7mm-08 & 7mm Remington Magnum and 338 Federal & 338 Winchester Magnum

[buckchaser]

Looking to add two Tikkas in the calibers listed above. One would be set up for mountain deer hunting (7mm-08 or 7mm Remington Magnum) and the second would be set up for mountain big game (elk, moose) (338 Federal or 338 Winchester Magnum).

I don't expect I would ever shoot at a game animal beyond 400 meters and frankly probably not even that far. I have lots of experience with the 308 family of cartridges (own a 243 and 308 Battue), where they have proven to be reliable killers of game in the short range hunting of the eastern woods.

Is the extra "oomph" of the magnum calibers worth the recoil/muzzle blast over the 308 family cartridges at the ranges I would consider ethically shooting? I've read the ballistics tables, but would appreciate hearing from hunters who actually hunt in the wide open spaces of the west.

 

[desertcj]

7mm Rem Mag if you can just have one rifle. 7mm-08 and .338 Win mag would be a nice combo. Personally, I shoot a 7mm-08 and a 7mm Rem Mag. I don't see a huge need for a
338 unless you are really, really into elk hunting. I mean, I'm more interested in killing an elk with a bow! Pretty sure a 7mag is enough...lol.

 

[N2TRKYS]

BuzzH kills the heck out of elk with his 7-08 and 140 grain Accubonds at 400 yards. I'd be hard pressed to not just buy a 7-08 and save the money on a second rifle setup.

 

[howl]

You probably have an ~7# 12 gauge. Go get a box of 2oz 1200fps turkey loads. Set it up on a bench on sand bags like a rifle. Take five carefully aimed shots and follow through with your eyes wide open.

If the thought of doing that again fills you with dread, stick with .308 class. If you don't see what the big deal is, magnums are for you. If you're indecisive, then the heavy 270 WSM, 30/06 class is more likely.

 

[AXEL]

I am 71+ years old, starting shooting the superb .338WM, in an unfired P-64 Alaskan, January, 1968 and have owned a dozen .338s since. I still have this rifle, three others of this model, two Dakota 76s and sold several others.

For ONE combo here in BC and I have 40+ rifles still from about 150 over some 54 years, I would choose a good, CRF .338WM, NO question.

I would go with this plus a .270Win., 280Rem. or my "new love", my KMA-280AI, and have a number of such combos.

The .338WM, in a rifle of 8+ lbs. is NOT difficult to learn to shoot fast and well and it WHACKS game and is worth the cost, learning and practice.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

You probably have an ~7# 12 gauge. Go get a box of 2oz 1200fps turkey loads. Set it up on a bench on sand bags like a rifle. Take five carefully aimed shots and follow through with your eyes wide open.

If the thought of doing that again fills you with dread, stick with .308 class. If you don't see what the big deal is, magnums are for you. If you're indecisive, then the heavy 270 WSM, 30/06 class is more likely.

howl, is "Bang ON" ,. why, beat yourself up ? I sold my, 7mm Rem and .338 win. Mags,.. the Guns were just too heavy to carry very far ( as, 9-10 pounds with, Bipods ) and the recoil of, anything like a .300 wsm or, 338 in, a 7 - 7.5 pound rifle, is SEVERE,.. without, a Brake ! The .270 WSM with 140 Accubonds, was my choice and my son is, "Hot Rodding" a Tikka SuperLite, 7mm 08 with the New 162 grain ELD-X, both Cal's, will kill Elk out to the ranges you are looking at,.. maybe further, without the,.."PAIN" and the Brake ! The .270 WSM is, ALL the gun I need, or want, to shoot ! Just "MY" opinion, tho !

 

[ReddingArcher]

howl, is "Bang ON" ,. why, beat yourself up ? I sold my, 7mm Rem and .338 win. Mags,.. the Guns were just too heavy to carry very far ( as, 9-10 pounds with, Bipods ) and the recoil of, anything like a .300 wsm or, 338 in, a 7 - 7.5 pound rifle, is SEVERE,.. without, a Brake ! The .270 WSM with 140 Accubonds, was my choice and my son is, "Hot Rodding" a Tikka SuperLite, 7mm 08 with the New 162 grain ELD-X, both Cal's, will kill Elk out to the ranges you are looking at,.. maybe further, without the,.."PAIN" and the Brake ! The .270 WSM is, ALL the gun I need, or want, to shoot ! Just "MY" opinion, tho !

