Weatherby Mark V Hunter 7MM-08 rifle, 22 in barrel, 4 rd capacity, bronze speck synthetic finish

Based on the 308 Winchester case necked down, the 7mm-08 Remington was an obvious and popular wildcat cartridge before its adoption by Remington in 1980. Performance is very similar to the 7x57 Mauser, except that the 7mm-08's 2.0457-inch case can be housed in short actions, and because it's a recent cartridge chambered to modern rifles 7mm-08 ammunition is loaded to higher pressure. The 7mm-08 has become extremely popular; like the 7x57 it is an ideal whitetail cartridge, and an excellent choice for hunters who want accuracy, efficiency, and versatility without a lot of recoil and muzzle blast. Both rifles and ammunition are offered by most manufacturers, with the most common load featuring a 140-grain bullet at 2860 fps. With this load and good bullets the 7mm-08 is adequate for elk, but is at its best for deer-sized game. — Craig Boddington