Used 7-08 Buy It or Take a Pass?

[Mainer]

Kittery Trading Post's used gun website lists a 7-08 Handi in 95% condition with youth stocks and a Bushnell scope.  The price is $215.

I would need to replace the youth stocks because they would be too small.  Are replacement stocks still available through H&R?

I don't see many 7-08 Handis available.

Do the 7-08 Handis have a good reputation, or is it a problematic chambering?

For the price, and given that I would need to replace the stocks, is this a "must buy" or only an "okay" deal?

[jlwilliams]

  By the time you replace the stock, I would call it an OK deal. 

[cwlongshot]

I agree, all costs considered, its only OK. Maybe you can get some off saying you cannot use it as-is? Or maybe they have an "IN" to lower cost stocks?

The 708 is a great caliber. I have shot and loaded for it for many years. I do not have any experience with it in a Handi. I believe it is well liked and see no reason it would not be just fine as Handis are chambered in like calibers for some time.

CW

[Troyboy]

I'd go for it. You can do some trading or buy and sell on the classfieds. You can't buy and scope a new one for what you will be into this one. JMO

[petemi]

If you're hunting in Maine and and wear the heavy stand clothes we wear on "Da U.P.", you may like the youth stock.  It won't hang up in your jacket on the way to your shoulder.

Pete

[Mainer]

Thanks for the feedback.  I may pick it up.  Maybe I can talk them down to $200.00 and, if the youth stock set is truly unusable for me, sell it off as well.

Does anyone know if H&R is still selling stock sets?  I don't see them listed on the H&R accessory barrel page or elsewhere on their site.  I do see Choate synthetic stock sets for sale elsewhere online for $19.00 for the forend and $42.00 for a Monte Carlo butstock.

[FW Conch]

If that's the total cost to your door, if the scope is a Banner or better, it is a good deal.  The 7mm-08 is

a great round & good in the Handi as far as "bottleneck" cartridges go. Many of us agree that "designated"

frames is the way to go & that being said we can't have too many frames.    Jim

[Singleshotsam]

Buy it,

Sell the stocks, if you don't like the scope sell it, if you don't like the bbl, sell it.

Keep the reciever, outfit accordingly to your taste by spending the money you've earned selling the other stuff.

[murphdog]

I'm going to second what Pete said about trying on that youth stock with your hunting clothes before selling it.  I found that I preferred a shorter stock for hunting with my handi, especially when in a tree stand.  Shorter is handier.  For summertime target shooting, just put on a slip-on recoil pad to make it fit for T-shirt weather. 
I don't own a 7-08, but I see a lot of good comments about them here on Graybeards.  While maybe not a steal, I think thats a good price, and I would take it if I were looking for that chambering. 
Duane

[quickdtoo]

Does anyone know if H&R is still selling stock sets?  I don't see them listed on the H&R accessory barrel page or elsewhere on their site.  I do see Choate synthetic stock sets for sale elsewhere online for $19.00 for the forend and $42.00 for a Monte Carlo butstock.

H&R still sells all of their stocks, you can see them in the FAQs and Help sticky on the Retail Parts Price list page, Brownell's also sells many of them. The H&R classifieds here is a great place to buy/sell/trade too.

Tim

[cbourbeau32]

I would see if I could get it for $215 shipped to your FFL. I think you will like the 7mm-08. Mine shoots great right out of the box with my handloads. You can probably pick up a reasonably priced NEF shotgun at your local pawn shop (I bought 2 recently for about $80 each out the door) you should be able to use the stocks from the shot gun and sell someone on GBO the barrel and receiver. Charlie

[Mainer]

Thanks again for the feedback.

The $215.00 asking price is for me to pickup at the Kittery Trading Post, which is 60 highway mi away, which is what makes this interesting.  Round trip cost to get there is less than $10.00 in gas.

Thanks for all of the info on stocks.  Further research reveals, that I can get a Choate butstock and forend through Midway for less than $50.00, but I may go for the option of ordering the checkered Ultra stocks through Brownells.

[dpe.ahoy]

I think ya don't see the 7mm-08 for sale 'cause those of us who have em don't want to sell em.   DP