7mm WSM vs .308

[longstevo]

Hey all,

I currently own a 7mm WSM, and to date, have killed everything I've shot at with it, including deer, bear and a bull elk.

But I'm looking for something with a bit more 'oomph' to it for longer shots.  The elk I shot was a shade under seventy yards, so I'm concerned that a longer shot may take some of the starch out of the round by the time it gets there. 

I hear a lot of good things about the .308, including the fact that it is pretty comparable to the 7mm in terms of ballistics.  I'm pretty interested in the .308 Ruger Gunsite Scout, and I've read that its a pretty functional rifle.

Any opinions?

[Biggerhammer]

The 7mm WSM will walk all over the .308 Win in cruise mode in any scenario.

[bobcat]

If you want something that does better at long range than the 7mm WSM, then you don't want a 308. You'd be going down in velocity, which is not going to gain you anything, except less recoil.

For a noticeable jump in power you would need to go to something like a 7mm Ultra Mag or 300 Ultra Mag.

You could just go with a 7mm Remington Magnum, or 300 Winchester Magnum, but with those you're gaining very little over your 7 WSM.

[Huntbear]

Hey all,

I currently own a 7mm WSM, and to date, have killed everything I've shot at with it, including deer, bear and a bull elk.

But I'm looking for something with a bit more 'oomph' to it for longer shots.  The elk I shot was a shade under seventy yards, so I'm concerned that a longer shot may take some of the starch out of the round by the time it gets there. 

I hear a lot of good things about the .308, including the fact that it is pretty comparable to the 7mm in terms of ballistics.  I'm pretty interested in the .308 Ruger Gunsite Scout, and I've read that its a pretty functional rifle.

Any opinions?

To get more "OOMPH"  you will need to step up to a bigger round..  300 wsm and up..  If you really want to bridge the gap, get a .338 WM.  Will put a hurting on anything you want to shoot at out to 600 yards if you can shoot that far..  I know it will knock a 5x5 bull elk flat at 410 yards.       He fell where he stood and never made a whimper..

[yorketransport]

If I were looking to step up from the 7mm WSM, I'd start with a 338 Win Mag and move up from there. The various 300 mags don't offer much improvement over the 7 WSM.

If you really want to move up, look into a 375 Ruger. You will see and hear the difference when an animal is hit with any of the 375s when compared to a 7mm or 30 caliber.

Andrew

[Three_Oh_Eight]

I think you already have as much "ooomph" as anyone can stand.  As a matter of fact, I'd be a lot more concerned with the 75 yard shot you've already succeeded at.  The 7mm WSM is actually a bit faster than the 7mm Remington Magnum and fast/overbore cartridges tend to cause bullets do some funny things at close ranges due to the higher velocities.  They don't really come into their own until they pass the 200 yard line.

If you want to be able to shoot just as flat and want a bigger "whack" on the target, you'll have to move up to a cartridge that uses a bullet with a wider frontal area.  Because of physics, you'll have to also increase the length of the bullet to match the aerodynamic qualities that exist in your 7mm.  For instance, you'd probably have to shoot a 200 to 210gr .308 caliber bullet to match the aerodynamic qualities of a 162gr 7mm bullet.  To push 200gr of bullet the same speed as 162gr bullets, you'll have to move to a significantly larger case with more powder and a lot more recoil unless you add a bunch of weight to the rifle or brake it.

Doesn't that all sound like a pain in the ass?  I thought so too.  Just stick with what you got and pick a good bullet and you'll be fine!  I'm using 140gr Barnes Tipped TSXs and Reloader 22 at a velocity of just under 3200 fps for hunting and my reasonable limit is around 400 yards from field positions under the right conditions.  When it comes time to play at longer ranges on steel targets with the use of bags and a bi-pod, I use 162gr A-MAXs and Reloader 22 at 2850fps.  It seems slower, but they don't bleed velocity and shoot flatter out past 500 yards than the other stuff.

[beagledog]

Did the elk die when hit at just under seventy yards? I would say that that bullet at that speed will not perform at seventy yards like it will at 150 or 200 +. That bullet is moving to fast to perform to it's potential at that range( 70 yards).

[FALFire]

You want more oomph, step up to the 338 Edge or go home but in reality, that 7WSM will do plenty and way more than a 308.

[Elk whack master]

why 338 edge and not just 338wm? 

[Biggerhammer]

why 338 edge and not just 338wm? 

