Looking to invest in a 7mm rifle for deer size beasties, favoring the classic 7x57, but the choices are endless.
7mm08, 7x57, 7mm mag, 270, 270IA, 280, 280AI, 280 Nosler, just to name a few...
Your thoughts..
Please

If you don't hand load then the 7-08, 280, 270 or 7mag. If you do and don't mind a non-standard or very scarce case then perhaps one of the AI or the Nosler. My personal preference, and one that really needs to be handloaded, is the ancient and honorable 7x57.

Handload for everything I own

Hello Zephyr, I started my "hunting career" with grandfathers over/under combination gun 16/7x57R. With it I have shot numerous roe deer, fellow deer and mouflon with perfect satisfaction. Much later I shifted to a now custom made rifle chambered for the rimless version. In the past I used heavier soft point bullets from various makers, currently I use 150 grain bullets and up usually made by Norma, Nosler and Woodleigh.
I am certain this is the rifle/caliber that I stay with even in my old age...

7mm-08 or .284

7-08 is hard to beat for a comfortable short action deer rifle etc. I really like this round. I also like the .280, or .280 AI a lot. If I'm looking to hunt elk and antelope, where 400 yd. plus shots may be a consideration, I personally would opt for the .280 AI. Since you do reload, you would probably like it a lot. Great all purpose round, and should give you basically the same ballistics as the 7mag, without the belted case etc.
If classic appeals to you, then of course, the 7x57 is your answer. The 7-08 is practically a mirror image of it, in a short action.

Deer under 300 yards I'd go 7-08. 140 grains at 2850 is just about perfect.

Went through the same choice a few years ago, also handload, and chose 7mm-08 though anyone of them will do fine.

Mine's for close and long range deer, antelope, elk, bear in a lighter weight package. Accuracy is almost all i care about vs. the endless arguments about magnum vs. non, premium bullets, blah blah blah. For accuracy I need practice (lots). For lots of practice I need something I can shoot in volume with comfort at a reasonable cost. 7mm-08 fit the bill but, again, any of them would do it just fine.

I would suggest what rifle you choose may have some bearing on what calibre you choose. If you insist on a short action then the 7mm08 is hard to beat. If the rifle you choose is a std action and you handload then the 280 would be my choice hands down.

7x57

Of those you mentioned, 270 WCF or 7 X 57. As you handload it really won't matter much except in ones mind. In reality they're all so close in ballistics. Start splitting hairs and looking at paper ballistics and it becomes an argument. I would bet a significant sum of money there isn't a deer on the face of the earth that contemplates with which cartridge it would rather be shot.

My oldest son has a .284 Win in an old Ruger M77 flat bolt long action. With 130 140 and 150 grain bullets it is a real killer Deer Elk and Antelope, my youngest boy has a 280 and they basically shoot the same loads same powders same bullets at the same speeds.
Either one of those is a great choice.

I have taken game with the 7mm-08, 7x57, 280, 280 AI, 7mm RM, and 7mm Mashburn. I think my favorited is the 280 Rem, but they are all great.

I have owned and used a 7x61, a 7x57 and a 7mm-08. Have also shot a couple of Roe deer with a 7x65R and been around a few kills where my German friend has used his 7x64.

The 7x61 with 160gr bullet at 3000fps is hard to beat but the rifle although extremely accurate and a pleasure to shoot was heavy. My 7x57 was on an intermediate actioned BSA Hunter, a fantastic rifle with the action specifically made for the 7x57 cartridge. With 140gr or 145gr bullets at 2850fps or thereabouts it was as great combination. Tried some Winchester loaded 175gr ammo but these heavier bullets are definitely not as efficient killers as the 140gr weight.

Now I just use a 7mm08 with 140gr bullets at around 2900fps. Nice compact light rifle with low recoil and noise, don't need anything else.

If I were in your shoes, this is what I'd do:

Short action - 7-08
Long action - 280

I like the 280.

Every cartridge listed is a good one... you'll never go wrong with a 270.

Of your list I have the 7/08, 7 Rem, 270. Add the 270 WSM, .270 Weatherby and 7STW to that. My personal favorite is the STW, with a growing weakness for the 270 WSM. That stubby little case is tossing 130s out of a Kimber Montans at 3400 fps. I've been playing with it on a 650 yard IPSC target for the last year or so. It must work out to 1 pound for every hundred yards.

You really can't go wrong,
I love my 7x57 , And 7mag to but i would be happy to hunt deer with any of the rounds on you list.
I like a 140 grain ballistic tip at around 2900 from my ruger #1 7x57.
Really all the deer cartridge anyone could ask for.
But as was stated in this thread , just pick the rifle you like.
A Blr in 7mm08 would be great !...tj3006

If you want to be like every other person out there get a .280 if you want to be a bit classier get 7x57.

