Why the 7mm-08 Remington is a popular option for short-action rifles:
a precise replica of the 1958-era and older 7mm/.308 Wildcat.
The cartridge was initially chambered for the Remington Model 788 and 700BDL Varmint Special.
Given the geometry of the 7mm bullet, it outperforms the.308 Win. marginally downrange.
Very versatile hunting round, effective on everything from mice to elk.
This round, according to Remington’s marketing, is “the first contemporary 7mm round created for use in short-action rifles.” This is a fascinating assertion, given that the.284 Winchester, created for the same objective, only appeared on the market in 1963. The 7mm-08 is also an exact replica of the 7mm/.308 wildcat, which dates back to 1958 and before. This is not meant to belittle a good cartridge, but rather to show that, despite what you might hear in advertisements, sometimes there’s not much new under the sun. The 7mm-08 is chambered in the same same actions as the.284 Winchester, however its ballistics fall short of that cartridge’s.
Bolt action rifles like the Remington Model 788 and 700BDL Varmint Special were the first to be chambered for the 7mm-08 round. Remington’s most recent catalogs include the 700 series. and Model Seven bolt-actions as available in this chambering. Other makers have also chambered it.
