The 7mm-08 Remington is a .284-inch (7 mm) rimless bottleneck centerfire rifle cartridge made by necking the .308 Winchester case down to 7 mm, adopted by Remington as a factory cartridge in 1980, and loaded today with roughly 120 to 162 grain bullets for deer and other medium game hunting.
This guide sets out the velocity, energy and drop that Nosler, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Norma and HSM publish for their own 7mm-08 loads, then compares SAAMI’s reference data for the cartridge with the 308 Winchester, the case it is built on.
7mm-08 Remington ballistics chart
Each row is one load, identified by the maker’s item number, with the velocity and energy that maker prints for it at the muzzle. Read the last column before comparing rows: Nosler’s 120 gr row names a 24 in barrel with a 1-9.5 in twist, Hornady and the Nosler 150 gr row name 24 in, Norma gives 610 mm / 24 in, and Federal, Remington and HSM state no test barrel at all. The ballistic coefficient column is filled only where a maker prints one, and only Norma states the drag model with it.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nosler 120gr Spitzer Ballistic Tip Hunting | 40060 | 120 gr | 120gr Spitzer Ballistic Tip Hunting | 3,000 fps | 2,397 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Deer, antelope and hogs | 24 in, 1-9.5 in twist |
| Hornady InterLock SP | 8057 | 139 gr | InterLock SP | 2,840 fps | 2,489 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Deer hunting | 24 in |
| Federal Fusion Soft Point | F708FS1 | 140 gr | Fusion Soft Point | 2,850 fps | 2,525 ft-lb | 0.390 not labeled on page | Deer hunting | not published |
| Remington Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt | 21337 | 140 gr | Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt | 2,860 fps | 2,543 ft-lb | .390 not labeled on page | Big-game hunting | not published |
| Hornady ELD-X | 85578 | 150 gr | ELD-X | 2,770 fps | 2,555 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Big-game hunting at extended range | 24 in |
| Nosler 150gr Spitzer AccuBond Long Range Bullet | 61020 | 150 gr | 150gr Spitzer AccuBond Long Range Bullet | 2,750 fps | 2,518 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Big-game hunting, near or far | 24 in |
| Norma TIPSTRIKE | 20170362 | 160 gr | TIPSTRIKE | 2,690 fps | 2,571 ft-lb | 0.51 G1 | Driven hunts, fast shots and moving targets | 610 mm / 24 in |
| HSM Ammunition SST | HSM-7mm08-12-N | 162 gr | SST | 2,512 fps | 2,270 ft-lb | not published, drag model not stated | Not published | not published |
Velocity and energy downrange
Velocity and retained energy stop where each maker’s own table stops: Nosler’s run to 800 yd, and Hornady’s, Federal’s and Remington’s to 500 yd, so a cell marked “Not published” means the maker’s table ended before that range. Norma’s page gives its downrange table in meters only and HSM’s gives muzzle figures only, so neither appears in this table; both are in the muzzle table above.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nosler 120 gr (24 in, 1-9.5 in twist) | 3,000 fps / 2,397 ft-lb | 2,772 fps / 2,047 ft-lb | 2,555 fps / 1,740 ft-lb | 2,349 fps / 1,470 ft-lb | 2,152 fps / 1,234 ft-lb | 1,965 fps / 1,028 ft-lb | 1,788 fps / 852 ft-lb | 1,623 fps / 702 ft-lb | 1,472 fps / 577 ft-lb |
| Hornady 139 gr (24 in) | 2,840 fps / 2,489 ft-lb | 2,608 fps / 2,098 ft-lb | 2,387 fps / 1,758 ft-lb | 2,177 fps / 1,463 ft-lb | 1,978 fps / 1,207 ft-lb | 1,790 fps / 989 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 140 gr (not published) | 2,850 fps / 2,525 ft-lb | 2,615 fps / 2,126 ft-lb | 2,393 fps / 1,779 ft-lb | 2,181 fps / 1,479 ft-lb | 1,980 fps / 1,219 ft-lb | 1,791 fps / 997 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Remington 140 gr (not published) | 2,860 fps / 2,543 ft-lb | 2,625 fps / 2,142 ft-lb | 2,402 fps / 1,793 ft-lb | 2,190 fps / 1,490 ft-lb | 1,988 fps / 1,229 ft-lb | 1,798 fps / 1,005 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 150 gr (24 in) | 2,770 fps / 2,555 ft-lb | 2,613 fps / 2,274 ft-lb | 2,461 fps / 2,018 ft-lb | 2,315 fps / 1,784 ft-lb | 2,173 fps / 1,573 ft-lb | 2,037 fps / 1,381 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 150 gr (24 in) | 2,750 fps / 2,518 ft-lb | 2,583 fps / 2,221 ft-lb | 2,421 fps / 1,952 ft-lb | 2,265 fps / 1,709 ft-lb | 2,116 fps / 1,491 ft-lb | 1,972 fps / 1,295 ft-lb | 1,833 fps / 1,119 ft-lb | 1,699 fps / 962 ft-lb | 1,570 fps / 820 ft-lb |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
A drop figure means nothing without its zero, so the zero is stated in each row. Only Nosler’s 120 gr Ballistic Tip and 150 gr AccuBond Long Range appear here, both zeroed at 100 yd; the other loads have no drop row on this page. Figures are inches above or below the line of sight.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nosler 120 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3 in | −11.4 in | −26.1 in | −48.3 in | −79.5 in | −121.7 in | −177 in |
| Nosler 150 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.7 in | −13.4 in | −29.8 in | −54 in | −87.2 in | −130.7 in | −186.4 in |
What the numbers mean for a shot
The cleanest comparisons in these tables are between two loads from one maker, tested in barrels of the same stated length. Nosler’s 120 gr Ballistic Tip leaves the muzzle at 3,000 fps and 2,397 ft-lb, and its 150 gr AccuBond Long Range at 2,750 fps and 2,518 ft-lb, both from 24 in barrels. The lighter bullet is faster at the muzzle, but the order changes downrange: at 400 yd the 120 gr is still ahead at 2,152 fps against 2,116 fps, and at 500 yd the 150 gr leads at 1,972 fps against 1,965 fps. By 800 yd the 150 gr retains 820 ft-lb to the 120 gr’s 577 ft-lb.
