7mm/08 for Plains Game? Good or Bad?

[JG26Irish_2]

I found a similar issue with my 7-08 Rem Model 7. The throat was plenty long enough for any bullet I would want to use in it, but the magazine box is too short to allow the heavier bullets to be seated out to where I would want them. I'd actually like to seat the 140 grain bullets further out too but again the box is too short. It works well as a deer rifle though.

Thx for the kind input. And all of you for not simply asking me if I am f##kin stupid, lol. My rifle has space in the magazine to use longer than std OAL ammo but I cannot say about the throat. Still, I have no plans to reload for this rifle. The two reasons for reloading are improving my accuracy and saving $ on volume ammo that is used a lot. I reload for 45acp, 223 and 308 and nothing else. I recently got the gear to add 243 but have not used it. The 7mm/08 I have is extraordinarily accurate and shoots sub 1/2 moa at 100y with some ammo and a good bit better than 1 moa with every load, I have tried so far. And that is with a low power 1-8 LPVO. Accurate enough for hunting. And I will not be using it for anything but hunting and would be hard pressed to burn thru 2 boxes of shells in 10yrs. So, volume ammo savings is not in the cards.

Many are quick to say, "But, African game is much tougher than North American big game". I would beg to differ. African game is different and got its reputation for toughness from the fact that most have their vitals tucked away lower and between the shoulders and ignorant American hunters who shot them behind the shoulder often saw them sprint away as if never hit forcing a long stalk or lost game. Others shot them in the correct spot only to have their tried and true old school cup and core bullets fragment on the heavy shoulder bones and fail to penetrate deep enough.

With exception of the Wildebeest and one or two others, most African PG will quickly succumb to a well placed shot from a heavy for caliber bonded, A-Frame or monolithic (TSX, etc). Now Wildebeest are tough but likely not much more tough than a Moose or Bighorn Sheep. This is based on both my personal experiences and candid discussions with my PH's over large quantities of Bourbon. Just saying. I had wanted to bring my 243 for Free State and my PH said I would have no trouble killing Springbok or even Black Wildebeest with it using the 80g or 90g Barnes or bonded ammo. But the owner of the reserve we will be hunting in Free State asks that nothing smaller than a 270 be used.

The 308 is almost a required carry for PG by native African hunters and PH's. It is well known due to Military use of the FN FAL for decades and universally available in Western aligned nations. Ballistically, I am not seeing much difference in a 150g 308 vs a 7mm/08 in 150g. The 308 would be better for taking the larger PG such as Kudu, Zebra, Waterbuck, etc with a 165g or 180g, but this can be offset in the 7mm by using a Barnes TSX to penetrate deeper. I still like the idea of using the bigger, faster cartridges when I can. For that reason alone, I am still investigating getting a larger hard gun case and taking the 7mm Mag. I can also shorten the Mag rifle by about 1.5" by removal of the muzzle break and screwing on the thread protector for travel. Pics of my 7mm/08 resting on or near my Toy-Yoda hunting truck/Jeep Recovery Vehicle, lol.

 

[TWB Hunter]

Who on our forum has used the 7mm/08 in Africa? or for large game (Elk, Deer, Moose) in North America? How did it perform? What bullets did you use? and would you recommend it for African plains game up to and including Kudu, Black WB or Zebra (I will have a 375 available for anything too big). I have two identical rifles that both shoot very well and recoil is not a consideration. One is in 7mm Mag and the Other in 7mm/08. At the range recently, I found the 7mm/08 to be surprisingly accurate with 140 & 150g bullets out to 400y but have zero experience on game with it. The 7mm Mag was ballistically not that much flatter but it was with 160 and 175g bullets. I had planned on taking the 7mm but found that it does not fit well in my hard case and rather than try to stuff it in, I would have to buy a new case if I take it. The 7mm/08 is much shorter, lighter by about 3/4lb and seems to hit the tgts well. I would be using it on Springbok, Blesbok, Kudu, Zebra, Black Wildebeest and Warthog. My concern was with the larger beasts like the Wildebeest or the Zebra and maybe the Kudu. I would be using Barnes 140g TTSX or Swift 150g Scirooco's. Both shoot to same POI out to 400y so can be swapped. Hunting ranges would be from 50y out to about 300y and could go out further in some limited cases. I know the Mag is better but, I am pretty sure the 7mm/08 would do fine but wanted to ask of any collective experiences out there with the 08? Thanks.

