Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7/08 Reduced Recoil Loads?

A starting load of 36.5 of RL 15 with the 140 TSX was giving me an average of 2412 in my son's 20" 700 youth, but the ES was high. 37.5 was giving me 2474 with a single digit SD. 38 was giving me 2523 with a single digit SD. YMMV

In addition to a reduced load, make sure the gun has a good recoil pad, have the kid wear a recoil shield on his shoulder, then double up ear muffs and plugs. A lot of it is probably mental, unless the kid is very small.

I have a 6lb 7mm-08 that I usually shoot 140's through. I have shot 120's at around 2900-3000fps and they had such light recoil it was crazy. It felt much lighter than my 243 100gr load. If it were me I would look at maybe the 120BT or 120TSX if you wanted to spend the $$$

I use the 7mm-08 quite a lot now. The Barnes X, XLC, and now the TSX's are my favorite big-game bullets of all time.

Having said that - with the semi-low velocities that the 7mm-08 starts out the bullets at(even at full throttle) let alone with reduced loads, and the fact that deer are about as small an animal as I'd ever use Barnes bullets on - I'd proceed with caution with your plan.

If it has to be a TSX - on deer, and with reduced loads - I'd be using the 120 grain bullet.

But, in spite of my love for Barnes bullets on big game - when I factor in reduced loads, out of an already mid-speed cartridge, with a bullet meant for bigger game - my first choice would be a Nosler Partition for this application, followed by something like an Accubond or a Ballistic Tip, or a Hornady Interbond, or even a regular Hornady Interlock. All of these bullets can be counted to expand, even when shot at long ranges, at slow muzzle velocities, even slower yet impact velocities, and with game as small as deer.

Barnes bullets - as good as they are - were not really designed to do what your friend is asking them to do - at least in my opinion.

I load my wifes with 40gr. of IMR4895 and a 140gr Nosler Partition for 2525 fps from a 18 1/2" barrel. Kicks less than a 30-30 Model 94 and my daughter punched three completely through an elk at 180 yards.

We use 24.0gr SR4759 and get 2000 fps with bulk 140gr Remington bullets for practice loads. It calculates out to have about 1/2 the recoil of the hunting loads.

+1 BCBrian well said. Couldn't agree more on the intended application of TSX's.
You don't have to spend $30 a box on bullets to kill deer with a reduced 7mm-08 load.
My load is a 140 NBT with a H4350. I get around 2800. I feel like the recoil is very light but it could have to do with how much I shoot. I have got the gun to shoot the 140's well over 2900 but like how the gun shoots with this load.

When I was developing a load for it I tried a load with some RL15 and it shot around 2600-2700 and the recoil was very light(243ish) and even felt lighter due to almost no muzzle blast at all. It wasn't as light as the 120 load but was very light none the less. May be worth trying.

I finally got around to working up some loads. A friend of mine asked me to work up a reduced load for his son's Model 7 in 7/08. It seems he had developed a flinch from the recoil of 140gr loads. Well I bought some IMR SR4759 and some 120gr Barnes TSX's to try as suggested by Seafire. I loaded up 3 rounds from 20-25 grains and took them to the range. I couldn't believe the recoil reduction.......It felt like I was shooting a .22....I even shot it once off of my shoulder and it was nothing. The funny thing was that I only had to adjust the scope about 7 clicks up and 4 clicks left to get it to zero. It grouped the 21 gr load into about .75" at 100 and that's where I settled on loading for it. I spoke to Barnes and they said at the expected velocity that about 200 yards would be max in order for the bullet to expand properly but he isn't going to be shooting over 100 so that's not a problem.

Thanks again for everyone's help and input.

Robert

Bruzer,

Glad it worked out for ya.. and happy to be able to help...

regards
seafire