Need a soft recoiling 7mm08 load for a kid.

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R.W.Dale

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I have a 7mm08 barrel coming hopefully by the weekend for my 7yo to use on my collapsable stocked encore to get his first whitetail deer.

I've always wanted a 7-08 and I figured this was a perfect excuse to buy one. Later I will buy the supplies and handload for the cartridge but for now I'd like recommendations for a soft recoiling factory deer load that'd be 200yd capable. For discussion sake lets assume the Remington managed recoil stuff is unavailable locally.
 
I know we all want to see them grow up and join in the fun. But I can't help thinking that a 7 year old is a trifle young to be filling the freezer with something that requires a good size cartridge.

What's wrong with rabbits and other small game taken with a .22 for a few more years until he's 10 or reaches something higher than 100 lbs? Perhaps instead of you pulling him up to deer at so young an age you cut back and BOTH of you go out looking for smaller game together? That avoids the "second fiddle" stigma that he might feel since you're both after the same game so you're both "equal".

I say this as someone that also owns a 7mm-08 Encore and loves it. But it's not the sort of thing I would want to give to a 7 year old and expect to achieve an ethical kill on a game animal.

And an '08 load is still an '08 load. Especially if you want it to reach out to 200 and produce a good kill.
 
I agree. I have 7 and 8 year-old boys, I think they are YEARS away from handling anything that big.I think they are fine to learn with .22s, probably until they are 10-12 at least. It doesn't do me or them any good to start them shooting something so big, that to them, it might as well be a 300 mag. To make it heavy enough to drop the recoil to a level they could handle, they wouldn't be able to lift it. Right now they can barely lift and hold a 10/22, it's not time for a full-size rifle.
 
Does ever thread on thr now require derailment with opiniated pointless drivel completely unrelated to the subject?

This kid has been hunting small game for a couple years and shoots everything from a 357 revolver to a ar15 better than most adults. I think I know my own son better than you guys when I say he's ready to shoot a deer from a blind sitting next to me with a 7-08.

If you can't answer the question please move along.




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
 
R.W.Dale said:
. I think I know my own son better than you guys when I say he's ready to shoot a deer from a blind sitting next to me with a 7-08.

If you can't answer the question please move along.




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
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Well said!!

Have you looked into Remington's reduced recoil 7-08 ammo? I've tried the 30-06 variety and its very soft recoiling. Works great on deer too.
 
jogar80 said:
P.S.
Don't know if they still offer it, but last time I was at Academy they did have reduced recoil in 7-08
Click to expand...

I'm gonna go by there tomorrow and hope they stock it but if not id like to have a plan B.

What's the opinion of 140 vs 120 g loads for this application.

Kudos to the staff also for handling this in a tactful yet firm manner




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
 
I know we all want to see them grow up and join in the fun. But I can't help thinking that a 7 year old is a trifle young to be filling the freezer with something that requires a good size cartridge.
Click to expand...

i know 7 year old GIRLS who have killed many deer with rifles. and they're normal sized girly girls too.

funny aside, this particular girl, when she was maybe 2-3 would say "poof" when her dad would ask "what sound do prairie dogs make?" it was a riot


edit: i know this doesn't fit your 7mm or factory load parameters, but if you got a 308win, and used the sabot with 75g 224. tips, you could load them to like, 3200 or so and still be way low recoil, then you could step up to regular 308 rounds as he got older. sabots aren't better than pie-plate accurate at 100 yards, but then, most deer hunters aren't either.
 
Well, for what it is worth, I use a 120 grain Sierra ProHunter, with 42 grains of Varget, and I set the COAL to whatever the Sierrra manual says, which I don't have with me right now. This works out to about 2200 ft lbs and it does recoil, but it is way lighter than commercial.

There are lighter loads avaiable. For a Mosin Nagant, I have oneload that uses Trail Boss (a very low density pistol powder) about 12.5 grains behind a 110 grain .308 bullet or 120 grain bullet and it gives about 650 ft lbs and feels like a .22LR. I have another load (not right in front of me right now) that gives about AR15 level performance (1100 ft lbs) with a bit more recoil.

Are any of these helpful?
 
I killed my first deer with a speer 115gr hollow point from a 7x57 loaded to 2950fps. The bullet made it into the deer then exploded for an instant kill. If I wanted a light load for my 7-08 I would use a light bullet like this or one of the 120gr bullets designed for the T/C style pistols at around 2200-2300 fps.

Sierra and Hornady both used to make bullets in 7mm for the lower speed specialty pistols that would expand at the lower velocities. And you can use the 4895s from either IMR or Hodgden starting with a 60 percent load from a full power load and go up from there. Using a chonograph is a good idea to help make sure you are getting over 2000fps from your load.

John Wooters used to write about using varmint bullets at reduced velocities in big game rifles and said at the slower speeds they became deep pentrating big game bullets. If you do it right the lighter bullets should land in the same group as a heavier 140gr bullet and you won't have to readjust your scope.
 
docsleepy said:
Well, for what it is worth, I use a 120 grain Sierra ProHunter, with 42 grains of Varget, and I set the COAL to whatever the Sierrra manual says, which I don't have with me right now. This works out to about 2200 ft lbs and it does recoil, but it is way lighter than commercial.
Click to expand...
Thinking the same thing, a 120gr Pro Hunter or Ballistic Tip with a starting load of Varget should kick lightly and group nicely.
If that is too stout I would recommend a good 243 or 6.5x55, both kick quite a bit less then my 7mm-08. I am not sold on the 223 for deer, sure it CAN be done but I still have my reservations about it, seen several small deer shot and require quite a bit of tracking..........I HATE tracking wounded deer.
 
The handload advice is appreciated and duly noted but for the short term I'm trying to get this all setup for this weekend.

And for more background he's shot this encore as a 9mm and has shot a s&w m&p 15-22 a great deal with the same stock pistol grip configuration. The 7-08 just ups the power of the platform to deer hunting levels, with 200 yd capabilities thrown in as id like to use the gun too.




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
 
.243 barrel might be a good way to go. It does recoil a good bit less than the 7mm-08, but is still capable on deer.
 
My buddy's 80 lb 12 year old girl shot a muley with a 7-08 last year using Rem factory loads. It's a nice shooting round.

From Hodgdon powder Youth loads;

7mm '08
120 gr HDY SP COL 2.800"
H4895 35.6 gr 2605 f/s

130 gr SIE SPT COL 2.8000"
H4895 35.2 gr 2503 f/s
 
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