View attachment 665356

I purchased a model70 Extreme Weather and placed a ZEISS Conquest 3 x 9 scope on the rig for my wife. Hand loaded Barnes 140 TTSX at 2,900 fps with Big Game powder (see Barnes load data site). She killed Impala, Sable, Blue Wilderbeest and large Zebra Stallion ( at 242 yards) with no problem. I liked the performance to recoil so much that I purchased a 7-08 to hunt with.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

My first trip to Namibia the, outfitter suggested 300 magnums as a minimum. I took my 300 H&H. A 330 Dakota, 2-338 Win Mags, and 2-375 H&H's rounded out the group's rifles.
My second trip to Zambia, buffalo was included, so 404 Jeffery and 375 H&H tagged along.
If I go back again for some plains game, I want to take a 338-06.

I took a .300 Win for.plains game on my last safari. Loaded with 200 grain AccuBonds, nothing took.more than a couple of steps after the shot. I think it would be a better choice than the 7-08 as an all-around plains game.rifle, but to each.his own.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The 7-08 should do a fine job, I might would opt for the 7mm Mag and shoot heavier bullets.
I would want to be 150 yards or closer with the 7-08.

@Bandera
Why?
If the 7x57 is good to 300 then the 7-08 will do the same.
The IP says he is fine to 400 with his set up.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think Mauser sued over the 1903 and the 30-03 cartridge
And won on pation isues
Just ww1 put a halt to it

@Flbt
Mauser sued over infringement on the magazine design from memory not cartridge design. From memory the USA had to pay $20,000 back then.
I could be wrong tho.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My first take with my 7-08 was Winchester factory ammo . Might have been a Hornady projectile of 139 or 140 grain weight. Either way feral pigs did not like it, but I did.

Used a lot of 120gn Nosler BT in it in reloads after that. I used the 7mm-08 a lot from a vehicle so low recoil and quick follow up made it a truck rifle for me.

I had wanted a 7mm-08 and I got a new Tikka CTR on clearance as the 7-08 is not as popular as the common as muck .308 offerings.

I have both but my 7mm-08 excelled in the application I bought it for.

@CBH Australia
What I can't understand is 308 ammo is two thirds the price of 7-08. Why it far more expensive is a mystery to me it's only cheap 08 brass necked down .62mm.
Being I tight arse I would just buy 308 brass and neck it down to save money.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It is great for deer here but I'd go a bit heavier myself. If you do take it please use the Barnes TSX. Shoot the Zebra with your .375. Have a great safari!

@Philip Glass
My sons zebra fell over dead after being hit with outer 140gn edge monos out of his 308. Massive damage and good exit holes. He was dead with the first shot but still standing. A second shot convinced him he was really dead.
At the skinning shed could not tell the difference with my sons and one hit by a 300win mag and 212gn ELDX. Similar amount of damage, same number of shots same result, dead zebra
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thx for the advice. I would shoot Zeb with the bigger gun. They are notoriously tough. I am still on the fence with the 7/08. Others spoke of Ruark tossing one off a cliff. Actually, the 7mm/08 did exist as early as 1958 but only as a custom wildcat build. Did not become a factory load until Robet had passed. But, the rifle Ruark tossed was the 220 swift. It is a glorified varmint rifle and IMO, not well suited for larger game. Plus the bullets of Ruarks era were mostly cup and core type which were bad to frag on tougher, thick skinned game or bone which could lead to lost game or long stalks.

