I’ve fished all of the rods you mentioned. Personally I’d go with the 7wt X. The meridians cast great but if you try to punch a fly into the wind the loop falls apart and they aren’t the greatest fish fighting rods.
I almost exclusively fish my 908 Meridian in Aruba where it's consistently blowing 25-30 MPH. And I generally fish very heavy flies. Casting in that wind sucks with any rod, but I don't have this problem. I've tried both the Airlo Chard Tropical Punch taper and the SA Bonefish Amplitude taper--the Chard is better in the wind, but the SA line does just fine once you have enough line out--not enough mass up front for very windy days. A loop that collapses into the wind either has a bad shape or not enough line speed (or there's something weird about the leader/fly that is causing issues). I am certain that the Meridian can create a ton of line speed and also shape pointy loops, so the problem is either with the caster, the line, or the terminal tackle... not the rod.
Also, a 7 weight line is going to have less mass than an 8 weight line of the same taper/brand (and hopefully across tapers and brands, but that's not always true). Less mass = worse performance in the wind. No matter what rod you're using, even if it gives you a little extra line speed, you're going to be better off with the heavier line in the wind. It's physics. Heavier lines give you the ability to cast heavier flies, longer casts, and more stability in the wind. The benefit of fishing a lighter line is a more delicate presentation, so you have to counterbalance how much presentation vs ability to deliver the fly matters. It's easy to confuse line weight with rod weight, but line weight is what really matters here. You very well might prefer a Method 7 with an 8 weight line for the wind over the Meridian 8. That would be completely reasonable.
As for fish fighting, once again, I haven't run into any problems with the 908 Meridian. Especially with bonefish, the reel has a lot more to do with the fight than the rod. You let them run, you let the drag do its job, and then you reel them back with maybe a little rod action. You're not doing any lifting really. Bonefish generally tire themselves out pretty after 2 or 3 runs--my personal best took all of 6 minutes to land and not once did I have to stress my rod anywhere near the point it my break. Is there any other way a rod can not be up to fighting a fish? The only thing I can think of is length (trying to land fish on spey rods can be a pain), and that isn't an issue in conversation.
My 908 Meridian is probably my favorite rod that I own. From flats fishing to throwing 300 grain lines and big streamers at giant trout, it does it all. Cast the 7 and 8 against each other (and against the Xs) and see what you like. Rod selection is mostly personal preference, but there are some objective facts that make one rod better or worse than another for a specific task.