The lighter bullet’s faster start shows up in the drop. With the 100 yd zero Nosler states, the 120 gr is 11.4 in below the line of sight at 300 yd, 48.3 in at 500 yd and 177 in at 800 yd; the 150 gr is 13.4 in, 54 in and 186.4 in at the same ranges. A different zero moves every one of those figures, so do not carry them over to a rifle zeroed at another range.
Hornady’s InterLock SP and ELD-X show the same pattern from 24 in barrels. The 139 gr InterLock SP starts at 2,840 fps and 2,489 ft-lb and the 150 gr ELD-X at 2,770 fps and 2,555 ft-lb; by 500 yd the InterLock SP is down to 1,790 fps and 989 ft-lb while the ELD-X is at 2,037 fps and 1,381 ft-lb. Hornady prints no ballistic coefficient for either, so the tables show the result but not the reason.
A ballistic coefficient is the figure that would explain results like these, and most makers here do not print one: Hornady, Nosler and HSM show none for these loads. Federal lists 0.390 and Remington lists .390 for their 140 gr loads without saying which drag model they use, and Norma lists 0.51 on the G1 model for its 160 gr. A coefficient can only be compared with another on the same drag model, so do not read 0.390 against 0.51 as a difference until the model is stated. What the energy left at range is enough for is a question for the bullet maker’s guidance and your state’s rules; the tables report what a bullet carries, not what it does.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI’s standard for the 7mm-08 Remington, ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, sets a maximum average pressure of 61,000 psi. Its standard test barrel is 24.000 in long, with a twist of 1 turn in 9.50 in and a groove diameter of .2837 in. Nosler’s 120 gr row states a 24 in barrel with a 1-9.5 in twist, the same length and twist as SAAMI’s.
That pressure is SAAMI’s ceiling for the cartridge, not a measurement of any load in the tables above: the makers here publish velocity and energy, not pressure. Fire the 7mm-08 only in a rifle chambered and marked for it, and match the marking on the barrel to the cartridge named on the box and stamped on the case. The 7mm-08 is made by necking down the 308 Winchester case, which makes the two related but not interchangeable: SAAMI lists a groove diameter of .2837 in for the 7mm-08 and .308 in for the 308 Winchester.
Twist belongs to the rifle, not to the ammunition. The rifle’s markings and manual state its cartridge and its twist, and this page cannot check either for you. Where a maker states a 24 in test barrel, a rifle with a shorter or longer barrel should not be expected to match the published velocity.
Winchester 7mm-08: no published ballistics
Winchester’s 7mm-08 loads are not charted here, because Winchester’s own pages for the Power-Point 140 gr and the Deer Season XP 140 gr say that no ballistics data is available at this time. They are left out until Winchester publishes figures for them.
7mm-08 vs 308 Winchester: what the SAAMI reference data shows
Catalog tables from two makers cannot be set side by side. Each maker chooses its own test barrel, several publish none, and so a difference between a 7mm-08 row and a 308 Winchester row from different makers could come from the barrel as easily as from the cartridge.
SAAMI is the one shared basis. Its standard, ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, tests each cartridge it lists in a standard barrel and publishes velocity and pressure for reference loads, and the table below uses that and nothing from any maker’s catalog. SAAMI does not publish energy, so the energy figures are computed from SAAMI’s velocity and the bullet weight.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 7mm-08 Remington | 308 Winchester |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 61,000 psi | 62,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 9.50 in | 1 turn in 12.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .2837 in | .308 in |
| Lightest reference load | 120 gr — 2,990 fps / 2,382 ft-lb | 110 gr — 3,150 fps / 2,423 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 150 gr — 2,650 fps / 2,339 ft-lb | 150 gr — 2,800–2,980 fps / 2,611–2,957 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 150 gr — 2,650 fps / 2,339 ft-lb | 200 gr — 2,440 fps / 2,643 ft-lb |
Both cartridges are in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 and both are tested in a 24.000 in barrel, so the velocity rows are on one basis. The 7mm-08’s maximum average pressure is 61,000 psi against 62,000 psi for the 308 Winchester. The 7mm-08’s test barrel has a twist of 1 turn in 9.50 in against 1 turn in 12.00 in, and its groove diameter is .2837 in against .308 in, a smaller bore taking a narrower bullet from the same parent case.