When I think of a 7mm/08, I think it is just a 308 that is slightly necked down and slightly faster than the 308 parent round. One of my buddies loves to Safari with a 308 using 120g loads but he is a little twisted, lol. I love to use it with the 180g pills. Still the 308 with 150g ammo is deadly. So, in my estimation a 7mm/08 loaded with 150g bullets which are sleeker, and have better BC and SD should be at least as effective. Just my opinion.

I like my little 7/08 but have not had the chance to use it on game and would like to do so but this is just not possible at this time of year. Mine likes the 150g ammo but I have not found any heavier and will not gear up to reload a hunting cartridge since I would never shoot volume with it. Please post your experiences with it if you have any. That helps.

@JG26Irish_2
A famous prince( I've forgotten his name) shot game all over the word using a 7x57 Mauser loaded with I think Dominion 140gn soft points and never had a problem.
Stop trying to talk yourself out of taking it.
Load it with some nice bonded 150s or a 160 accubond or sirocco and go have fun.
Shoot straight and put a good bullet in the lungs and you will have a very dead animal. They can't breathe real well with big chunks of lung missing and leaking blood out of two holes. One in and one out.
Bob
Shooters need big guns for medium animals
Hunter use enough gun

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well, since bullet placement is 90% of the formula, it can work, but there are better options. For blesbok, impala, and such, it's certainly just fine. Use good bullets. For zebra, gemsbok, and eland, I'd go with something a little bigger, but only if you shoot it well. I've always thought something starting with a 3 is a better choice for PG. Pick one. .308 Win. .30-06, .300 H&H, .300 Win, .300 Wby, .300 PRC..... The .338s work well too, if you shoot them well.

That said, I'm pretty sure a .243 in the right hands would be far better than a .416 in the hands of someone who is scared of it.

@BryceM
The 243 is no good in anyone's hands.
A 416 in the hands of some who can't use it is about as effective as a 243. USELESS.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Have you actually tried loading heavier bullets?

With talk about throat length and round nose bullets and the reference to it being a ballistic twin of the 7x57 I would be curious to to see how it runs with the old school bullets.

Maybe it needs a faster twist to stabilise.
I had a similar discussion recently regarding my wife’s 7x64 and my .280ai and was told the .280ai will have a shorter throat and probably better suited to the modern sleek bullets and the 7x64 and 7x57 chamber specs were old school and optimised with long round nose cup and core. That’s my summary so to speak.

So, the question is would a 7mm-08 with a long throat and fast twist be a better mousetrap than the 7x57?

I’m like the cartridge. I think it’s capable but how far are you willing to to go to get the best results.

Disclaimer, I used a hire 7mmRm in Africa. If I took a rifle I too would be torn on which of mine would be my best all rounder for the trip.

@CBH Australia
Easy fix mate
You take the 280Ai and you lovely wife can take the 7x64.
Problem solved.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Flbt - Thank you for your inputs. With respect, I would like to offer a couple of suggestions which may or may not be of help with your 7/08. I would do these more or less in this order:

