7BR vs 7mm-08

[sambo3006]

I have been thinking of a handgun for hunting deer sized game. Max shots would be 300 yds or so. Any real benefit of the 7mm-08 over the 7mm Benchrest Remington out to that yardage? I'm thinking that the 7BR would have noticeably less recoil and be fairly efficient in a 14-15" barrel. Would probably shoot 120 or 140 gr Ballistic Tips.

Thanks!

Sam

 

[Ernie]

I have been thinking of a handgun for hunting deer sized game. Max shots would be 300 yds or so. Any real benefit of the 7mm-08 over the 7mm Benchrest Remington out to that yardage? I'm thinking that the 7BR would have noticeably less recoil and be fairly efficient in a 14-15" barrel. Would probably shoot 120 or 140 gr Ballistic Tips.

Thanks!

Sam

The 7BR will work out to 300, but I would prefer the extra horsepower of the 7-08.
sscoyote and I have used both 120 & 140 NBT's in the 7mm-08 with good success.

 

[sscoyote]

That's right on the nose, IMO.

 

[grinnergetter]

While I have no dought that the 2 gentlemen above have much more handgun experience then me. Ive used the 7BR for deer hunting and I have 2 friends that do also for 10 plus years. The cartridge works very well and we have all taken deer out to 300-345 yards. We all shoot ballistic tips and as long as we shoot straight they have not let us down.

Just a cartridge that I enjoy.

Grin

 

[magicofmt]

I have a 7mm-08 Striker and have shot rocks and pdogs to 500 yds. That's my vote, haven't had a 7br though. 7mm-08 at 360 yds did an antelope DRT.

 

[Ernie]

While I have no dought that the 2 gentlemen above have much more handgun experience then me. Ive used the 7BR for deer hunting and I have 2 friends that do also for 10 plus years. The cartridge works very well and we have all taken deer out to 300-345 yards. We all shoot ballistic tips and as long as we shoot straight they have not let us down.
Just a cartridge that I enjoy.
Grin

Grin,
Thanks for adding your experiences.
Not trying to down the the 7BR.
It is a remarkable cartridge as is the 6BR and 6.5BR.
I don't doubt for a moment what you and your friends have accomplished with the 7BR.
Were they factory XP's or Encores? Custom?
E

 

[grinnergetter]

Ernie, funny thing is we all shoot different pistols. They are a T/C Contender with JDJ barrel. Ed brown falling block and a Competitor that I used to shoot. I could never get used to the center grip for some reason. I always hunted out of a tree though and like to use the tree for a rest of some sort.

 

[Ernie]

Ernie, funny thing is we all shoot different pistols. They are a T/C Contender with JDJ barrel. Ed brown falling block and a Competitor that I used to shoot. I could never get used to the center grip for some reason. I always hunted out of a tree though and like to use the tree for a rest of some sort.

Someone has a Contender chambered in 7mmBR?
Did you mean Encore?
It can be done safely in a Contender, but you can't run it at pressure that you can in a Encore or XP without taking the frame beyond what it was designed for.

 

[grinnergetter]

Yep, that would be me. I'm currently shooting 28.5 gns of H322 behind 120 gn NBT. She's a shooter.

I've been shooting it for gosh, 7-8 years or so. JD never said anything but maybe I dont remember a part of the conversation. Could be. I'll make phone call and double check.

 

[sambo3006]

Well, I went with neither cartridge. I found an Encore barrel in .243 Win at a good price and couldn't pass it up. I think it will fit the bill for deer out to 300 yds with a good bullet and should have flat trajectory with manageable recoil. I already have brass, dies and bullets so it makes sense. I really hadn't considered it but was impressed by the possiblilities of it when I checked out the ballistics from a 15" barrel. It would be a bit overkill but if I wanted to shoot smaller critters I could run the 55 br BT at 3600 fps according to Hogdgon. That ought to make some red mist!

 

[WolfTrap]

I have been thinking of a handgun for hunting deer sized game. Max shots would be 300 yds or so. Any real benefit of the 7mm-08 over the 7mm Benchrest Remington out to that yardage? I'm thinking that the 7BR would have noticeably less recoil and be fairly efficient in a 14-15" barrel. Would probably shoot 120 or 140 gr Ballistic Tips.

Thanks!

Sam

Sam,
Concerning both cartridges, the 7-08 will handle the 162 plus bullets much more readily than 7mmBR!
But there lies the problem? The BR will shoot quarters at 200 using 120-140 bullets that will expand at 15 in. barrel limitations!
(Remember.. 7mm bullets for the most part are modern and not given to performing well at non magnum velocities like their .308 Every-Weight-Shape Brethren?)
Where as the 7mm 08 15 in. barrel does not allow optimum performance given the amount of powder one has to use for shot to shot SD.
Powders designed for 15 inch tubes are limited to faster burning media that the slow burners 20inch plus rifles normally use for 7mmBR's Big Brother?
In order to make SD in the 7 08....had to resort to filling up empty space with COW (Cream of Wheat), which was only marginally successful sending bullets at 300 yds?
Does it mean one is more successful than the other?
Depends on what you're after and the amount of work one has to put in for a meat gathering hunt?
Regardless which one uses.....it the amount of time/practice that produces positive results.
WolfTrap

 

[Orddy]

I have a XP in both calibers. The 7/08 I used for shooting IHMSA as back in the day when i first bought it.....there wasn't any 7BR brass too be had. You had too make it, so i had it rechambered as i had a very large supply of 308 match brass and one pass through the sizing die and i had 7/08 brass. It cost me something like $35 or $40 back then too have it rechambered. I put a Six Enterprises custom stock on it and had a gunsmith that customized XP's do the trigger work and his front sight on it and when i got it back, it shot 40's like i couldn't believe. Now it's just collecting dust in my gun safe as IMHSA is all but gone, but i do shoot the 7BR some. There is NO comparisson between the power of these 2 cases. They are both accurate and the 7/08 is the hands down winner for a big game cartridge. If the right offer came along......i might even be tempted too part with my 7/08 as i really don't have any use for it anylonger.

 

[J E Custom]

As most on this site know ,I am a big fan of the 7/08 for hunting.

I have not tried the 7BR so I don't know how it performs at the longer distances on
game but I do know how well it does on game at 500 and 600 yards.

I use a 16" barreled XP and 150 gr ballistic tips and have made 500+yard shots (Some guys
on this site have shot a lot longer). and with a 20'' Lilja barreled rifle have been successful
at 600+yards on deer and hogs using the 120gr BT @ 3010ft/sec+.

It is a great pistol round and it would be my choice .

J E CUSTOM

 

[wm5l]

I have two 7mm-08s in a TC Encore pistol. Both of them 15" I can not imagine a better round for game (in a pistol) out to 400yds. I am VERY recoil sentive and can shoot both of these all day with 139 gr bullets and a max charge of H380 or W760 powder. Both of them are very accurate off the bench. Group at 200yds are 2". I am not the best shot in the world but that will kill deer all day long. The 7mm BR will not shoot fast enough to open hunting/rifle bullets nearly as well as the 7mm-08 at 200 plus yds. Just my 2 cents.