However, if you want to be in class of your own get a 7x64.

I load mine to within a 100fps of my sons 7rem mag, it shoots as flat, hits as hard and costs me less to load!

Thanks for all the great replies..

For deer hunting where you live the 7mmm-08, 140 grain Accubond and 45.5 grains of Ramshot Big Game is an awesome combination. Just over 2,800fps.

I have multiple 7x57's a couple of 7MM-08's a couple of 270's one 280. the 7X57 is my favorite and I've taken deer with all of them and the deer didn't care which one I used. Find a rifle you like and pick one, you won't go wrong with any of them.

The best choice is the 275 Rigby.

I have had a few 7x57's and still have one for the simple reason that the 7x57 does all that a hunting cartridge needs to do. 120gn bullet to 3200fps or the 160gn to 2700fps is a great all rounder. I also had a 7x61 S&H but now if I was going to look at more than the 7x57 I would look to the 7x64 or the 280 (maybe AI) which are two very worthwhile cartridges in the "just a little bit more" department whether it is needed or not.

7x64 ! Same ballistics as the .280 Rem but rifling twist aimed at heavier bullets (160-175 gn).

Lots of good choices. Decide what you are willing to put up with to have the rifle and then pick one.

I really like the 7-08...anything heavier than 140s go the 280 AI....

Ed

quote:

For accuracy I need practice (lots). For lots of practice I need something I can shoot in volume with comfort at a reasonable cost.

mt Al makes a good point....

I recently picked up a Rem 30-06 in a trade and I immediately un-corked the factory barrel and ordered up a Lothar/Walther .284-9" barrel and it is now a .280 Ren. I went back and forth for several days about the 280-AI and chose the straight .280 because if I trade this gun off, which I will, I don't want to be hindered by someone that just wants a gun to hunt w/ and buy factory ammo for. Where I live I have a choice of more than a few stores that all have several selections of .280Rem ammo and no-one has any .280-AI at all. I did find one load @ $50/box of 20 at MidwayUSA and I need to add shipping onto the price. My shooting budget has been shot to he-double tooth-picks in the last few years and I can't believe how high prices have and are going.

Oh buy the way.... The elk pictured below my name, I didn't shoot. I blue-printed the action for the guy that did shoot it. The caliber? .280 Rem.

Short action-7mm-08
Long action 280 or 280 AI

SA - 7-08
LA - 280/280 AI

This is exactly what I was thinking.

But I would add:
Intermediate length action - 7x57.
You handload, so you can deal with the many ideosyncratic variables of existing 7x57 rifles.

I have had just about every 7mm rifle made, I sold them off and kept my Remington 700 Mountain rifle in 7x57.
It puts venison in the freezer on a regular basis, no need for a magnum.
I easily get 2840 fps with 140 Nosler Partition bullets, if I go moose hunting, the 160 NP will be used.
The little 7x57 puts game down as fast as my 7mm STW did and without all the mess and wasted meat.

The 7x64 is a fine round..

M

7WSM.

Forget the short necks , shallow throats, and mediocre twists and go with the intelligently designed 7 X 57. roger

The 284 Winchester would be an excellent choice.

Zephyr,

What rifles do you have now and how do you hunt? Would a light handy woods rifle fit or a longer range rifle? There are some excellent fields in VT and also the woods.

I have a place in VT and both kinds of rifles.

Of the 7mm's I shoot a 7mm Rem. Mag, 7x57 and a 7-08.

quote:

Originally posted by Zephyr:
Handload for everything I own

If you handload, I'd opt for the 7mm Weatherby.

You cannot go wrong with the 7mm08 for deer up to 300 meters.

My Kimber Montana is around 6 lbs with 2-8X scope and is a joy to carry in the bush. I do not see any difference on game compare to my 280 Ack Imp.

I shoot mostly 150 gr bullets - TSX, Remington etc. with AR 2208 (Varget) and I get around 2700 fps. I think that is adequate for large red deer and may be even elk with the TSX.

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:
Deer under 300 yards I'd go 7-08. 140 grains at 2850 is just about perfect.

I like the 7x57 hands down but only if you handload...otherwise the 7-08 "might" be a best bet, but wouldn't swear to it...In a lever action I would opt for the 284 Win in a Savage 99.....They are all good calibers you mention.

However if you are a one gun rifleman, then perhaps it would be wise to choose the largest caliber in .284 that you can shoot well from a recoil standpoint, such as a 280 or 7 mag.? I'm such a 7x57 fan and I have shot so much game with it, that I tend to be prejudice to the caliber.