• Try a different ammo source. In my experience, Winchester has gotten a bit sloppy with their factory ammo in recent years and I have not had much luck with it in most calibers. If your are shooting to 2" groups at 100y you are already so handicapped that 300y shots are mostly dependent on luck instead of skill. If you are shooting 1/2" groups at 100y, you have increased your odds exponentially. Not every rifle can do this but it is important to find out early on.
• Borrow a friend's chronograph and check the actual muzzle velocity in your rifle with your chosen ammo. It is rare for the actual MV with your rifle to be as fast as the stated MV on the box. Why? in part the test rifle bbls are often a few inches longer than most production rifles that we buy. This enables marketing minions to truthfully state higher MV numbers than real world results. Plus they often round up the numbers to make them a bit bigger. If you do not test this you are guessing on the actual drop.
• Get a good ballistic app and use it to calculate ballistic drop. Then verify it at the range and record the results and ambient temps at that time.
• Use the verified dope to adjust your ballistic app so it is able to predict your actual drops within an inch or so and use that data when hunting.
• If you do not have one get a laser range finder. They are cheap and accurate now. Use it to train yourself to rapidly estimate distances in various terrain. I am good at this and still struggle to estimate within 40-50y most of the time. I was with an African PH who consistently estimated distance 50y shorter than actuals. And he is a very good trained professional.
• Know that as distance increases the apparent range as perceived by your eyes looks closer than it actually is. Your eye will deceive you unless you train yourself. My point is if you look at targets at 200y and then 300 and 400y, the further the distance the less your eye can perceive the change. 300y and 400y look almost the same where 100 and 200y are clearly different. I think this is due to the distance between your eyes staying the same as the range increases? This makes it very easy to underestimate distance as it increases. This surprises me often when I hunt on open ranges. If I am hunting a fixed hide like with coyotes, I Laser the distance to landmarks all around me at the start before I begin calling or sitting so that I am not surprised.
• Again if not already using one, get a decent FFP optic with a MIL dot reticle or a 2FP scope with same and learn to use it to hold over for longer shots out past 250y. Either will work but the FFP is more effective in the field at various ranges since you can hold over at any magnification and be accurate with 2FP it is only accurate at maximum magnification. Just something to consider.

Armed with this approach, for short shots out to 250y or so, if zeroed at 200y based on my Swift 150g ammo, The 7/08 out of a 22" bbl is 2 in high at 100y, dead on at 200y and 3 in low at 250y. So for any game inside that window it is a fast point and shoot with only minor adjustment in your POA.

At 300y it is 8 in low. My 140g ammo hits to the same POI out to 400y as the 150's. They do fall off fast out past 250y and if you are off in your distance calcs or fail to adjust the ballistic calcs for ambient temps and elevations it is really easy to miss a shot. Usually, if a game animal is out past 300y or so, it is not going to be very aware of you unless you are being careless. Take the time to glass the prey, range the distance and calculate the correct hold over (or dial if you are confident doing so) and then decide if you want to stalk closer or send the shot. I am able to consistently hit a 6" steel plate with my 7/08 at 400y but it is dropping about 23" at that range. It sounds like a lot but with my 1-8x FFP optic, it is an easy 1.6 mil hold over. Without me knowing the actual range to the tgt accurately, I could never hit it even once. I will grant that my rifle is very accurate but even a 1 MOA rifle can do this to a degree.

The pic below is at my 200/300/400y range. I marked the 200y berm on the right, the 300y berm on the left and the 400y berm is in the middle. 100y is not marked but is approximately the little ditch in the foreground. It is deceiving. BTW, I was shooting the steel plates at 400y with my 22lr that day. It is great practice for later using centerfires at ELR's.View attachment 666111

@JG26Irish_2
Our famous big game hunter and writer Nick Harvey always said sight in you big game cartridge to be no more than 4" high at its highest mid point. Then when it falls 4" a the further est point that will give you a petty good range for an 8" kill zone on a centre hold.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well said Sir. On my first Safari the PH advised me not to bring my 270 for use on PG as my smaller rifle of the pair. So, I brought a 308 with 180g bonded bullets. It performed magnificently. But for reasons previously stated in the OP, I have ruled out taking the 308 this time. After hunting with me and observing my approach to marksmanship and performance off of sticks, the same PH said he was OK with me bringing the 270 or my 243 for PG this year. But, the owner of the reserve in Free State where we may have to shoot past 200y requires 270 or larger. In testing my old 270 Mauser for the trip, it just does not like the heavy bullets and was only accurate enough with the lighter 130g ammo which I do not want to rely on for Kudu or Zebra. So, with it out of the picture, I was looking at 30-06, 7mm Mag and most recently the 7mm/08. All are equally accurate and I am not recoil sensitive. But...