Haha! Why not a .338 Ultra or a Lapua for that matter. People love to say Lapua but the fact of the matter is, both the Edge and Ultra are faster but what does that matter when a animal is taking a hit from any of the three, dead is dead. The .338 Win Mag is plenty the rest is just the rest.

[Elk whack master]

LA-POOOOOOO-A  I said POO!

[jackelope]

why 338 edge and not just 338wm? 

Haha! Why not a .338 Ultra or a Lapua for that matter. People love to say Lapua but the fact of the matter is, both the Edge and Ultra are faster but what does that matter when a animal is taking a hit from any of the three, dead is dead. The .338 Win Mag is plenty the rest is just the rest.

The ultra will clearly make an elk more deader than the Lapua will. That's why its called Ultra...like ultra-dead.
Duhhh....

[FC]

So dead it will go back in time and die the day before!

[jackelope]

Yesterday dead? Wow. That's really ultra dead.

[washelkhntr]

I thought ultras killed stuff by just being in the woods.

[FC]

I thought ultras killed stuff by just being in the woods.

I've heard this story!

[Biggerhammer]

I thought ultras killed stuff by just being in the woods.

Now that is a fact.

[jackelope]

I thought ultras killed stuff by just being in the woods.

Chuck Norris type killing.

[6x6in6]

The 7mm WSM has plenty of oomph to drop deer and elk out to 400.
My 7mm RM has done so and ballistic wise, they are pretty close to being on par with each other.  The WSM being just slightly slower.

Just hone your shooting skills.  You stick a 160 or 175 gr bullet in the boiler room, it will hit the dirt.

The 308 is a step backwards.  You really want more, go with any one of the 338 family as mentioned above.

[Biggerhammer]

I have my preferences,  I've shot them with allot smaller and a whole lot bigger and they all ate the same, accept the one I shot in the rut.

[6x6in6]

I have my preferences, 

You coming out of the gun closet with your Tikka huh?   

[Biggerhammer]

I have my preferences, 

You coming out of the gun closet with your Tikka huh?   

Heck no, I tried to pick one up and get past my complete and total distain for them but I started dry heaving and gagging so bad. I about puked up my daily dose of Redbull.

[6x6in6]

I have my preferences, 

You coming out of the gun closet with your Tikka huh?   

Heck no, I tried to pick one up and get past my complete and total distain for them but I started dry heaving and gagging so bad. I about puked up my daily dose of Redbull.

LOL!

[hambone]

i shoot the 7mmshort mag my self i shoot 150 grain bullets out of it the one thing i can tell you if you hit the animal in its vitals its going down shot a whitetail at 300 hundred yards it went right over on its back

[Biggerhammer]

i shoot the 7mmshort mag my self i shoot 150 grain bullets out of it the one thing i can tell you if you hit the animal in its vitals its going down shot a whitetail at 300 hundred yards it went right over on its back

The .270 WSM has the same effect. All the WSM's are performers.

[CoyoteChuck52]

Agree with you have plenty in the 7mm WSM to take care of what your hunting...But if your looking a little more pop and stay with the short action then what about a 325 WSM? Just a thought.

7WSM with a 180g bullet somewhere around 2850fps/3247ft.lbs,300WSM 180g bullet 2980fps/3549ft.lbs, 325WSM w/180g bullet=3095fps/3841ft.lbs

I am looking at these cartridges right now myself and to include the 270WSM .....feeling the need for a new Browning X-Bolt for my eastcost whitetail rifle

All -n-all you have plenty of cartridge...for myself any of those I just listed will work fine with proper shot placement and a good bullet(Barnes TTSX if I'm picking)

So I really think it just comes down to which one has that "cool factor" to "You"? Myself I like the thought of the 325 but it is overkill for what I will be using it for and the bullet selection is not as good as say the 270,7mm or 30cals but you still can go from a 150g upto say 220g and Barnes put out a 160g TTSX that leaves me saying that is cool and I want a 325WSM

In the end I think I am going to go with the 270WSM just because I have never owned a 270cal, The bullet weights are perfect for what I'm going to use it on...Whitetails and coyotes

[Andrew]

Stay away from the Gunsite...hate to say it is all hype.  Have you gotten your hands on it yet?  The bolt is very sloppy, enough slop to cause it to jam or hesitate if not being slid perfectly aligned when loading a cartridge. 

[copasj]

It sounds like you weren't impressed with it at 70 yards.  The round itself seems easily capable for quite some distance.  A change in bullet might get you what you are looking for as opposed to a new rifle.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

[FC]

Man 2 pages and NO 30-06 guys chiming in. 

