Texas Hunting Forum

Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08

Posted By: mktt12

Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/03/12 08:14 PM

Looking for a good reloading combination for the 7mm-08 and 308. I have been reloading with a nosler 120 gr for the 7-08 with 34 gr of 4895 powder, still kicks little hard for my 10 yr old. and loading the 308 with nosler 35 gr 4895. Looking to get the lowest velocity and still manage good bullet expansion to take down a deer. Was considering the sierra 125 gr FNHP for the 308 at around 1800 to 2000 ft/sec (bullet is hard to find), I think would have good expansion at low velocities. Looking for other combinations for good expansion bullets for both calibers.

Posted By: scot

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/03/12 08:53 PM

35 grains of 4895 sounds increadly light.. Wouldn't want to go much lower.

Perhaps read up on subsonic loads and then use a little bit better hunting bullet.

Posted By: Golfman6

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/03/12 09:43 PM

I shot a doe last year with a 125 Nosler Ballistic Tip over 34.7 gr of H4895 and was very happy with the results. Hit her tight behind the shoulder, exited behind offside shoulder, she ran 30 yards and bled like crazy. Shot was 68 yards. Recoil was like a 100 gr 243 in my single shot CVA, but still not as light as I hoped for my daughter. According to Hodgdon, you can go 60% of max (49 gr) which I think is around 30 gr, but never tried it.

Posted By: redchevy

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/03/12 09:52 PM

I made some reduced loads for my fiance to shoot. They were 110 grain sierra pro hunters going about 2600 fps out of a 270 win. I used H-4895 to reduce them, and it took some tinkering, but I am very happy with it. All the loads I tried shot well, but the 130 grain rounds I made never reduced the recoil enough and once they did they were not going fast enough to expand well.

My fiance shot a 108lb doe with the 110 gr round this year it broke both shoulders and passed through. Deer went less than 20 yards and was an easy track.

I would recomend dropping into the 100-110 grain range and around 2500 fps and like I said I was impresed with the prohunter.

Posted By: mktt12

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/03/12 11:39 PM

Any experience with a flat nose hollow point for the 308 and what is the beat bullet for low velocity 7-08? Thanks for the replies

Posted By: kmon11

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/04/12 04:52 AM

Forget wether it is speer or sierra that makes a 130 gr pistol billet in 7mm. It expands well at 1500 fps impact. Was designed for the 7mmTCU if . With it you could reduce velocity a lot and still get good expansion. For the 308 there are several possibilities in bullets the 110bullets designed for the 30 carbine or the 125s designed for the 30-30 come to mind. Might check with Hodgdob for a trailboss load if you donot find what you are looking for with 4895

Posted By: Don Dial

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/04/12 11:18 AM

If your 10 yr old is having problems w/recoil on a 120 grain
projectile in a 7mm-08 w/full house loads, I'd suggest adding
wgt or a recoil reducer like a mercury recoil reducer to the
weapon...But best case would be put them on a 22-250 or 243, or
even a 223...but not some light wgt tinker toy..Most folks try
to baby their kiddos some,,,remember when most of us were young
we drug around 12 ga. single shots, and old A3/O3 30-06 rifles w/
metal buttplates and were glad to have them..World has changed
Don

Posted By: ccoker

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/07/12 12:41 PM

I did a bunch of research last year

http://tacticalgunreview.com/blog/2012/0...cro-hunter-308/

Posted By: mktt12

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/07/12 07:02 PM

I also called Sierra and ask them. They said to use the Sierra 30 cal 2020 bullet it's a 125 gr fnhp. Load it to min of 27 gr h4895 probably will load some at 27 through 34 and see how it goes. Thanks for all the input

Posted By: DStroud

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/08/12 08:17 PM

I have been loading 7mm/08 for about 6 years now with reduced loads for two young girls who are almost teenagers now.
I started at 20gr of AA5744 with the 120 Sierra traveling at 1850fps and they took 9 deer the first year. After a couple of years I went to 23gr of AA5744 with a speed of 2010fps then later going to 25gr @ 2180fps.
They have shot over a 150 rounds and killed a BUNCH of deer and several big bucks. I have just recently sent them some loaded with the exact load you mentioned of 120gr Nosler with 34gr of H4895 which is running 2260fps by the way. The reason for the bullet change is to see if we can get more expansion as the Sierra's ALL have passed thru.

Posted By: mktt12

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/09/12 08:32 PM

Nice information DStroud. By the way was the sierra bullet the pro hunter? Also, how does the AA5744 powder compare to the H4985?

Posted By: DStroud

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/11/12 04:08 AM

Originally Posted By: mktt12
Nice information DStroud. By the way was the sierra bullet the pro hunter? Also, how does the AA5744 powder compare to the H4985?

Yes it was the pro hunter which is a pretty tough bullet I reckon based on all the pass thru's. AA5744 is a faster burning powder which is very bulky and designed for reduced loads and some straight walled cases. It will give very light recoil compared to H4895.
You may also want to look at Hodgdon's website and check out the reduced loads using Trail Boss powder. Speeds are pretty slow but recoil is very light.

Posted By: TheCracker

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/16/12 08:15 PM

My 10 YO daughter handles my 270 with ease. Loaded with 130 grain in front of 36.3 grins of H4895. I chronoed it 2354. The gun is a rem 700 with a synthetic stock. I do have the sims recoil pad though. Best thing about it is it impacts just about perfect at 100 yards (its set for 1.5 high with full 4831 loads) so no re-zero was needed!

Not sure if Ive helped but I thought I would throw it in.

If nothing else get him a 223, thats what my daughter started with and it DRT the only deer she shot with it.

Posted By: Don Dial

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/20/12 11:16 PM

I shoot my 308 w/130 gr Barnes X bullet and about 36 grains of
powder...Rifle wgts. about 9 lbs and recoil is about like a 410
shotgun...I've got SS kills with it on cull deer in So. Texas out
to 400 yds..Don

Posted By: Humble pie

Re: Youth loads for 308 and 7mm-08 - 04/21/12 08:20 PM


For Mr Stroud, I am not certain a bullet change alone will precipitate the expansion you are after, jacketed bullets need more velocity or a higher density target to expand if they are not doing so at lower speeds.. Nosler has some examples on their web site under each bullet design. Sierra will tell you on the phone which of their bullets velocity requirements needed to expand correctly. Good luck.

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