To restate a few issues - I like the scopes on the two 7mm's best and I like the shorter, handier nature of the 7mm/08 in the field. It is a sweet rifle. And finally, my 7mm Mag does not fit my hard case as it is about an inch too long. I am waffling back and forth and still have a month or two to decide. Swapping scopes and buying bigger cases are still viable options but none of those change the handy, fast, ease of use of the little 7/08. I like it a lot. I like the 30-06 rifle almost as well. And I like the long ass 7mag the least. Because the bbl is sooooo long. I can make it work but since I have time, I am flirting with the options. I know that pound for pound both the 30-06 and the 7mm Mag are more efficient killers of large game. I still think the 7/08 is as efficient as the 308 or very very close and for me that is good enough. In fact at longer ranges I think it might be better. So far, I have not heard any scary failure stories about the 7mm/08. The old "Use enough gun" adage rings true here. If all of them is enough, then the bigger ones are more than enough. I am estimating that the 7mm/08 is enough for all of my PG list except the Zebra and maybe the Kudu. For Kudu, I plan to use the 375HH since that hunt will not require super long shots. For Zeb I plan the same unless I get a good chance at one in Free State where I might need to go long. Off sticks I am not yet confident with the 375 past 200y. But, I think we can stalk Zebra to within that range if we are careful. Blesbok will be 300y or more and so will Springbok and Blk WB unless we get lucky. Thx for the inputs.

@JG26Irish_2
STOP OVERTHINKING IT.
THE 7-08 WILL BE FINE
If'n the 7mm Mauser will comfortably kill all the animals on your list without fuss or bother so will the 7-08.

If the 7mm mag is to long instead of buying a new gun case get a gunsmith to cut 2" off the barrel. It won't affect its performance.
Easy fix.
As I have said previously put a nice bullet in the heart/ lung area and you will have one very dead animal
Dang the 7x57 has been used successfully on numerous occasions on eland. It may be the lighter end of suggestions but it will still take eland. From memory John Barsness wife took her eland and all her plains game with a 7x57 and later on used the humble 30-06 for the same game.
That's why I limit my medium and big game guns to a fast 25 and the 35 Whelen. Where one finishes the other takes over. No brain strain. Medium to small big the 25, bigger the 35.
My son is even simpler, 308 for everything at home and his pg hunt.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My first trip to Namibia the, outfitter suggested 300 magnums as a minimum. I took my 300 H&H. A 330 Dakota, 2-338 Win Mags, and 2-375 H&H's rounded out the group's rifles.
My second trip to Zambia, buffalo was included, so 404 Jeffery and 375 H&H tagged along.
If I go back again for some plains game, I want to take a 338-06.

@Granygudness
When @Rick HOlbert goes back to Namibia he is taking his 358 Winchester loaded with 225gn Woodleigh RNSP @over 2,500fps and some North fork just in case. They both have the same poi at 100 yard. That thing will lay animals low.
Bob

 

[Lone Star Bluegrass]

What I've grokked about throat length comes from load development for my 9.3x62, which has an exceedingly long throat - the throat in my Zastava and my JP Sauer are nearly the same, Sauer might be about 0.01" shorter, give or take a little.

My understanding is the long throat was necessary for RN bullets, and the official COAL is 3.291. I don't have any RN bullets for it, so IDK for certain. IIRC, Spitzer bullet design was introduced for the 8x50 Labelle (1888 or so), but didn't see wide adoption for a number of years after that. But it's for certain that 7x57 and 9.3x62 were designed for RN bullets.

Moving to 7mm bullets, I'd imagine it's a similar situation for 7mm Mauser vs 7mm-08. The latter probably have shorter throats, but if you're shooting 175 gr Spitzers, throat length is sufficient.

I thought I had read somebody say the neck on 7mm-08 was too short for 175 gr bullets. I'm sure that would come as a great surprise to the 7mm RM crowd - it has a shorter neck than 7mm-08 does, by 0.013, at least according to Hornady manual XI.