That is because they know that the .270 is superior and don't want to start anything. 

[Biggerhammer]

Jack O didn't brain wash me with his .277 rambleings. Maybe he should have talked them into stuffing that .277 diameter bullet into a bigger case back then. Instead of being such a sissy/ panty waist and slamming the big .30 cal magnums.

[TwoSixFourWins]

I hunted a few years with a 7mmWSM and it will drop critters farther out than most have the skill to shoot, certainly father than I had the skill or desire to shoot. I used 140 grain ballistic tips, sierra game kings, and 160 grain fail safes and all killed deer dead as dead can be. 7mmWSM held the 1000 yard world record group at one point.
 

[longstevo]

Hey thanks guys.  I was looking at the Ruger Gunsite because of the capacity for a box magazine, and had read some articles singing its praises, so I haven't had a chance to get my hands on one yet. 

But it sounds like I have a higher quality rifle with what I have, so I think I might save the money and spend that money on some other firearm. 

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

[woodswalker]

First of all...you will lose by going to the .308, stick with your 7mm WSM and get GOOD bullets...E-tips, TSX/TTSX or MRX/LRX or Partitions/one of the bonded bullets to take care of the near-to-you stuff.  just a bullet performance issue there.

OTOH...plugging for the 30-06....try buying 7mm/any WSM in Podunk's Country Hardware, may or may not have it...but I'll guarantee that they have 7mm RM, 30-06 and 300WM. 

Just dont be like one of my hunting partners who grabbed his .300 Savage model 99 and his .308 ammo...he was TICKED...and hunted with my Super Blackhawk that weekend.

[Bob33]

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

Multiple millimeters by .393.   7 x .393 = .275. 7mm is smaller than .308.

[Curly]

.284 caliber is 7.21 mm. 

I guess they rounded the 7.21 down to 7mm...........  

.277 caliber is actually closer to 7.0 mm.  (So the .270 Win is a 7 mm)..............    

[longstevo]

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

Multiple millimeters by .393.   7 x .393 = .275. 7mm is smaller than .308.

Aha!  Finally, the key!  Thanks for that.

@Woodswalker:  So far, I have never grabbed the wrong ammo.  I can only imagine the hell that would come raining down amongst my own hunting camp! 

[RadSav]

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

Multiple millimeters by .393.   7 x .393 = .275. 7mm is smaller than .308.

Actually multiply by .0393 .  .284 would be the bullet diameter.  Just as .308 is the bullet diameter of the 30 cal. and .277 for the 270.  If I'm not mistaken you do not start having bullet diameter listed the same as caliber listing until you reach the medium bore cartridges at .338.

[bobcat]

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

Multiple millimeters by .393.   7 x .393 = .275. 7mm is smaller than .308.

Actually multiply by .0393 .  .284 would be the bullet diameter.  Just as .308 is the bullet diameter of the 30 cal. and .277 for the 270.  If I'm not mistaken you do not start having bullet diameter listed the same as caliber listing until you reach the medium bore cartridges at .338.

What about the 223 Remington, 243 Winchester, and 257 Roberts?

[RadSav]

I get confused between the American calibers and metric calibers.  So 7mm > .308

Multiple millimeters by .393.   7 x .393 = .275. 7mm is smaller than .308.

Actually multiply by .0393 .  .284 would be the bullet diameter.  Just as .308 is the bullet diameter of the 30 cal. and .277 for the 270.  If I'm not mistaken you do not start having bullet diameter listed the same as caliber listing until you reach the medium bore cartridges at .338.

What about the 223 Remington, 243 Winchester, and 257 Roberts?

Wouldn't you consider those 22, 6mm and 25 caliber rounds?

[yorketransport]

First of all...you will lose by going to the .308, stick with your 7mm WSM and get GOOD bullets...E-tips, TSX/TTSX or MRX/LRX or Partitions/one of the bonded bullets to take care of the near-to-you stuff.  just a bullet performance issue there.

OTOH...plugging for the 30-06....try buying 7mm/any WSM in Podunk's Country Hardware, may or may not have it...but I'll guarantee that they have 7mm RM, 30-06 and 300WM. 

Just dont be like one of my hunting partners who grabbed his .300 Savage model 99 and his .308 ammo...he was TICKED...and hunted with my Super Blackhawk that weekend.

That's funny!

Woodswalker, I tried to send you a PM but your box is full.

Andrew