reduced recoil load for 7mm-08,,, or any round

Go to Hodgdon web site (not the reloading data, but the main Home page).

Across the top you see buttons for Products Data Dealers News AboutUs

Put the curser on Data and a menu drops down, scroll down to

"H4895 Reduced Rifle Loads"



Believe me, it works. Use that 60% formula as a starting load and work up
1.0 grain at a time until your 7mm-08 is accurate at mild recoil. The wife will like it.
I usually get good accuracy 2 or 3 grains higher than starting load.
The extra couple grains does not add to recoil, but sure tightens up the group.

One note: Use bullets that open up at reduced velocity. Deer bullets. Not elk or moose.
Like Ordinary Remington Core Lokt.
Or Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting, the jacket is made a little thinner.
Or Speer HotCor.

Per ants using H4895 is the way to go and with 7mm-08 being light recoil to begin with you should be able to work up some nice loads.

HODGDON® H4895® REDUCED RIFLE LOADS.

Ron

Going through it right now with my 30-06. I'm using h4895. Not going to full 40% down to a 60% load. I'm around 80-85%, and you can tell it is lighter shooting. H4895 is what is recommended for light loads from Hodgdon.

Jeff


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I loaded some for my 10yo nephew to use, 7mm-08 with IMR4064 at maybe 70-75% power level. I wanted to use 4895 but could not find any at the time I did that. For bullets I used Hornady 139gr interlock - he did kill a deer with them but we did not recover the bullet.

A 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 2600 will be very easy on the shoulder and very deadly on deer. Look at starting charges from some of the faster powders. If that doesn't work H4895 would be another option.

I used them very accurate shot deer last season worked fine. I also use them in 30-06 also accurate. I starting loading them with H4895 powder looking very promising went to 80% loads shoot well in7-08. Have a screwed up neck don't like recoil much anymore.
Hope helps little
Roc1

A nod for H4895 and 120 gr Nosler BTs. My 7mm-08 is a slow 11.25 twist but I found a reduceload that gives 0.625" groups at 100 yards. Not sure about terminal because I no longer hunt but with that accuracy good shot placement shouldn't be hard.

Why not just get a .243 win? You won't need to fool with reduced loads and it will work just fine for whitetail.

H4895

The crescent wrench of rifle powders

I've loaded .243 Winchester reduced loads as well as .30-06 Springfield reduced loads. Both were for smaller shooters. I use H4895 for these loads. I also load a .30-30 Winchester load with lead from local supplier, now MBC coated, with both H4895 and IMR4227. I like the IMR powder better for the .30-30. A young child shot those loads with ease. Even lined up the sights enough for the 9 ring at 25 yards!

I've used the H4895 reduced load article to make a 125g reduced loading for .308 Win.
It's wonderful.

I would venture to say every one who has tried the H4895 reduced loads has had acceptable results. Of course you wouldn't want to run those loads out to 300/400 yards on game but within 150 yards there are no problems.

I never needed a reduced load but when the peak of the shortage was on us I gave them a try to save on powder for range fun. I was very surprised at how light and accurate the 30-06 ammo I made was. Shooting almost 2 for 1 with powder and loading inexpensive 150gr surplus bullets kept me shooting during the worst of the drought. I would not hesitate to use H4895 for reduced loads for hunting.

Yep been using the reduced loads for just over a decade now. I used them in .308 with the 125gr Ballistic Tip for my oldest grandson when at 3 he got it in his head he just HAD to shoot him a hog. Well the little mule headed fart wouldn't give up on it SO off we went. The little Ruger Compact was the only thing I had small enough for him to handle, and that was part of the deal, HE had to handle the rifle himself. Trust me he made it look easy. So two weeks before his 4th birthday he dropped his first hog, and hasn't let up since.

Then along came #2 and #3 grandsons, so I had to up the anti cause you know if big brother can do it so can we. Well big brother had a few pounds on them both at their age and they had to work harder to get there. None the less I picked up another of the Ruger's in .243 this time and went to work on them.

They are shooting the 80gr bonded Hornady, and the #2 has his first deer on the ground as of last fall. We had a hard time when #3 and I went out, since the youth season had closed and we were strictly looking for a buck and only saw does. We did however have a great time in the stand though and thats what counts.

I would look heavily into the 120gr SST or Ballistic Tip. Thnig you want to keep in mind is IMPACT velocity. While either of those are known for overexpanding in amny cases, this is at top end velocity and with reducing the load your looking at mid range velocity to start with. Anything 100yds and closer should be meat in the freezer.

Check with Accurate Arms on their 5744 powder.

Very good results, well done!

excellent. I was looking for this very info on this exact cartridge for my wife as well. Gonna make that old model 7 do some work this year.

Found this powder puff load. 7mm-08 Rem

Hodgdon Trail Boss .284" 140 GR. SFT SP
OAL 2.750"
Min 11.0 gr 1,211 fps 36,200 CUP
Max 16.0 gr 1,472 fps 43,300 CUP

I have a friend with a petite teenage daughter. She shoots a 7-08 with full power loads. She has taken a couple nice muley bucks with it, one at 125 yds, the other at 280. She 'inherited' the rifle from her equally petite mother, who also used it to good effect with full power loads.

One important aspect of recoil sensitivity is proper stock fit. This rifle is a youth-sized stock. A model 70, I think. Both of these ladies have trouble shooting rifles in full sized stocks.

Reduced loads are great for practice and plinking, I use the H4895 reduced loads myself in -06 and .243, but they are not a panacea to fix poor fit. The 7-08 really does not kick very much more than a .243, IMO. It should be easy to shoot by 'most anyone.

I respectfully suggest that if you want a 7-08, buy one to fit yourself, and get your wife a gun that will fit her so that she can learn to shoot it with correct form.

I use the 4895 reduced recoil load data for 270 and it tames it down to about 243 level with 130gr bullets.

IMR 4064 works great for reduced loads for 7mm-08. I don't have any data for you, unfortunately, because my Dad loaded them for my stepmom when she got her Model 7. He then worked her up to shooting heavy bullets at higher speeds for a moose hunt. (He got the moose with his .300 Mag., she missed one at about 250 yards, underestimated the range quite a bit...)