Of all the bullets I've tried in my 280 AI, the oddball on COAL is Oryx 156 gr. I'm out of town and don't have my reloading data at hand, but I had to set the COAL for that bullet about .08 shorter than any of the 175 gr bullets I've tried (at 3.33, the ogive was sitting firmly on the lands, so I don't doubt that throat length is a potential issue for 7mm-08 with some bullets), and I've tried several of them - NP, Grand Slam, Game King, and a couple others. I have some 175 gr NF solid shanks and 160 gr Shock Hammers sitting on the bench waiting to be put through their paces.

The only 3 bullets in the 175 class I see 7mm-08 having an issue with are ELD-X, NABLR, and TSX/TTSX, but that's due to twist rate. Seems like all 3 of those need something like an 8.5 or 8.75 twist, and most 7mm-08 are 9 or 9.5 - tangent ogive 175s will work, and secant ogive 175s don't seem to, though Nosler shows a 9 twist as enough to stabilize NABLR, Berger's calculator seems to show it as marginal.

All that's a long way of saying to the OP - if you want to roll your own 175 gr ammo, have at it. It'll suit you well in the bushveld for whatever you want to hunt.

I have the same experience with that same bullet in my .275. The ogive is very proud on them.

 

[Ragman]

Thx for the kind input. And all of you for not simply asking me if I am f##kin stupid, lol. My rifle has space in the magazine to use longer than std OAL ammo but I cannot say about the throat. Still, I have no plans to reload for this rifle. The two reasons for reloading are improving my accuracy and saving $ on volume ammo that is used a lot. I reload for 45acp, 223 and 308 and nothing else. I recently got the gear to add 243 but have not used it. The 7mm/08 I have is extraordinarily accurate and shoots sub 1/2 moa at 100y with some ammo and a good bit better than 1 moa with every load, I have tried so far. And that is with a low power 1-8 LPVO. Accurate enough for hunting. And I will not be using it for anything but hunting and would be hard pressed to burn thru 2 boxes of shells in 10yrs. So, volume ammo savings is not in the cards.

Many are quick to say, "But, African game is much tougher than North American big game". I would beg to differ. African game is different and got its reputation for toughness from the fact that most have their vitals tucked away lower and between the shoulders and ignorant American hunters who shot them behind the shoulder often saw them sprint away as if never hit forcing a long stalk or lost game. Others shot them in the correct spot only to have their tried and true old school cup and core bullets fragment on the heavy shoulder bones and fail to penetrate deep enough.

With exception of the Wildebeest and one or two others, most African PG will quickly succumb to a well placed shot from a heavy for caliber bonded, A-Frame or monolithic (TSX, etc). Now Wildebeest are tough but likely not much more tough than a Moose or Bighorn Sheep. This is based on both my personal experiences and candid discussions with my PH's over large quantities of Bourbon. Just saying. I had wanted to bring my 243 for Free State and my PH said I would have no trouble killing Springbok or even Black Wildebeest with it using the 80g or 90g Barnes or bonded ammo. But the owner of the reserve we will be hunting in Free State asks that nothing smaller than a 270 be used.

The 308 is almost a required carry for PG by native African hunters and PH's. It is well known due to Military use of the FN FAL for decades and universally available in Western aligned nations. Ballistically, I am not seeing much difference in a 150g 308 vs a 7mm/08 in 150g. The 308 would be better for taking the larger PG such as Kudu, Zebra, Waterbuck, etc with a 165g or 180g, but this can be offset in the 7mm by using a Barnes TSX to penetrate deeper. I still like the idea of using the bigger, faster cartridges when I can. For that reason alone, I am still investigating getting a larger hard gun case and taking the 7mm Mag. I can also shorten the Mag rifle by about 1.5" by removal of the muzzle break and screwing on the thread protector for travel. Pics of my 7mm/08 resting on or near my Toy-Yoda hunting truck/Jeep Recovery Vehicle, lol.

