RC...
blue dot is not position sensitive in a rifle case.. I have more detailed stuff, but I guess the best way is just to keep it simple.. especially considering this application...
your max parameters on a 7/08, or any 308 based cartridge, the max charge is 22.5 grains of Blue Dot... regardless of bullet weight... one should still work up to this amount to be safe...
on the low end, you can safely start at 10 grains of Blue Dot without getting a stuck bullet in the barrel..use either a large rifle or large pistol primer.. it really doesn't matter...
there are a lot of good bullets to start out with, particularly if they are going to be used for target work to get him use to them... from 100 grains, 110s, 115s, 120s, 130s and 139/140...playing with the 100 to 115 grainers is a lot of fun shooting for me... and them being varmint bullets, they can take a lot bigger head of game than you'd give them credit for...especially an antelope sized deer...
Accuracy will be a lot better than those H 4895 loads... those loads are only accurate if you can live with 5 inch groups and a lot of muzzle blast and a real loud retort when shot..
the ONLY down side to Blue Dot is load technique... you don't want to double charge a load accidently... the way around that is to charge a case and then seat the bullet before proceeding to the next round... that is the safest and the way I recommend doing it, especially as that is the way I load mine...
in our sue happy world, I can only vouche that they have proven safe in my rifles...but both the young man and yourself will enjoy shooting them... at 10 grains for starters the old 7/08 will recoil like a 22 mag...even at 22.5 grains its recoil will be greater than 50% reduced...especially with the lighter bullet weights...
good luck..