I dont think the recoil of my Tikka SL in 300 WM is severe at all. I put a limbsaver recoil pad on it before I ever shot it so I cant say how much that helped but its not unpleasant to shoot at all. I may end up putting a break on it just to make it easier to spot hits out further though.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Recoil, is very subjective and "personal",.. I "personally" can't, "drive Tacks", with a Rifle ( or Pistol ) if I'm thinking about, recoil and NOT,.. flinching or, "hunching" my shoulder. Besides, the OP is talking about, 400 Yard, MAX shots,.. WHY, is a "Cannon" needed at, THAT distance ?
I can shoot a .300 or, .338,.. in the "Field", but "working up" , accurate loads for them,.. AIN'T my idea, of fun, either !

 

[bkondeff]

I agree that 7-08 is not only a good choice over 7mmRM for deer sized up to 400yards, but enough for elk too at same distance.

I would never tell a guy he doesn't "need" another rifle, as most often "need" is code for "want, but I would never admit to my wife.

PS I carry a 7mm RM all the time, and love it, but this is about your question.

 

[robtattoo]

Shit fire, just buy a .30-06 & save 6 bills for a good scope, range membership & enough ammunition to kill one of everything on the planet.

 

[Jimbob]

My opinion (it's what you asked for) is that one gun will do what you need. I would just buy one nice mountain gun that is great for all big game. A nice light weight gun that is a joy to carry and shoot is just so appealing to me. I wish I could afford more but a tikka T3 lite in 30-06 fits my needs very well. I am 100% confident to hunt anything in NA with this gun. I have other stuff I need to buy before I think of getting a rifle that I don't need.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

My opinion (it's what you asked for) is that one gun will do what you need. I would just buy one nice mountain gun that is great for all big game. A nice light weight gun that is a joy to carry and shoot is just so appealing to me. I wish I could afford more but a tikka T3 lite in 30-06 fits my needs very well. I am 100% confident to hunt anything in NA with this gun. I have other stuff I need to buy before I think of getting a rifle that I don't need.

YUP, any of the "MEDIUM Cal's" like,.. 7mm08, .270 Win. or, 270 WSM, 280, .308, .30-06, etc. with the "right load" and a well placed shot, will kill, any Deer or,.. Elk, to 400 Yards, easily, without beating yourself up trying, to find an accurate load at, the Bench and a, 7 to 7.5 pound, scoped, TIKKA, is a pleasure to carry, far back, in the Mtn's ! UNLESS you are, "trying, to shoot" ELK at, 1,000 yards or charging Grizzlies leave, the 300's and .338's Mag's,.. ALONE ! OR,..you could find this "chit" out, for yourself at,... the "School of, HARD knock's" ! Just my HO and .02 cents.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

PS; Muzzle Brakes, are nice, but the FIRST time, you FORGET, to wear those ear Plug's,.. AND you WILL, it's goodbye hearing for, a while !
When, a nice Buck or Bull, "pops up", unexpectedly,.. Ear Plugs are NOT the first thing, on your mind !

 

[MNTNHUNTER284]

7 RM recoil is really not bad in my opinion from a 8.5 lb rifle. I got rid of mine because 2-3 firings from brass that was damn near impossible to find in recent history, got annoying and my barrel was shot out so I either needed a new rifle or a new barrel anyways. I love the 7mm RM and it is my favorite big game cartridge, but for what you describe you don't need a magnum.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

I’ll only comment on the 7mms. I’ve got a few around and have had very good luck with them. I’ll mention mostly ballistics and a few points on the guns themselves.

