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My teenage niece just got her hunting license so I will be taking her out this fall for whitetails.

She’s really tall (5’9”) for her age but very skinny so while so while I think she’ll be fine with an adult sized rifle I’m a little concerned about recoil. I have a 243 and 7mm-08 that she can use. Trying to decide whether I should have her use full power 243 loads or reduced 7mm-08 loads. The 243 is a Sako Varmint so won’t kick much at all but it’s a fairly heavy setup. The 7-08 is a Tikka T3X. For the 243 I’d probably use a Sierra 85 BTHP as the gun is sighted in for that, for the 7mm I’d use a 120 ballistic tip or 130 Speer. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, Mike

Last edited by mikestaten; 07/04/20.
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I'd go 7mm08 and use these:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001691679

Also, if she's not used to shooting a ton, game ears. Sometimes the noise is worse than the recoil for new/young hunters. (That's partly why I think 708 > 243... the two 243s I've killed deer with just seem to be loud.)

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Lightly loaded 7-08 with the 140 NBT will kill well. Good luck.


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I've never had a problem using a 243. Try 85gr Sierra HP boat tails and 60% of a max load of H4895 or IMR4895. I've loaded youth 243 loads for friends and their children never had a problem dropping a deer.
For a 7mm-08 youth load I'd use the Hornady 120gr FTX and 60% of a max load of IMR or H 4895.


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I started my son on 7-08 youth loads with H4895 and a 120gr hornady soft point. Worked very well. MV approx 2,300fps. His buck was down in 30yards

Last edited by OttoG; 07/04/20.
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7-08 with 120 BT loaded with 40 gr RL-15..that's what i load for my daughter. Its also what I use for my 7-08 but with 44 grains RL.15.
Very little recoil and kills like a thor.


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I speak from experience.

41 grains of Varget, 120 BT is a low-recoiling round that will wreck a buck at 200 yards out of a Tikka 7mm-08.




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I agree with the guys shooting 120gr 7mm-08 loads at moderate speeds. I liked H4895 at 2,800 from a 20” 700 and the kids shoot it well. I think we were about 3 grains below book max. Performs like a 120gr .257Rob load.


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I will second the rec's for 120BT's with a lower dose of Varget or RL15. It's a game killing machine, as that's what I started my son and nephew on when they were young.


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Thanks all. I’ve got the 120 BTs, Varget, Big Game and H4895 so will work up some loads. Would be nice to get in the 2700fps range.

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Start with the extruded powders, ball is usually happier at full power.

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Originally Posted by mathman
Start with the extruded powders, ball is usually happier at full power.



This for sure! Save that Big Game for when she gets more experience and can handle full power loads.


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Number 1: make sure the rifle in question fits her.

Number 2: see number 1

Number 3: don't push her to shoot a lot at first. 1 or 2 shots at paper and be done. Next session do the same. Next session a little more and so on. 50 yard targets will build confidence. Extend the range when she is ready for the challenge.

Double up with ear protection. Ear muffs over ear plugs.

Did this with my son and a Browning micro medalion in 7-08 when he was 9.



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I bought both of my sons a 7mm08 for their 15th birthday. They were both small for their age. I loaded a 120 or 130 gr bullet with a light load of 4350. It worked wonderfully for both! It was a reliable killer as well. I wanted to give them a rifle they could hunt with forever. I had a shorter stock for each and added a full size stock after they grew. I would do it again in a heart beat more than ten years later.

This is from a guy who often uses a 6mm as my go to gun. I have yet to try the 120 gr Nosler BT. The reduced velocity worked wonderfully with standard cup and core bullets.

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Use the 243 with a light bullet. Granddaughter at 11 was shooting full power 243’s. She probably weighed 75 lbs in this pic. She is 5’3 now and shoots full power Creed 120 grainers.



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Last edited by hanco; 07/05/20.
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If you look at the recoil tables you will find the .243 has a good deal less recoil than a 7-08. They also make reduced recoil loads for a .243.
I would never use a hollow point on deer. They will blow up on bone and a trackin' you will go. I have a friend who has lost several with
hollow points. He has now, on my advice, switched over to one piece bullets. The 95 grain or 100 grain Nosler Partition in .243 has cleanly
taken deer and elk for over 50 years and was the choice of Warren Page and Byron Dalyrymble (hunter/writers for Field & Stream and
Outdoor Life), although Dalyrmple, I believe was partial to corelokts. I swore off those after seeing the amazing performance of Partitions.

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Mike,

My niece has killed about 15 deer with the 7-08 and the factory Remington reduced 140 grain loads. They are only listed as having a velocity of 2200 FPS but she has smoked some deer with them and some big bucks at that. Surprisingly, they exit most of the time. She hasn’t taken anything beyond 175 yards, but they have performed very well.

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Thanks all. I guess I will see which rifle she likes better then go from there. The nice thing about the 243 is I already have loads developed that are extremely accurate so I wouldn’t need to develop new loads. The 7mm-08 loads I have are full power and might be a little too much for her, especially in the Tikka.

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Definitely let her pick the rifle she likes. Either cartridge will work, and if you have to load up some lighter 7-08 loads, so be it.

I have had great success using H4895 to create light loads in multiple cartridges using Hodgdon's formula.


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I have used both. The 243 extensively. I learned to track deer using a 243. Using 100 grain soft points behind the shoulder I had a lot of trouble getting them to die quickly. I’ve sworn off it.

All that said, I’d use one again using 80 grain TTSX gladly. I didn’t handloads when I had trouble with the 243 and I wasn’t using the best bullet for the job.

With the 7-08, I like 120 or 140 grain pointed soft points and I put it through the shoulders.

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