Santa is bringing my oldest a 7mm-08 and several hundred 120 grain Hornady spire points but suitable powder is harder to find. Looking to load it to about 2600-2700fps and the only half way suitable powder I’ve got on hand is imr4350. I’m thinking about 45 grains will get me to the intended velocity but haven’t loaded for a 7mm-08 before and was hoping someone could give some feedback

38-39 grains of 4895 either IMR or H will get you a little more velocity than you're looking for but should be an easy load to shoot. What type gun, barrel length and twist will make a difference in velocity

About any starting "book" load should run at that.

When my boy was smaller I loaded 120 SP over 36 H4895 at 2400. It killed deer.

At 12 he's running the classic "Campfire Load" without issue.

GE

4895 was what I originally intended but have none on hand and can find none in stock. So I’m making contingency plans in case I can’t get anything other than the 4350 I have on hand

I've found that the 7-08 in my Savage 10 not to be too finicky. I've never shot 120 grain bullets but usually shoot 139 SST and 140 NBT keeping both in the mid 2600 velocity range as I rarely have to shoot over 100 yards. This rifle has 22" barrel with 1/9.5 twist, weighs 8.08 lbs w/scope.
Here's the ones I've had success with:
StaBALL 6.5. 45.0 grains
H4350. 46.5 grains
IMR4350. 45.5 grains
IMR4451. 42.3 grains
Varget. 40.0 grains
CFE223. 41.0 grains...favorite load

These average a recoil of 9.6 lbs which is pretty light.
Hope this info will help to get you started even with the difference in bullet weight.

He’s gonna love the 7mm-08. And as he grows into heavier loads, he’s fixed for life! I’m 77 years old and wouldn’t trade mine for anything. NAGW.

Thank y’all.

40-41 grains of Varget. Low recoil and plenty of oomph for deer.




P

4350 isn't what I'd want to use. Look for any number of quicker extruded powders.

39 grains IMR 4064 and a 120 Nosler BT is what my daughter used this past weekend on a doe at 45 yards. In a Bog Pod Death Grip recoil is negligible and the performance was perfect. Great blood trail, ran 45 yards.

You can also use a starting load of Varget. IMR 4350 might work ok, but I’ve only used for 140s

use 4198 or 3031.....

30 grains of 4198 will give you about 2400 fps... and will be more accurate than a reduced H4895 load.

or 33 grains of 3031, same MV in the neighborhood of 2400 to 2500 fps, and still more accurate than a reduced load of H4895.

plus if a new shooter, the reduced H4895 also has a much sharper retort, which often will intimidate new shooters.

I do a lot of this stuff.

You don't say how old or what size your oldest is, but assuming he/she is sub-teenage, it is darn near impossible to beat IMR 4198 or RL7 for reduced loads. I and three of my hunting partners have used 4198 in .243, .7mm-08, .308, and .30'06 with light for caliber bullets for five kids and my retired dad with his rebuilt shoulder. Recoil is truly negligible and when you hit the sweet spot for charge, you'll know it. Gives excellent accuracy in every rifle we've loaded for, and we've kept several of the loads for range time, cuts down the powder consumption significantly for range sessions and trigger time. There are couple other guys here on the forum who turned me on to it years ago, now.

Either 4198 or RL7 will give at or near the velocities you're wanting. With a 120 in 7-08, start around 27.0 gn up to 30.0 of 4198, or for RL7, start around 29.0 and go up to 33.0.

I used 43.5 gr of 4350 and a 120 grain bullet for both of my sons in a 7mm08. It was very effective and it did not scare them. My sons were small at the time. They were both around 12 years of age when they started deer hunting. I used two bullets both weighing 120 grains. One of the bullets was Hornady hp. The other was a Speer pointed soft point.

I'd rather use something with a faster burn rate than 4350 for youth loads, but if it's what you have, I'd roll with it. Nosler shows 45gr as a starting point with 120's on their website. A bit over 2800 with a 26" tube.

You say IMR-4350 is the only "suitable" powder you have on hand.

What other powders do you have on hand that you think may not be suitable?

Search for sierras load data for the 7-08. Many powders doing 2600-2700fps, including imr4350.

I’ve got the 4350, 4831 and R26

I don’t mean to hijack this thread, but I have a question. Is there a formula for these reduced loads including the Blue Dots and RL7’s?

I’ve used the H5895 formula with success. I agree about percussion and noise though. Would like to load some like y’all are creating. Just looking a “formula “ to apply over various calibers

Thanks. I tried a reduced load with H4895 a while back and wasn't impressed with the accuracy.

When I loaded for my boy I had three different charges of Varget for him to try. Starting load, up a grain, and up a grain. I let him pick which load he could handle comfortably. He picked the middle charge, and I adjusted the seating depth to find accuracy.

Just a thought.

answered this on another thread you posted it on Doc.

that was from me also FL/Native... I remember you PM'ing me about your dad's shoulder. Glad it worked out for him and the other stuff for your friends and family for kids.
That is how I got started on that sort of stuff, via being a shooting instructor and merit badge counselor for Boy Scouts.

my son`s 1st centerfire rifle for deer hunting was a 7mm-08 20 years ago too ,my son was small ,no meat hardly on his skinny arms but he loved his Remington 700 S.S. 7MM-08 i loaded 120 gr. Nosler B.T. with H414 around 45 grs. i believe at age 12 killed a big doe and at 13 he killed a real nice 8 pt. Whitetail and still has that 7mm-08 rifle , that is his keepsake. now at 32 years of age for the last around 10 years has moved up to a 257 Weatherby mag. in a Ruger #1 , but brings his 7mm - 08 for a back up. the 7mm-08 cartridge is a very good choice for a youth shooter low recoil ,short action, very accurate ammo price is decent too for a 7mm-08 as is finding ammo at a store too. Pete53

I did the youth load thing with 4895 for one season. Honestly, as long as the gun has a decent pad, most kids can handle regular loads. My son has been shooting 44.5gr varget with 120bt for two years, started when he was 9. Skinny kid, 65 lbs wet. Limbsaver on a model 7. He was shooting a ruger m77 compact in 260 but he says the 708 kicks less. The ruger does have that thin pad on it.

35 gr 4064 behind a Sierra 130 gr boat tail got me and the wife 2200 fps and less than .5" @ 100 yds. She learned to shoot with this load out of a Vangaurd Youth compact. I think the barrel is 18". 38 gr 4064 gave 2450 fps, and worked good enough on a Florida hog.

I have used H4895 with success and starting loads from the manuals.

Yes, it was! I've maybe gotten too careful handing out names anymore, a few guys sensitive about too many PM's over the years. That data has always been dependable from your older load sheets and experience. Four kids took their first deer and hogs with those loads.

I may have been over thinking it on the reduced loads. Youth duck season was this weekend and he went through a box of 3” 20 gauge #3s and handled it fine. He’d only shot skeet and dove loads out of it before. So I’m thinking he can handle full 7mm-08 loads. He’s 10 and a pretty good chunk but hadn’t shot a rifle larger than 223 so I had hesitation about jumping him all the way up

He got his first duck Saturday morning. It was in the high 30s and as soon as it hit the water he put down the gun in jumped in to swim for it.

Well extend our congrats to your Son.....Good Job....