7mm08for elk

I am looking for a cartridge for my daughter, who is a big 12yr old, to shoot elk. I was recommended the 7mm08, a necked down 308, as a possible cartridge. My buddies all shoot 308s and have gotten many elk with them, with rarely a missed opportunity. I shoot a 270 and have done well with it. So, my question is, how is the kick on this round? I like the idea that it is shooting a slightly smaller bullet, as I think that a small bullet moving fast gives a lot of hydraulic shock, as long as it stays together. It might drop a wee bit less than the 308, which would be nice because where we hunt you usually have fairly long shots. TIA Mitch

I'd try your daughter out with a .308 or your .270. Put a GOOD recoil pad on it and let her shoot it. She might surprise you.

The 7mm08 might be all right, but I'd question it at 'fairly long shots'. Bullet placement would have to be exactly right with a lighter bullet and most 12 year olds don't have that kind of experience or ability.

It seems to me that a 7mm-08 should be between the .270 and .308. At .284' dia. and up to 175gr. weight. Load it up with a good 160gr. bullet and the elk won't know the difference.

Bill Van Houten (USA Ret)

Thermopylae had it's messenger of defeat, COME AND GET THEM ! The Alamo had none.

The recoil should be about identical to your 270...the 7mm08 is a bit more efficient though. If you are shooting further than a .308 will handle, you probably have picked the wrong cartridge though. Another cartridge to consider that will have a little more reach would be the .280 Remington.

I've hunted deer with the 7-08 and the .308. The 7 with a 140 gr. bullet does kick less. The 140gr. Nosler partition shoots clean through deer and puts them down very fast. Federal makes a good factory load with the Nosler Par. If you handload you can go with the 150gr. Nosler Par. for Elk, but it's not necessary.

The bottom line is that the 7 will do the job on elk, if you keep the range to about 200 yards or less and use a Nosler Partition Bullet.

I have two 7mm-08's, both Remingtons, one a Model 7 and one a Mountain rifle. I really, really like them both in their own ways. The 2 inches of extra barrel gets you about 80 fps more in my experience compared to the Model 7 but the M7 is one great little rifle.

I've only kiled deer with the round. My deer round is with a 150-gn Partition, which would be my bullet of choice with elk too, so maybe my experience has a little bearing on your question. Of the 4 deer I've killed with the round, the bullet exited the far side with LOTS of poop left, at least from the looks of the exit wounds! In one case, it was an angling shot and passed through a lot of deer; the others were broadside.

I hunt elk with a 30-06, but I bring my 7mm-08 MR (with 150-gn Partition handloads) as a backup, and I would use it if for example I talked my brother into going elk hunting with me. I'd give him the '06 so he had a little margin and I'd shoot the 7mm-08 and not worry too much. I'd limit myself to 250 yards MAX and broaside or nearly broadside angles though. That is more or less true with the 30-06 as well.

Having said all that, I'd probably prefer that one of them was a .308, just so it'd be a better elk rifle! At this point I know both of these rifles too well (and both are great shooters, the M7 after much effort and the MR out of the box) to sell them, but if I was starting over I'd get one of them in .308. It is undeniably a better elk cartridge.

Recoil is not bad, substantially less than 30-06 and probably less than .308.

Think hard about just getting a .308 for her IF it's mainly an elk rifle. For deer with the occasional elk trip... hmmm... a toss-up.

-jeff

I have not handloaded for years and never a 7mm. However, it might be worthwhile to consider a 7x57 if someone can reload for you. Though underloaded in factory form the powder capacity is there for 7mm/08 performance (and a bit better) and it will probably allow heavier bullets to load without intruding on the powder capacity of the case.

I bought my 8 year old son a Ruger 7mm08 last year. Stainless, bolt action, composite stock. 28 inches in length. My 13 year old son also shoots a 7mm08 BLR. If the recoil is a problem just have a muzzle tamer installed. A well placed shot with this rifle at 100 yds should do the trick.

For practical purposes I would consider the 7mm-08 and the .308 (and the .280, .270, 30-06) to be pretty much the same. The next real step up would be a magnum, belted or otherwise. I'd say try her out on the .270, or buy her the rifle of her choice on one of the above calibres and be done with it. I'll vote 308.