If you stick with premium bullets and limit yourself to 400 yards, 7-08 will be the job done. Quite a few cows and bulls are shot with .243 and 6.5s every year. The 7-08 is short action, so lighter gun to pack. And with less powder to burn, you can use a shorter barrel, so lighter still. Some 7-08 compacts are 20” barrels. Also with a short action, you have less bolt rearward movement. In Long actions and some scopes that are set way forward, your head will need to come off the gun to cycle it, VS short where it won’t. The 7-08 will have less muzzle blast than the others. Much lower recoil than the .338 WM. And the barrel will last longer than the 7mm RM. the 7mm RM is very “over bore”, and any 7mm burning more powder than a 7mm RM (Weatherby, RUM), is just ridiculous. If you’re recoil sensitive, do not buy a lightweight Tikka in 7mm RM much less a .338 WM. For most woman and recoil sensitive men, the 7-08 is fairly comfortable to shoot, and anything centerfire ending in “Mag” is usually not. Muzzle breaks, yah... 6-8 weeks. That’s how long your ears will ring if you touch off just one round in 7mm RM with no ear protection on... ask me how I know.

But the 7mm RM will push a bullet that is 20 grains heavier 300 fps faster and result in 400-500 ft-lbs of energy at any range (400 yards- 7-80 is 1,100 ft-lbs energy; 7mm RM is 1,600). The 7mm RM will shoot a bullet that is 20 grains heavier 4-5” flatter than the 7-08. And when shooting the same weight bullet, the 7mm RM will be 6-7” flatter trajectory. With many bullets of the same type/ manufacture, the 7-08 will land a 120 grain bullet in the same drop chart that the 7mm RM is landing a 160 grain (33% heavier). Bullets normal for the 7-08 will be in the 120-140 grain range. In the 7mm diameter results in BCs usually in the high 3s and mid 4s (BC .380-.450). The 7mm RM is usually shooting bullets in the 140-160 grain range, so BCs are usually in mid fours to mid fives (.450-.550). Couple the higher BCs with the extra velocity in a 7mm RM, and you have a cartridge with 3-4” less wind drift at 400 yards than the 7-08 (10mph 90 deg constant). Bullets are usually designed to function down to 2,000 FPS. With the 7mm RM, this is from muzzle to 500-600 yards. With the 7-08, you might be limited to 350-400 yards debending the atmosphere conditions and the bullet design itself. Under the bullet design threshold, and it won’t open. It will pencil and maybe tumble a little at best. Where the 7mm RM may open and give you a good exit wound to help you track blood, or hopefully dump the critter in its tracks.

Either will probably do you fine. These two 7mms are a great compromise between bullet weight, velocity, and BCs. I always thought a 7-06 would be about the perfect 7mm. If you want to shoot this gun from a bench a ton, I’d get the 7-08. If you are looking for performance, the 7mm RM takes the cake. You could definetly do with one gun in 7mm RM (VS 7-08 and another Mag)Unless you want a moose, eland, or brown bear with this gun, leave the .338 WM on the shelf at the gun shop. It’s not worth messing with.

 

[Trial153]

I no longer rifle hunt, it been about 15 years or so...but i still shoot a bit. I took my father on a moose hunt with me last fall to NF, i was bowhunting he was rifle hunting.
i bought him a T3x lite in 7RM, mounted a zeiss conquest on it ..replaced the recoil pad with a limbsaver.
i broke it in with some standdard fodder and settled on 162 grain interloks. It shoots way better then i can. Its also in no way unpleasant in regards to recoil. Dad moose didnt take 15 steps after the shot. The gun carries well and i cant see why it woudlnt work for just about anything short of big bears.

 

[huntstrong2850]

So just to chime in on the magnum side of this, I recently finished a build of a Remington model 700 with a proof research carbon barrel chambered in a 300 ultra mag. Over all the gun weighed in at 8lbs when I got it finished minus the scope. If you don’t mind carrying ear protection which you should be using anyways when setting a rifle up you can use a decent size brake on the magnums and recoil won’t ever be an issue. My 300 rum with an area 419 brake on it kicks no more than your average 308 or 30/06 and I can shoot quarter size groups well beyond 400 yards. Some don’t like a brake cause it’s loud, but if you want that knockdown power out to 700-800 yards then do the 338 and put a brake on it and never look back. On the 7 magnum side I love that caliber and own a model 70 in one and have killed tons of deer that never took a step, no brake on it with a houge stock and it even kicks like a 243 so there’s ways around recoil


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[Dirty-D]

any of those will kill anything you are talking about... just a question of ranges and preferences.

I personally would just get the .338 Federal, It is the only one of those rounds that can really shine in a short barrel without leaving too much power out the end of it, and the only one of those rounds that I still own. (I've had them all) but your area/ needs might be different than mine.