Our local Gander Mountain is in it's last week of going out of business. Their sale prices up to this point have been less than spectacular. Stopped in today for one last look. Scored a Ruger American Rifle for $200.00 new in box! Understandably only one caliber left thus 7mm-08. Now have to save up for a scope for it! Happy camper!
Sounds like a great find. Let us know how it shoots, that is a caliber I have never shot, so color me curious.
New caliber to me too. I like what I'm reading about it. In a nut shell sounds like it is to the .308 what the .270 is to the .30-06, probably an oversimplified comparison but think that is the jist. Will be sure to give a range report when I can get it scoped and on the firing line. Working on sweet talking the Mrs's into letting me get a nice scope for it!
I've read that too! Although I have no experience with the 7x57 Mauser either. I'm excited to put some range time in with this!
I've always heard that the 7mm-08 is as good as it gets for a deer cartridge inside of 250 yards and doesn't kick much. All those guys who write for Guns & Ammo, Outdoor Life, etc. seem to praise it a lot. 200 is a great deal too. Enjoy that gun!
Muy bueno!!!!! I started shooting the 7-08 in the mid 90s. I have one in a Winch Featherweight Mod 70. It is an easly shooting cartrridge. Also had a Ruger M77 at the same time in 7X57 Mauser. The bullet weight was 139 grs. for the factory loads IIRC. Both used .284 caliber bullets. I never did hunt with either one, but the loads were more tahn adequatre dfor anytrhing aroudn here. I sold the Ruger in 7X57 some years back, but kept the winch in 7-08. Got a set of loading dies for it a few years ago. It was as easy to ad as the .243 wchich I use more now than anything else. However, the 7-08 has a bullet with 45 more grains than my favorite .243 load. It is much better suited for game the size of deer. Recoil is low, accuracy is good. All I do is shoot paper now. I loaded the 7-08 with the Hornady 139 gr. polymer tipped bullet. I really have not fired it much, but accuracy was great. Les than 1 MOA at 100 yeards. There were some reports of those bullets melting the trips in flight, but I ain't shootrin them fastr enough or far enough to cause any deforemation. Hornady has come up with an improved version of the bullet in all calibers now, but I have not tried them. I had a C.V.A. "Stalker" single shot for a while in 7-08. It was really heavy and I traded it off. It was so heavy, you could hardly feel any recoil when you fired it. It had a heavy barrel. I may wind up getting it back in a swap this year again. It would be better suited for dragging through the brush than my Winchester. If I get it back, I will have to try some of my handloads in it. Hope ya get your scope soon. We will be waiting for a range report.
Found a Nikon Buckmasters II 4-12x40mm BDC scope on sale. Have $300.00 in this rifle so far. Really happy! Hopefully get a range day in soon!
Made it to the range today with the goal of sighting in the scope and to try a couple different loads to see if it favors one. I started out at the 50 yard line and was pleasantly surprised the first two rounds were centered, way low but on paper! I didn't have anyway to boresight this rifle so didn't know where I was going to be starting at. Adjusted the scope and the next two rounds were in the bullseye on the high side. I moved to the 100 yard line shot two rounds, a little under two inches above the center of the bullseye. Should be about a 200 yard zero from the ballistics table. I brought a box of Remington 140gr Core-Lokt PSP, Winchester Supreme 140gr Ballistic Silver Tip and Hornady 139gr Interlock SP Whitetail. All I could get my hands on locally, going to try some other loads but will have to get them online. All three shot to the same point of aim and 5 shot groups were pretty similar. The Winchester had a slightly tighter group, the Remington the largest group but the difference almost unmeasurable and a deer definitely wouldn't know the difference. I love the trigger on this rifle and it has a very effective recoil pad. Muzzle report is about the same as a .308, recoil is a little softer. This is a very pleasant shooting rifle and round. I could have shot it all day long. I didn't have any magazine issues, loading or ejection issues with the three brands of ammo. Will get some more range time with this when I get more ammo and will post some targets. I have to get some butcher paper and a couple cans of black spray paint first....
