
I am too old to hunt much and getting a deer on my farm is not even a challenge. My tastes run deeper into handguns and most guns in my collection are handguns. I have rifles of assorted calibers but not a 7mm-08. If it were not for the quality of the neighbor's rifle and the fact he is a pastor of a local church, I would not even consider buying it and doing so is only to add to the collection. The price is also very right.
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Old 12-25-2011, 10:53 AM
mtelkhntr mtelkhntr is offline
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I have both the 7mag and the 7mm-08 and as mentioned, they're two entirely different animals. My first 7mm was the Mag. and I used it for deer, antelope and especially elk. As a one gun battery it worked quite well. Later after I got married and my new bride wanted to hunt, I bought a Rem 788 in 7mm-08 for her which is a lot smaller, doesn't have near the recoil and hence, not nearly the downrange performance of the 7mag. BUT, for deer and antelope, it is a marvelous cartridge. She never shot an elk with it but I'm sure under the right circumstances that wouldn't have been an issue.

Our daughters both grew up hunting and the 7mm-08 was their starter rifle. They've since migrated to others but I can't imagine a more compatible cartridge for beginners or those that can't tolerate a lot of recoil. If I were in your position, I'd pick it up. Once you have it, you'll find a use for it. i.e. take one of the young people from your church deer hunting. What a better accomplishment then introducing someone new to a great sport.

Regards
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Old 12-25-2011, 11:01 AM
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I'd pounce on it! The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge and exceptionally accurate, you will not regret it.

The 7mm-08 was originally the darling of the high power silhouette rifle crowd as the ballistics of the .284 bullet was a bit flatter than the then king the .308 Winchester.

Let us know how it turned out.

Randy
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Old 12-25-2011, 11:43 AM
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What rifle is the 7mm-08? Mine is a Howa 1500 that I got in a trade. Haven't shot anything live with it, but my DIL used it when it was hers to kill a buck very neatly at about 80 yards. Remington factory 140 grain Core-Lokt bullet, I think.

I believe that Federal and others offer it with optional 140 grain Nosler Partition bullets. I'd happily tackle an elk with that. Many moose are taken with lesser calibers.

It's hotter than the classic 7X57mm, and that round has killed elephants! It's also a standard for deerstalking in Scotland.

It should shoot plenty flat for most pronghorn hunting, too. It won't have the range of your 7mm Magnum, but most game is killed well withn 300 yards, anyway. The 7mm-08 doesn't kick like your Magnum, and the barrels last longer.

If the rifle is a good one, I think you'll like it. But unless you handload, it's primarily a medium game round intended to be used within 400 yards or so. As such, it has an excellent reputation.

Last edited by Texas Star; 12-25-2011 at 11:46 AM.
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Old 12-25-2011, 11:46 AM
oldman45 oldman45 is offline
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I'd pounce on it! The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge and exceptionally accurate, you will not regret it.

The 7mm-08 was originally the darling of the high power silhouette rifle crowd as the ballistics of the .284 bullet was a bit flatter than the then king the .308 Winchester.

Let us know how it turned out.

Randy
Randy, I am going to take it, moreso as an investment than a shooter. It is a Browning X-bolt with a Monte Carlo wooden stock and a Bushnell Elite 4200 series 2.5-10x. He says it has only been fired less than 20 times and on maybe a dozen hunts. He wanted me to give him $750 for it. I think that is fair for a gun of that quality and condition. I already have Browning Gold Medallions in 7mm mag and .270.

I have been unable to make up my mind as to buy it or not but those here are speaking highly of it so I will bite the bullet so to speak and buy it. Anyway, if I do not, the preacher's boss may hit me with lightning or something.
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  #10  
Old 12-25-2011, 01:22 PM
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The 7mm-08 Remington is my all around gun. The cartridge is a necked down .308. The 7mm-08 develops more energy, is more accurate, with a flatter trajectory and less recoil than the .308 or 7mm magnum. Loaded with a 100 to 120 GR bullet, it’s great for varmints and loaded with a 140 up to 175 GR bullet it will take medium to big game including elk and bear.

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Old 12-25-2011, 07:23 PM
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The 7mm-08 Remington is my all around gun. The cartridge is a necked down .308. The 7mm-08 develops more energy, is more accurate, with a flatter trajectory and less recoil than the .308 or 7mm magnum. Loaded with a 100 to 120 GR bullet, it’s great for varmints and loaded with a 140 up to 175 GR bullet it will take medium to big game including elk and bear.

Kelly-

What kind of rifle is that? Looks sort of like a Sako, but not. I haven't kept up with their later models. The scope looks pretty big for the rifle. Do you do a lot of varmnt hunting with it? I can see why you might favor the caliber over the 6mm's, if you shoot many coyotes. But it seems overkill on most smaller vermin.

