308 needs less barrel i think in most cases than 7 08, but unless youre planning on pushing the distance, a 16 or 18 inch 7 08 should be just fine!
You should be able to get a slippery 7mm bullet flying fast enough with the short 7 08 to make it a viable choice against wind vs a typical short barrel 308 win class cartridge.
Your expected use, distance to target, sitting still vs moving etc expanded might be helpful to get better answers flowing.