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  • Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
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    Dec 15, 2019
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    My experience reloading the 7mm-08 actually pushed me away from the cartridge. My rifle was a cheap Stevens lightweight and it kicked worse than my 280 Remington. Lightweights always sound good but they are no fun at the range.

    My hangup with the 7mm-08 was that I couldn't reproduce factory velocities without blowing out primers. Tried several powders. Heck, even Hornady superformance blew out primers. Seemed like they were trying to get too much out of the cartridge.

    My tried and true hunting rifle is a Ruger M77 mkii chambered in 280 Remington. I bet you can still find 280 ammo out there. Anyhow if I was starting over and didn't reload I'd buy a Tikka or howa in your choice of caliber.

    I'm surprised with you having difficulties with reloading the 7mm-08. I find it's one of the easier ones to reload for me. Works well with various powders and bullets. I have always had great success reloading it. I don't use a chrono, so I have no idea if I'm close to factory velocities or not. I do reload for accuracy, so velocity isn't as important to me.

    Yes, 280 Rem. ammo is available, but it's cat's ass crazy in price, and that was a couple of years ago. I couldn't afford to shoot mine if I had to buy factory ammo for it. And a few gun manufacturers still offer the 280 for rifles.

    Crazy story about my acquiring my Ruger M77 in 280. My father and I were talking about rifles and cartridges about twenty years ago, and I was telling him about my love for cartridges based off the 30-06. He suggested I check out the 280 Rem. which at that time I knew nothing about. Took me over ten years to find one. I lucked into one at a gun store I did a lot of business with for some years. Found it sitting on the consignment rack for sale. I saw at first it was an older M77 with the tang safety, (mine built in 1977), and it had a varmint style barrel. When I looked at what it was chambered in, I knew I was going to buy it. I ended up paying $475 for it with two sets of the factory integral scope rings. I have only bought two boxes of factory ammo for it, and still have one box sitting on my shelf. Everything else that's been shot in it, has been handloads. Deadly accurate!
    Military Camp
     

    9mmdave

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    Jun 14, 2014
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    They are close but the 270 is a bit flatter shooting making it more forgiving on a longer shot. Won't come into play in a hunting situation until you are over 200 yards.
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    They are close but the 270 is a bit flatter shooting making it more forgiving on a longer shot. Won't come into play in a hunting situation until you are over 200 yards.

    Looking and comparing ballistics, I'd say closer to 300 yards and it doesn't make much of a difference between the two. Beyond 300 yards, I'd give an edge in flatter trajectories to the 270.
     

    Coop45

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    Feb 9, 2012
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    Savage for an inexpensive rifle is really hard to beat.

    Another good one, but discontinued that I have in 7mm-08 is the Marlin XS7 bolt action. These are great rifles, and I own three of them.

    Only way I'd recommend the Remington M700 would be an older one. Their quality has slipped pretty bad over the last few years.
    They were okay in the nineties, but haven't bought a M700 since then. No wait, I did buy a light plastic stocked 300 RUM when they came out. I am almost over the flinching.
     

    cvgunman

    Not a Leftist douchebag!
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    Oct 9, 2017
    2,469
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    Mckinney TX
    Looking to pick up a bolt action hunting rifle. Mainly for deer hunting, looking at 7mm08 or 270. Looking for a few options and would like your reasons, TIA!
    What kind of distance are you looking to shoot out to? Are you wanting something that you can use for other animals also?
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
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    Dec 15, 2019
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    They were okay in the nineties, but haven't bought a M700 since then. No wait, I did buy a light plastic stocked 300 RUM when they came out. I am almost over the flinching.

    My M700's are bit older than the 1990's. A couple of them date to the 1960's and a few to the 1980's. I have one or two that are early 2000's.
     

    Fishkiller

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    Jul 22, 2019
    4,590
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    Frederickburg
    My experience reloading the 7mm-08 actually pushed me away from the cartridge. My rifle was a cheap Stevens lightweight and it kicked worse than my 280 Remington. Lightweights always sound good but they are no fun at the range.

    My hangup with the 7mm-08 was that I couldn't reproduce factory velocities without blowing out primers. Tried several powders. Heck, even Hornady superformance blew out primers. Seemed like they were trying to get too much out of the cartridge.