Last edited by Texas Star; 12-25-2011 at 07:26 PM.
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Old 12-25-2011, 09:13 PM
GatorFarmer GatorFarmer is offline
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I see people posting offers of wanting to sell or trade relatively expensive hunting rifles regularly. They tend to sit and the postings get recycled over and over until the seller either gives up or takes it to the pawn shop. The hunting rifle market has taken on aspects of the new truck market - shiny and new is what people want every couple of years.

There ends up being two chunks of the market. The people who buy nice rifles periodically and want something new, and then the people who have inexpensive rifles (and sometimes sell them back to the pawn shop after deer season).

The current economy has also created a bit of a contraction in calibers that are easy to sell. While some magnum offerings still raise eyebrows, in many parts of the country trying to find a buyer for any chambering not seen regularly at Walmart can be a bit of a problem. Witness having to ask "What is a 7mm-08" when the 7mm-08 is a comparatively well known and accepted caliber. That suggests in a given part of the country, other people would have the same question and the gun would sit.

The Browning in question is likely an adequate rifle in an adequate medium bore caliber. (I used to have a 7mm-08 chambered Remington Model Seven. I'd gotten a lot of the ammo cheap so bought a rifle thus chambered.) It would not be what I'd think of an investment. Unless one is already set up to reload a given caliber (and sometimes even then) hunting rifles tend to be a bit pricey to feed which limits the "fun" shooting factor. Meanwhile they usually aren't accurate enough to satisfy those looking for that extra edge in theoretical paper punching groupdom.
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Old 12-25-2011, 09:37 PM
oldman45 oldman45 is offline
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[QUOTE=GatorFarmer;136257524The Browning in question is likely an adequate rifle in an adequate medium bore caliber. (I used to have a 7mm-08 chambered Remington Model Seven. I'd gotten a lot of the ammo cheap so bought a rifle thus chambered.) It would not be what I'd think of an investment. [/QUOTE]

In this case, I am not into reloading but rather catering to buying the nicer guns than found at WalMart, Target or Joe's Gun Shop. If I can get them at a decent price, I will do so and then one day possibly sell them for a profit. If I pay $500 for a gun, I can usually get $800 or more for it. To me, that is an investment.

Most all my guns are investments. If I put $100K into a IRA, then I have to pay tax on it when I take the money out. There are also risks in having an IRA.

If I put the same amount into guns, being careful to purchase what will sell, I can pretty much figure I will double my money, there will be no taxes to pay on the profit and there is always a demand for firearms.

Back 20 yrs ago, I would be using some of my guns to hunt with but at my age, the hunt is not as enticing. A person can only shoot so many animals before they tire of it. So, other than a handfull of guns, my guns will one day be for sale, just likely by my heirs.
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Old 12-25-2011, 11:10 PM
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Kelly-

What kind of rifle is that? Looks sort of like a Sako, but not. I haven't kept up with their later models. The scope looks pretty big for the rifle. Do you do a lot of varmnt hunting with it? I can see why you might favor the caliber over the 6mm's, if you shoot many coyotes. But it seems overkill on most smaller vermin.
Texas Star
The rifle is an older model Finnish Tikka. The scope is a Barska 6.5 x 20 variable set in high rings. I have used it to hunt wolves, coyotes, bobcat, wild boar and deer. The longest kill shot I have made with this rifle was a wolf at 300+ yards.
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Old 12-26-2011, 01:28 AM
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If I put the same amount into guns, being careful to purchase what will sell, I can pretty much figure I will double my money, there will be no taxes to pay on the profit and there is always a demand for firearms.

Back 20 yrs ago, I would be using some of my guns to hunt with but at my age, the hunt is not as enticing. A person can only shoot so many animals before they tire of it. So, other than a handfull of guns, my guns will one day be for sale, just likely by my heirs.
I understand the logic. I suppose to be more precise, I wouldn't consider a Browning 7mm-08 to be a "good" investment in so far as guns go. Resale value isn't great, and at best it might keep up with inflation - hence my initial statement about what I've observed regarding the market for hunting rifles.

A Browning hunting rifle isn't going to hold its value, or appreciate in value, the way something like a historic firearm or even limited production modern item (Colt 1911 for example) will. Not many people collect random hunting rifles, and while I'm sure that some people collect Brownings, it would help to have a rare variant if you hoped to turn it over for a profit one day.
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Old 12-26-2011, 02:19 AM
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I understand the logic. I suppose to be more precise, I wouldn't consider a Browning 7mm-08 to be a "good" investment in so far as guns go. Resale value isn't great, and at best it might keep up with inflation - hence my initial statement about what I've observed regarding the market for hunting rifles.

