7mm-08 vs. .308: A Long Range Shootout

One was forged for battle. The other was designed exclusively with long-range recreational shooting in mind.

The 7mm-08 and 308 Winchester are both great solutions for anchoring bucks! But is one round superior to the other?

We’re shooting l-o-o-ong range today. Let’s lock and load!

7mm-08 vs. 308: Cartridge Specs

Let’s begin by examining the differences between these rounds’ SAAMI (i.e. official) specifications.

Since the 7mm-08’s parent case is the 308, it has almost identical dimensions as well. Both fit in a short-action rifle. This is important to note, as it means the primary difference between the 7mm-08 Rem and the 308 Winchester are the bullets they fire.

7mm-08 vs. 308: Recoil

The 7mm-08 has less recoil, but only by a small margin.

308 Win factory loads have around 22 ft-lbs of free recoil energy on average. Compare that to the 17 ft-lbs average recoil for the 7mm-08 Rem. That’s about 20% less recoil, which is significant!

Any capable shooter can handle either round’s recoil. But if you were given a choice between the two and only cared about experiencing the lightest possible recoil, then the 7mm-08 would necessarily be your better choice. You’d still have a rifle that can harvest a bull elephant (although hunting elephant with either of these rounds would be inadvisable).

7mm-08 vs. 308: Accuracy

Comparing the accuracy of two different cartridges is extremely difficult, as accuracy is more a product of a rifle and its shooter than it is an intrinsic quality of the cartridge itself. Really, it’s nigh impossible to account for all the different factors that contribute to accuracy.

You could argue that the lower recoil of the 7mm-08 would lead to better accuracy. It’s certainly not enough to guarantee better accuracy, though.

Simply put, both the 308 Win and the 7mm-08 Rem are going to deliver sub-MOA groups so long as you do your part.

7mm-08 vs. 308: Trajectory

A bullet’s trajectory is the path it travels en route to its target. It’s measured by stating the bullet’s elevation, in inches, at multiple distances leading up to and extending beyond the target; e.g. -1.5” at 0 yards, 2.2” at 100 yards, 0.0” at 200 yards, 300, -6.3” at 400 yards, and so on.

It’s common to describe a cartridge’s trajectory as being “flat.” The constant force of gravity renders it impossible for anything with mass to exhibit a truly “flat” trajectory. What “flat” really means is “flat compared to other cartridges.”

The 7mm-08 and 308 have almost identical bullet drops at 400 yards when their bullets share a similar weight. The difference between the two rounds becomes more evident when you get out into the longer ranges.

That being said, even at 700 yards, a 308 bullet drops approximately 138” and a 7mm-08 drops approximately 126”. That’s only a 12” difference.

Now, you could argue that this could spell the difference between a hit and a miss, and you might be correct. However, it is rare that you would be shooting factory ammo across such extreme distances.

That’s strictly handload territory. Although there is a slight difference in trajectory at extreme distances, the 7mm-08 and the 308 have very similar trajectories at almost all practical ranges.

7mm-08 vs. 308: Ballistic Coefficient

”Ballistic coefficient” (BC) is a term that shooters either really pay attention to or avoid like the plague. Put simply, BC is a mathematical representation of how aerodynamic a bullet is and how well it resists wind drift.

Heavier bullets typically have higher BC. A higher BC means the bullet is more streamlined and is less susceptible to wind drift than a bullet with a lower BC.

Since the 308 Winchester can fire heavier bullets, you might logically assume that all 308s have a higher BC. In reality, this is not necessarily the case.

In general, 308 bullets have slightly higher BCs than their 7mm-08 counterparts, but we are again splitting hairs here. Several 7mm-08 bullets outperform the 308, too. Consider the most common match grade bullet for the 308 Winchester: the 168 grain Sierra MatchKing, which has a BC of 0.450. Then consider the 7mm-08 139 grain SST bullet, which has a higher BC of 0.486.

Bottom line: Both the 308 Win and the 7mm-08 Rem have spectacular BCs and resist wind drift effectively.

7mm-08 vs. 308: Sectional Density

Sectional density (SD) is a measure of how well a bullet penetrates a target. This is extremely important for big game hunters who need a bullet that can punch through thick hide, bone, and sinew.

SD is calculated by comparing the bullet’s weight and diameter. The higher the number, the greater the bullet’s capacity for penetration.

The 7mm-08 bullet’s narrower diameter helps it penetrate flesh more efficiently. For reference, a 140 grain 7mm-08 bullet has an SD of 0.248 – the same as a significantly heavier 165 grain 308 bullet!

This is a big selling point for the 7mm-08: similar penetration out of a lighter bullet, with less accompanying recoil to boot.

Read the full breakdown: “7mm-08 vs. .308: A Long Range Shootout”

Source: https://freedombunker.com/2025/08/25/7mm-08-vs-308/