A 7-08AI also can shoot factory ammo and you get your AI brass from doing it. I neck down 7-08 brass to 6.5, load and shoot it to make .260 AI brass out of it.
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308 vs 7-08 (or other options)
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greenejc
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Stgraves260
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7-08
7-08 20" Krieger barrel 140 grain Berger about 2700 FPS. 850 yard deer rifle. Heavy barrel (Remington Sendero size just 6" shorter ) had one built for my pop. He loves it. Light weight easy for him to handle and crazy accurate. I suggest get a 1-8 twist do to the loss of FPS because of the short barrel. That's what we did. He shots 168 grain bullets sometimes and he still handles it just fine. My pop is 72 years young. Oh we had it threaded for a break/suppressor also. He just don't use them. Also the 308 will be about 50 FPS fast that the 7-08 but you need to thank hard because you will give up over 100 BCs.
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Stgraves260
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Punched some numbers on my Ballistics calculator. 7-08 would def be your best bet. The 308 has 50 more ft lbs of energy at 100 yards but after that the 7-08 will never look back.
What are you comparing that the 7mm-08 has more energy after 100 yards? I have both cartridges, and have been shooting a 7mm-08 since 2002.
The 308 win has more energy out to at least 400 yards. That is comparing 140's in .284 to 150's in .308.
The 7mm-08 is an awesome cartridge, but the 308 Win is pretty amazing inside of 500 yards.
Thanks.
Steve
The 308 win has more energy out to at least 400 yards. That is comparing 140's in .284 to 150's in .308.
The 7mm-08 is an awesome cartridge, but the 308 Win is pretty amazing inside of 500 yards.
Thanks.
Steve
cjl2010
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Have you tested expansion at that slow of a velocity?
Stgraves260
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I'm not knocking the 308 by no means. But the 7-08 has the same energy at 150 yards but is traveling faster. At 100 yards the 308 has about 100 more ft lbs of energy. The 308 is just a brick of a bullet. The little 243 case just can't put that 30 cal bullet in its sweet spot like the 300 Win Mag. Your welcome sir.
Stgraves260
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The 7-08 and 308 are just so neck and neck. It's the BC of the 7mm bullet that wins. It has over 100 more BC than the 30 cal bullet grain for grain. So let's say that both caliber rifles are shooting 140 grain bullets at 2700 FPS. At 500 yards that's about 5" difference in favor for the 7-08. So to me that alone makes the 7-08 better. Let me check on 168 grain bullets for you as well.
Stgraves260
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7-08 168 grain
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Stgraves260
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7-08 168 grain VLD (617 BC ) MV 2550 FPS 500 yards 1900 FPS and 1300 ft-lbs energy. 308 168 grain VLD (473 BC ) MV 2600 FPS 500 yards 1800 FPS 1150 ft-lbs energy. 10 mph wind the 7-08 bullet will drift about 5" less with 150 ft-lbs more energy and 100 FPS faster. It's not really a big difference but the 7-08 still wins. Another thang is recoil. According to Chuck Hawks the 7-08 has 12 lbs of recoil and the 308 has around 18 lbs. what crazy is the 7 mag that everybody says kicks like a mule is only 19 lbs of recoil. Thats only 1 more lb of recoil than the 308. 7-08 wins again. All of this info is why I choose to build my pop a 7-08 and not a 308. People get fixated that the 308 was a sniper round. Yes that is correct. But at the same time the troops did not get to pick their weapon. The military just said here this is what you get. It's the cheapest we could find. Nothing like our present military. They finally get top quality stuff.
Stgraves260
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Ronald W Schaefer
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I have three 7mm-08, two with 20" pipes and one with 22" pipe. I load 46 gr RL 17, CCI BR 2 Primer, Lapua Brass and 145 Barnes LRX. The load shoots good enough in all three I didn't fiddle with it to make it rifle specific. I get ~2770 in the 20" pipes and 2844 in the 22". The wife used her Weatherby Camilla and that load with 20" pipe to outstanding results on plains game in Africa this last May/June. Kids have over 70 DRT kills over 28 yrs with the Browning A bolt Micro Medallion and I have some great groups shot but no kills 
...yet with the new Fierce Firearms CT Carbon Edge--Mule Deer, Elk and White Tails coming up soon. I love the 7mm-08.
...yet with the new Fierce Firearms CT Carbon Edge--Mule Deer, Elk and White Tails coming up soon. I love the 7mm-08.Stgraves260
I think your numbers are off Sir.
Berger lists the 180 gr VLD (BC .576) with a muzzle velocity of 2600+/-. That puts velocity at 500 yards at 1886 fps and 1422 energy.
You can't compare them just to get the outcome you are looking for.
I have never even fired my .308 Win, and have killed almost every animal in my life with a 7mm-08. So, I assure you that I am a 7mm-08 fan.
Have a great day,
Steve
I think your numbers are off Sir.
Berger lists the 180 gr VLD (BC .576) with a muzzle velocity of 2600+/-. That puts velocity at 500 yards at 1886 fps and 1422 energy.
You can't compare them just to get the outcome you are looking for.
I have never even fired my .308 Win, and have killed almost every animal in my life with a 7mm-08. So, I assure you that I am a 7mm-08 fan.
Have a great day,
Steve
greenejc
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Have you shot the rifle you bought, yet? If it shoots accurately, you might think about just having a good gunsmith shorten the barrel to around 20 inches and staying with the 7mm-08. Brass isn't that hard to find, and making it is just a pass-through on the die. Ammo is pretty available, too. But if you're going to re-barrel it, go with the .308. Availability is greater, bullet weights are higher, and loaded with the right powders, velocities are better. I wouldn't go shorter than 20 inches, though. In a short action bolt gun, that will give you a fast handling rifle, but still give you nearly all of the velocity you'll get from a conventional length barrel. Especially if you reload with CFE223 and work up loads for 165-168 grain bullets. For the 7mm-08 and heavier bullets, IMR4350 and IMR4451 give very good velocities from 24 inch test barrels, but you'll lose around 100fps with a 20 inch barrel. The .308 is more forgiving. With certain powders, it will make up the difference in bullet velocity. It will also hit significantly harder at distance. Keep in mind, you will lose a lot of velocity with either cartridge when you go to a 20 inch barrel. But the .308 will duplicate the 7mm-08 velocities with on average bullets that weigh 15 to 20 grains more, resulting in an increase of delivered energy and greater penetration/wounding at distance. Hodgden lists the max velocity for the 162 grain Amax 7mm-08 load as 2674fps and the 160 grain Speer as 2690fps, while the .308 is listed for a max velocity using a 165 grain bullet at 2834fps. It lists the 180 grain Speer SP at 2683fps. The Speer .308 BTSP has a BC of 5.45 and could be safely pushed to 2550fps in a 20 inch tube. A 165 grain Speer at around .48 BC can be pushed closer to 2630fps or so with the right powders. But it depends on what you like. If you're already using a 7mm of one flavor or another, go with the 7mm. If you're already reloading for any of the .308 cal. rounds, go with the .308 Winchester. That way you will keep some commonality of components. Either caliber will work fine, though.
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