The rows are SAAMI’s reference loads, not the loads in the manufacturers’ tables above. The lightest reference loads are different weights, so they are not like for like: 120 gr at 2,990 fps for the 7mm-08 and 110 gr at 3,150 fps for the 308 Winchester. Only 150 gr is listed for both. There the 7mm-08 reference load is 2,650 fps and 2,339 ft-lb, and the 308 Winchester’s is 2,800–2,980 fps and 2,611–2,957 ft-lb. SAAMI lists more than one 150 gr reference load for the 308 Winchester, which is why its cell shows a span. On SAAMI’s basis, the 308 Winchester reference loads at that weight are faster and carry more energy.
The last row repeats 150 gr for the 7mm-08 because that is the heaviest weight SAAMI lists for it; the 308 Winchester’s heaviest is 200 gr at 2,440 fps and 2,643 ft-lb. The table settles pressure, test-barrel conditions and reference velocity. It does not settle which cartridge holds its speed better downrange, because SAAMI publishes no bullet shape or ballistic coefficient, and its reference loads are test loads, not the range of bullets sold in each cartridge.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 308 ammo.
7mm-08 Remington ballistics questions
Is the 7mm-08 better than the 6.5 Creedmoor?
This page cannot rank them, because none of its tables holds 6.5 Creedmoor figures; the only cartridge set beside the 7mm-08 here is the 308 Winchester, on SAAMI’s reference data. A fair comparison needs both cartridges at the same bullet weight from a test barrel that is stated for each, which catalog rows that name no barrel cannot give you. For the 7mm-08 side, Nosler publishes its 150 gr AccuBond Long Range at 2,750 fps and 2,518 ft-lb at the muzzle and 1,570 fps and 820 ft-lb at 800 yd, from a 24 in barrel.
What is a 7mm-08 equal to?
The one cartridge this page measures it against is the 308 Winchester, whose case the 7mm-08 is made from, and on SAAMI’s data the two are not equal. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 61,000 psi for the 7mm-08 and 62,000 psi for the 308 Winchester, and at 150 gr, the one weight listed for both, the 7mm-08 reference load is 2,650 fps and 2,339 ft-lb against 2,800–2,980 fps and 2,611–2,957 ft-lb for the 308 Winchester. How the two hold their speed at range is not settled by that table, because SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient.
Is a 7mm-08 more powerful than a 270 Winchester?
This page holds no 270 Winchester figures, so it cannot answer directly. It does show what the 7mm-08 loads carry at the muzzle, each on its own maker’s basis: as low as 2,270 ft-lb for the HSM 162 gr, which states no test barrel, and as high as 2,571 ft-lb for the Norma 160 gr, from a 610 mm / 24 in barrel. A 270 Winchester row from another catalog should be set beside these only if its test barrel is stated and matches.
Is a 7mm-08 stronger than a 30-06?
The tables here do not include the 30-06, so they cannot say. Take care with the word “stronger”: the only pressure figure on this page is SAAMI’s maximum average pressure for the 7mm-08, 61,000 psi, which is a limit on the cartridge rather than a measure of how hard a bullet hits. The energy figures the makers list are the ones that speak to that, and for the 30-06 you would need its own rows, from SAAMI or from a maker on a stated barrel.
Does a 243 Winchester kick harder than a 7mm-08?
None of the tables here gives a recoil figure, and the SAAMI comparison has none either, so this page cannot say. What the tables do give for the 7mm-08 is bullet weight and muzzle velocity, for example 139 gr at 2,840 fps for the Hornady InterLock SP and 150 gr at 2,770 fps for the Hornady ELD-X, and there are no 243 Winchester rows to set beside them.
Can a 7mm-08 take down an elk?
None of the makers’ application lines in the muzzle table names elk. Nosler lists its 120 gr Ballistic Tip for deer, antelope and hogs, Hornady and Federal list their 139 gr InterLock SP and 140 gr Fusion Soft Point for deer hunting, Remington lists its 140 gr Core Lokt for big-game hunting, and Hornady’s 150 gr ELD-X and Nosler’s 150 gr AccuBond Long Range are listed for big-game hunting at extended range and “near or far”. The figures show what a bullet carries: 1,784 ft-lb for the ELD-X and 1,709 ft-lb for the AccuBond at 300 yd, and 1,381 ft-lb and 1,295 ft-lb at 500 yd. They do not show what it does in an animal, so check the bullet maker’s guidance and your state’s rules for the species.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 7mm-08 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
