[BDC23]

I'm new to this forum, so I'm not sure whether this has been a topic yet.

I'm looking at buying an R-25, but I'm curious as to your thoughts on 7mm-08 vs. .308.

95% of my hunting will be whitetail, but I'd like something that I could comfortably take black bear, elk, or moose.

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks much

 

[bsn]

The 7mm-308 will shoot slightly flatter, the .308 has more choices of bullets and is available evreywhere. For most shooters it's a wash hard to grow wrong with either caliber. My choice would be the 7mm-08, but thats just me.

 

[Bill B]

In my opion the hevier 308 would be the better choice for anything bigger than a whitetail but i still dont know if its big enough for moose, but i never hunted moose either.

 

[MontyF]

I've never hunted moose either. But I'd think the right bullet in the right place at a reasonable range, it'd be lights out for bullwinkle.

 

[fred243]

I agree with the 2 posts just above and would only add that, the distance of the shot be considered as well. Not sure either of these would be good for a really long shot on moose, bear or elk. Well i see now that Monty covered that, LOL

 

[Guidedfishing]

Neither are optimal for Moose, either will kill elk and bear. One thing I can tell you I've seen a few moose killed with 30-30's by the natives. At the correct range and angle it would happen.

good luck, shoot straight and shoot often
GF

 

[Saskshooter]

If bigger than deer are on the list, then the .308 is the better choice. If deer are the biggest, then the 7mm may have some slight advantages, but the .308 will get more energy from that case at any specific bullet weight.

 

[Jakeway]

7mm-08 for me. I find a lot more opportunity/applications to go lighter than normal than going heavier. Any bullet lighter than 150 gr is getting a bit short for a .308, though some guns do fine with a 125. (I've been loading 150 gr bullets in a .308 for years with good success.

 

[Davers]

Both 7mm-08 & .308 are fine cartridges. Either one will do the job for your uses.

 

[stinky]

All of the responses are spot on, so far. The -08 is almost as good as a .270 and 280 (which means it is pretty darn good...it doesn't mean that somebody else should respond by saying that you need one, or something else).

Now, sorta off topic, Moose are not the hardest non-dangerous critter to kill...or so I've heard, never shot one and probably not likely to, even though they live 20 miles from me (the points needed are way off the chart). But, Jack O'Conner said, or something like it...Moose are a big animal and when shot, they take on a moose sized hurt and the first thing that they do is start looking for a place to lay down in and die.

Elk, are IMHO opinion the hardest thing to kill in NA...not counting big bears. They've been successfully killed, w/one shot, by .257 Roberts, the 6mms, 30-30, and a ton of lesser calibers.

There, for the most part, isn't that much dif between the two calibers mentioned. I'd get the -08. kicks less and it is up to any task...especially the ones that you mentioned.

 

[MMichaelAK]

Either will work fine.
I wouldnt hesitate to use my 7mm Mauser (near ballistic twin to 7mm -08) on moose or my .308. Black bear too for that matter.

 

[Water-Man]

.308 has the advantage.

 

[DaGooster]

I've owned a 7mm-08 and killed a cow elk with it years ago. Most people will tell you that 7mm-08 with 160 gr. bullets is fine for elk, which means fine for moose. But it's hardly the best choice.

I shoot lots of different rounds, but 308 is my overall favorite. In 165 gr. bullets, it's my go-to gun for black bear and pigs. Handloading 168 gr. TSXs or with Federal's High Energy 180 gr. Nosler Partitions, it's more than adequate for bull elk out to 300 yards. Of course, it's superb for deer-sized critters at virtually any distance with 150 gr. bullets. Plus there's the whole bullet availability thing that others have mentioned.

308 is a much better choice than 7mm-08.

 

[landroverking]

I would .go with the 308

 

[TMan]

The difference between the two is as close to irrelevant as any argument you can find.

I have owned a 7-08 in some form since it became available in the Remington M7 back in the early '80's. The argument with respect to it's effectiveness on larger game, to a rancher, or guide, that owns only a .30-30 wouldn't carry a lot of weight. It would work fine.

I owned a .308 for a while, and used it for several seasons from Maine to Virginia. I swapped it for the M7/7-08. On game, especially deer size stuff, the difference is exactly "0".

On the other hand, I never switched back.

 

[jem375]

308, much better bullet choices....

 

[Tnhunter]

Any time a hunter mentions game bigger than deer-sized, I'd have to say the .308 would be the way to go over the 7/08. There are many loads of 165-180gr for the .308 shooting premium bullets and that would most certainly be the way to go for larger game, IMHO.

 

[jsr76]

7mm Mag. vs 30-06 is same debate. No difference in the hands of a hunter.

 

[Stiletto Raggio]

.308. In that rifle, the .308 will do anything the 7-08 will do out to the effective range of the platform. Ammunition is cheaper and more readily available then 7-08 and the selection of .30 bullets is among the highest of any caliber and the .308 can effectively use anything from 110-210 grains, though the optimum weight is somewhere in the middle.

People will say that if you reload, ti doesn't matter, but components are cheaper for the .308, too.

 

[Sinbad12-2007]

Used to spend a lot of time in Ontario, moose hunting. I've seen the natives up there use a .22LR on moose. 'Course, what they did was shoot them in the knees. When the moose went down they'd go up to it and hit it in the head a couple times with an axe. I've used a .30-30, a 7X57, a .308, a 7mm Rem Mag, a .300 Winchester, a .30-06 and a .375 H&H. All the animals died. Lets face it, a bullet in the heart or lungs will sucumb most any animal, eventually. My advice would be to use whatever you're comfortable shooting.