    My tried and true hunting rifle is a Ruger M77 mkii chambered in 280 Remington. I bet you can still find 280 ammo out there. Anyhow if I was starting over and didn't reload I'd buy a Tikka or howa in your choice of caliber.
    The Weatherby Vanguard line is based on the Howa action
     

    TexMex247

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    May 11, 2009
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    Leander(NW Austin)
    I've shot the smallest groups ever through a centerfire rifle with a howa 1500 (.308)I bought a couple years ago. 5 shots just under a 1/2" at 100 yards. Still kicking myself for not buying the big brother version with a 24" heavy barrel.
    Back then they were both a mere 369$.

    I swear within 3 months of my buying that rifle they all went up a good 200$ or so. It's a 5 shot moa gun with gmm ammo as well, 168 or 175gr. My m77 is a 3 shot moa rifle but when I load up 140gr Hornady BTSPs it's a serious deer slayer. A lot of guys swear by the Ackley improved versions but I'm happy enough with it.

    As far as ammo prices, I've just been patient and picked up several great factory loads around 30$/box. Even scored some fusion rounds which were a mere 15$/box after a rebate they had a while back. Don't think I'll ever get that lucky again but I'm stocked for years to come at this point.
     

    Coop45

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    Feb 9, 2012
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    texas
    My M700's are bit older than the 1990's. A couple of them date to the 1960's and a few to the 1980's. I have one or two that are early 2000's.
    the 60's would be the locking safety. I had a 2506 in 1969 that was a tack driver with 117's. Had is the key word. I think it was 103 dollars. Momma didn't raise no smart boy.
     

    Mills

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    Mar 22, 2020
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    Texas
    I have a heavy barrel Howa 1500 in 308 sitting on the bench as we type.
    Bought it back in the 90s, it has never been shot, shame on me.

    That will soon change,

    I need to work up some loads, break it in, then gift it to my oldest grandson.

    Paw Paw is awesome.
     
    Last edited:

    Mills

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    M1917 Enfield here. Oldie but a goody.
    EFFD200F-F86B-49F3-9D28-A8B87D510602.jpeg
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 15, 2019
    47,009
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    I've shot the smallest groups ever through a centerfire rifle with a howa 1500 (.308)I bought a couple years ago. 5 shots just under a 1/2" at 100 yards. Still kicking myself for not buying the big brother version with a 24" heavy barrel.
    Back then they were both a mere 369$.

    I swear within 3 months of my buying that rifle they all went up a good 200$ or so. It's a 5 shot moa gun with gmm ammo as well, 168 or 175gr. My m77 is a 3 shot moa rifle but when I load up 140gr Hornady BTSPs it's a serious deer slayer. A lot of guys swear by the Ackley improved versions but I'm happy enough with it.

    As far as ammo prices, I've just been patient and picked up several great factory loads around 30$/box. Even scored some fusion rounds which were a mere 15$/box after a rebate they had a while back. Don't think I'll ever get that lucky again but I'm stocked for years to come at this point.

    If I were to buy a new rifle in 280 Rem. or build one from scratch, I would probably chamber it in the Ackley Improved.

    I have had more than few tell me to buy a reamer, or get a gunsmith to ream mine out to the 280 A.I., but it ain't happening. Rifle will stay unmolested as long as I own it. I did semi-restore the stock several years ago to remove a few defects, and it took me several months to do it correctly and to match the factory stain on the stock.
     

    Cityboy

    Member
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    0   0   0
    Jan 20, 2021
    60
    11
    Fredericksburg, TX
    Looking to pick up a bolt action hunting rifle. Mainly for deer hunting, looking at 7mm08 or 270. Looking for a few options and would like your reasons, TIA!

    I've shot just one deer with a 7mm-08, a fallow doe at about 100 yards. Hit her just right and when I walked over to where she had fallen, there was a big splash of pink, foamy blood on the ground on the other side of her. Bullet had gone clean through and left a hole on the off side as big as a quarter. That being said, I've shot more deer with a .308 than anything else and it never took more than one shot.

    Cityboy
     

    Coop45

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    1   0   0
    Feb 9, 2012
    3,280
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    texas
    For some unexplained reason I bought a Remington 700 chambered in 300 RUM. The first round down range from a bench pulled a muscle in my butt. No really, then and there I knew that rifle was about to find a new home.
     
    Every Day Man
    Tyrant

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