Hornaday Reduced Recoil 30-06

[C-Money]

Any on game performance stories with the Hornaday 125gr SST reduced recoil ammo? My son is stepping into a 30-06 and we have purchased this ammo for him to use. We are picking up his new rifle tonight. Special times.

[Bob33]

I've killed several deer with the Remington version. At reasonable distances (less than 200 yards) it will work just fine. I got it for my son but it sure was fun for me too.

[Cowboy15]

I've never shot a game animal with them, but they work great on cows.

[C-Money]

He looked over many rifles and scopes. He had a budget of up to $1200 for his purchase. I did very well to offer an opinion when asked, but really tried to let the boy pick his rifle/scope on his own. He settled on a 30-06 Weatherby Vanguard 2 and a 3-9x40 Leupold Freedom scope. Pretty happy boy.

[Yondering]

Any on game performance stories with the Hornaday 125gr SST reduced recoil ammo? My son is stepping into a 30-06 and we have purchased this ammo for him to use. We are picking up his new rifle tonight. Special times.

What velocity is it listed at? (I can't check right now)
That same bullet has been used successfully quite a bit on deer in the 300 Blackout, the ballistics of which are similar to some reduced recoil 30 caliber loads.

Good luck to your son and good on you for being involved, that is a special time.

[Old Man Yager]

We used the Remington reduced recoil in 30/06 when my son started, his shooting was greatly improved when he didnt get kicked so hard.

[300rum]

My daughter 13 used it in 7mm Rem Mag last year in Montana.  Worked excellent at 250 yards.  She doesn't notice the recoil.

[C-Money]

Velocity is 2700, sure should be devastating. Big sissy is the one with all the tags though. Beezly any deer, and a 2nd deer doe tag, plus West Bar elk. She will be busy! My son did not luck out on the draw, so he is stuck trying to tag a 3pt.

[sagerat]

I’ve used the reduced recoil Hornady in 7mm08 on deer with no issue. Sounds like a fun year, enjoy it!

[C-Money]

My son's rifle seems to like the Hornaday Custom Lite ammo just fie. These were the last three...

[Bob33]

Mild / reduced recoil ammunition makes the question of “what is a good caliber for youth” wide open. When a 30-06 or even a 300 Win Mag can shoot ammunition that has the same recoil as standard ammunition in a 243 it’s a game changer.

[HawkCreek]

I had a 165 grain SST out of their .30-06 "Light Magnum" offerings blow up from a shoulder hit on a coyote years ago. I dont know if they've changed the bullet design but since then but if not I'd be hesitant to use them on deer.

[Yondering]

I had a 165 grain SST out of their .30-06 "Light Magnum" offerings blow up from a shoulder hit on a coyote years ago. I dont know if they've changed the bullet design but since then but if not I'd be hesitant to use them on deer.

Blow ups are all about velocity though; a high velocity "Light Magnum" load is a whole different thing than a reduced recoil load. That's why a slow cartridge like the 300 Blackout works so well with "varmint" bullets for hunting, where they act like regular hunting bullets instead of blowing up as they would from something like a 30/06. Sounds like Hornady's reduced recoil loads aren't reduced that far, but still the same principle applies.

[Igor]

Mild / reduced recoil ammunition makes the question of “what is a good caliber for youth” wide open. When a 30-06 or even a 300 Win Mag can shoot ammunition that has the same recoil as standard ammunition in a 243 it’s a game changer.

I agree with that 100%.  I decided to start both of my sons with .30-'06 for their first deer rifle.  They were 12 and 14 years old at the time.  I hand-loaded light loads for them, and they worked just fine.  My feeling was, and is, that they should be starting out with the rifle that they were going to hunt with, and stick with that rifle.  They are now 42 and 38 years old, and they both still hunt with the Browning A-Bolts that they started with.

[HawkCreek]

I had a 165 grain SST out of their .30-06 "Light Magnum" offerings blow up from a shoulder hit on a coyote years ago. I dont know if they've changed the bullet design but since then but if not I'd be hesitant to use them on deer.

Blow ups are all about velocity though; a high velocity "Light Magnum" load is a whole different thing than a reduced recoil load. That's why a slow cartridge like the 300 Blackout works so well with "varmint" bullets for hunting, where they act like regular hunting bullets instead of blowing up as they would from something like a 30/06. Sounds like Hornady's reduced recoil loads aren't reduced that far, but still the same principle applies.

125 grain bullet at 2700fps vs a 165 at 2900 fps. At just over 100 yards the load I was using was going around 2750, it shouldnt have come apart that easy. I've shot mule deer at under 30 feet with a BallisticTip going faster than that and it didnt blow up like the SST. I wont trust them at any velocity. I guess if someone wants to use them I hope they work better for them than they did for me.

[C-Money]

HawkCreek, the 125 SST filled a few tags for my son, but you are right. Looking back, I was not overly impressed with on game performance. The SST did not hold together. Hornaday would be better off loading a 125gr Interlock in a reduced recoil load. One of his bucks we had decent penetration, decent at best. He used full power, hand loaded, 150gr interlocks last year on a dandy buck.

[Macs B]

I've used Hornady reduce recoil and a european brand not available here.  My daughter shoots a Sporter Springfield 03-A3 and it absolutely stacks the reduced recoil rounds. 

She's taken three black tail at distances 80 to 200 yards without fail.  Never had anything walk away from a well-placed shot, or any shot for that matter.  She has also tagged coyote at 100 plus dropping them in their tracks.

I wouldn't be afraid to shoot it on any Washington game animal.