View attachment 666491View attachment 666492View attachment 666493

I tend to agree with you on the African vs North American game. I’m not as experienced as a lot of the guys on here having only been to Africa twice and taking 14 species, but all died very quickly except for my kudu and springbok. Both due to bad shooting on my part. And both with a .300 Win Mag. I was pretty nervous about shooting my blue wildebeest as I’d heard all the stories but one shot with a 40 yard run and it was over.
I have a lot of experience with the big game in western Canada, except for the mountain species. Zero experience with bighorns but I have shot a lot of moose and have only had to track a cow that I gut shot when I got in too big of a rush.
As for the 7mm-08, I’m a fairly new owner of one. I’ve only shot 3 deer with it but I’m loving it so far. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on plains game. On eland I would use what the PH says, but under 200 yards I still think it would be fine. But I’ve never hunted eland either.

 

[Alex38]

As you’ve mentioned, use your .375 for the big stuff. The 7-08 will work great as well. I’d use the 140 TTSX that you mentioned shot so well. My dad has used his .270 with 150 Partitions to cleanly take Kudu, Sable, Zebra, Blue WB. No reason that similar results can’t be had with the 7-08.

 

[Smull1010]

I’m taking my Remington 700 CDL in 7mm-08 using Barnes TTSX 150 grain rounds for plains game to Mozambique in October this year. Ideally taking Nyala, Kudu, Warthog, Impala, Duiker and maybe a Bushbuck. I’ll post up a full report later this year!

 

[Philip Glass]

@Philip Glass
My sons zebra fell over dead after being hit with outer 140gn edge monos out of his 308. Massive damage and good exit holes. He was dead with the first shot but still standing. A second shot convinced him he was really dead.
At the skinning shed could not tell the difference with my sons and one hit by a 300win mag and 212gn ELDX. Similar amount of damage, same number of shots same result, dead zebra
Bob

Excellent!

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I took a .300 Win for.plains game on my last safari. Loaded with 200 grain AccuBonds, nothing took.more than a couple of steps after the shot. I think it would be a better choice than the 7-08 as an all-around plains game.rifle, but to each.his own.

No argument from me here. The 300WM is likely THE best all around PG rifle. But, I do not own one and have no plans to get one. It is not one of the options I was considering. My only choices for this trip only are 30-06, 7mm Mag and the little 7mm/08. I know the larger two calibers are better. My question was would the 7mm/08 be enough gun? Black WB and maybe Zebra would be the largest thing it would need to take down. The reason, I asked in the 1st place was because, I really like this rifle for the light weight, compact size and overall performance. I will have a 375HH on hand for any larger, tougher game. The 140g Barnes bullets and the 150g Swift Scirocco bullets I would be using are both proven performers, capable of deep penetration and reliable expansion as long as they are not deployed at such distance that the impact velocity drops below 2000fps. The 150g Swift arrives at 2102fps at 400y. That is further than I plan to shoot. Not because I cannot hit the tgt at that distance. I just know that my PH is a better hunter than that and we will stalk to a closer point before taking a shot. I am pretty sure at this point that the 08 is as effective as the 7x57 Mauser and the 308 which is good enough for me. Thanks for the input.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Thanks guys. I have narrowed the decision down to one of the two 7mm's and I am confident that either will do the job. I have heard no failures or horror stories about the 7mm/08. It was listed as one of the smaller suitable Elk rounds by others and I would consider Elk as being equivalent to Kudu is size and general toughness. Honestly, on my last hunt the 308 was more effective than the 375HH on PG. I have also seen the same result using the 375 on deer. Why? The heavy jacketed or tough controlled expansion Barnes bullets are great for deep penetration and breaking large bones on Cape Buffalo or Giraffe, etc but they do not do as much damage in the long wound channel as the smaller, faster, more rapidly expanding bonded bullets more typical in the smaller high power rifles. The good news is we have two great choices and no wrong answers. I plan to decide by next month so I can focus the rest of my range time practice on one rifle and get all my paperwork filled out. I do enjoy the process as much as the hunts themselves and is why I spend so much time mucking around with it. All comments welcome.

KY Whitetail dropped in tracks at 125y w/150g Fusion 7mm Mag​