I need to formulate some reduced loads for a 25-06 and a 7-08.

Is it better to just use a minimum load of a slower propellant (ie 80% case capacity) or use a reduced load of a faster burning propellant (ie 60% capacity)?

I'm looking for the least recoilling, safest round possible for kids shooting smallish whitetails at 75 yds to 100 yds max.

I plan on using a 100 gr. Hornady in the 25-06 and a 120 gr. Nosler BT in the 7-08 for the reduced loads.

Thanks for any advice.

I prefer to go with a faster burning powder, as mass of the powder charge increase recoil all else held constant (though not by a lot). In the 7-08, 37gr of IMR4064 would do nicely.

As for the 25-06, 38 gr of IMR4064 would be a fairly pleasant load with the 100 gr.

Anyway, good luck.

My daughters both shoot 38.5 gr of varget in their 708 with 140 gr interlock. Last year 2 shots 2 deer and neither one had a problem with the recoil in the model 7 youth. One is 12 and the other is 14 and both are slim. This load also shoots under an inch at 100 yards. 2400 fps at the muzzle. I have sone 130 gr speer's to try this year just for something different. Hodgdon has a list for many calibers on their site. Most will involve H4895 which I use in my 300wsm for a reduced load when my kids are hunting with me.

21.0 gr of Blue Dot will get you about 2250 fps with a 100 gr bullet. Very mild recoil and muzzle blast, and about 1 1/4" group at 100 yards (I was using a 1970's Mod 700 for that group size).

You could try about 18.0 gr Blue Dot in the .308 case for something close to the results in the .25-06. I think that's where I had a .243 loaded and it's a .308 case.

All of those loads should be around 40% of the case capacity. Just fill a case full of Blue Dot, strike it off level and weigh the powder. Figure 40% of that weight, but don't go above 50% in the 06 case.

Seafire may have done a Blue Dot range report on both calibers. A search should turn up some results.

There are three powders that come to mind almost immediately for reduced rifle loads:

AA-5744
SR-4756
SR-4759

These powders will work just find in the two calibers you mentioned.

It is better to use a faster-burning powder, since there are some slow powders that have produced dangerous pressure spikes, and have even damaged guns, when used in reduced loads. This is an insidious problem, because such events appear to occur at random, cannot be reliably reproduced under experimental conditions, and although there are a lot of theories as to how and why this occurs, no-one knows for sure.



Some manufacturers who publish loading data have cautioned: "This load should be used EXACTLY as given. No reduction in powder charge should be made from that shown here.", etc.

Paul is right on. With data collected by Seafire for the 7x57 it looks like 24gr. of Blue Dot is safe for that cartridge with a 120 gr. bullet and totally adequare for deer.For a 105 gr. bullet he safely loads 22gr Blue Dot in a.243. In the .308 I have safely loaded 23.8gr. Blue Dot behind a 150 gr. bullet.This would indicate that in the 7-08, 22gr. of Blue Dot and a 120 gr. bullet is safe, have mild recoil and give you about 2450fps.That would be close to the energy level of the 30-30. Work up to that charge for safety sake. roger

Whoever that seafire character is

I hear in a 308 sized case, 20 grains of Blue Dot will ( as Larry the Cable Guy Says) " will get her done". That is a good all around choice for that case size especially with loading for kids. Gives the 10% margin of error and will give a good 200 yd load when zeroed 3 inches high at 100 yds.

In the 25/06, between 20 and 24 grains at max will also give you more than an adequate deer load with 100 or 120 grain bullets.

Powder position in the case is really immaterial with Blue Dot and you only need to use Large Rifle Primers. However Mag primers will not hurt anything.

For all concerned. I have FOR MYSELF, establish a rule of
20 grains of Blue Dot for a 308 size case, and 22.5 grains for an 06 size case or 57 mm case. 27.5 grains for a Magnum Case. These are safe pressures regardless of bullet weight and regardless of caliber, it seems with all of the testing I have done.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

The Speer reloading manuals calls out a reduced load for the 25-06 of 15 to 19 grains of SR 4759 this yields a velocity of 1524 to 1892 fps. This is with a 100 grain bullet.

It doesn't call out a reduced load for the 7mm-08.