A Browning hunting rifle isn't going to hold its value, or appreciate in value, the way something like a historic firearm or even limited production modern item (Colt 1911 for example) will. Not many people collect random hunting rifles, and while I'm sure that some people collect Brownings, it would help to have a rare variant if you hoped to turn it over for a profit one day.
A Browning is only a good investment if it is an older FN gun in great condition. A modern Browning hunting rifle is one of the worst investments out there. Buy it to use forever or expect to lose $ when it is sold. I buy, sell and trade guns for a living and believe me i learned the hard way just how hard these guns are to move and how little of their value they retain.
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Old 12-26-2011, 07:02 AM
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I am not a gun dealer. I do not look at paying a lot for a gun that I am not going to use. When I buy a gun, I consider it much like buying a house. Pay less than the going market, hold on to it until natural inflation brings the price of new ones up and then sell the old one at a fair profit.

Giving the preacher $750 for the gun means the scope is worth half what I give for the gun. An upper end Browning is going to be more difficult to locate in the future and the Browning gun of the future will cost more than today. Saying I get $150 profit out of the gun in two years, I have done a lot better than I would have in the stock market and did not have to pay taxes on it, nor have any overhead expenses.

Now for a real world experience. I bought a Model 25-5 in unfired condition from a man a few yrs back. Gave him $175 for it. I just turned down $650 for it. Had I taken the latest offer, I would have quadrupled my money in less than five years. I bought a .270 Sako with the nice stock and scope for $500 from a relative needing quick cash in 2009 at the end of deer season. I sold it for $900 this year just before the season began.

I might not make much money on a gun or I may do well but I am not in the gun selling business. I enjoy having the guns and if I decide to sell one or all, I figure I will make a profit. It is sort of like buying a new Model 36 in 1974 for $137. The new models today is a lot more than that so I will let the market make me money as the new prices go up or the model goes out of production. If I were a dealer, I would not be making any money.
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Old 12-26-2011, 08:05 PM
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I have a Browning A bolt in 7mm-08 . Kahles scope all in all a nice accurate deer rifle . Only drawback in my mind is it feeds from a clip so I can't seat heavier bullets out . With H4350 & Horn 139 SP it's a perfect deer rifle . Most of the time I'll let one of the grandkids or ladies use it . Recoil is very soft & it's a sub MOA rifle .
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Old 12-26-2011, 08:51 PM
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Texas Star
The rifle is an older model Finnish Tikka. The scope is a Barska 6.5 x 20 variable set in high rings. I have used it to hunt wolves, coyotes, bobcat, wild boar and deer. The longest kill shot I have made with this rifle was a wolf at 300+ yards.
Kelly-

Thanks. Tikka was my next guess. I've read that they're nice rifles.
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Old 12-26-2011, 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Kelly Green View Post
The 7mm-08 Remington is my all around gun. The cartridge is a necked down .308. The 7mm-08 develops more energy, is more accurate, with a flatter trajectory and less recoil than the .308 or 7mm magnum.
I was a little taken aback by the claim that the -08 is a flatter round than the Mag, so I checked my Winchester ballistics app. Loading both with 140gr Ballistic Silvertips, scopes zeroed at 200 yrds and checking terminal ballistics at 400 yds:

7mm-08
23.1" drop, 2,030 fps, 1,281 ft-lbs

7mm Mag
17.8" drop, 2,315 fps , 1,666 ft-lbs

While the 7mm-08 is an excellent ctg, the 7mm Mag is 5.3" flatter, delivers 15% more velocity and 30% more energy. It also experiences 3" less wind drift for a 15 mph cross wind (simply because it arrives 0.1 sec faster).

Comparing the -08 140gr to the .308 150gr silvertips (my app does not have 140 gr rounds for the .308), the .308 is 1" flatter even with the heavier bullet, delivers identical velocity and 7% more energy. Since terminal knock-down (TKO) is a function of velocity, mass and bullet diameter, the .308 also delivers 16% more TKO (25.8 v. 30.0, allowing for 50% expansion).
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Old 12-27-2011, 12:45 AM
amazingflapjack amazingflapjack is offline
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I remember a bunch that were opening pretty hefty office safes with a 7mm Mag and some kind of armored rounds years ago in South Florida. The thing really tore them up-5-6 inch walls. An 08 would just bounce off after making a dent, that's the diff. Flapjack. P.S. Oldman-I thought you were gonn' tell us that the deer were 600 pounders and wore body armore. I'll bet you didn't even have to dress the ones you shot!
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Old 12-27-2011, 07:11 AM
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. P.S. Oldman-I thought you were gonn' tell us that the deer were 600 pounders and wore body armore. I'll bet you didn't even have to dress the ones you shot!
Nope, the deer around here wear camo so they are difficult to see. No, I do not dress deer. They have to do that themselves.
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