7mm-08 recoil- new hunter

[tenderheart]

  What kind of recoil does a 7mm-08 have.Im thinking of buying a 243 for myself, which our 10 yr old son could grow into. But I've had several people say that I should try 7mm-08 and was wondering what kind of recoil it has.

[Miles]

Low recoil.   

Personally I would stay with the .243, just a personal preference though...

[MtnMuley]

Same as the 308 or 243 in my opinion.  Heavier gun will kick a little less, while a lighter gun will kick a little more, just like with any other caliber.

[C-Money]

7mm-08 recoil is very tolerable. I would not hesitate to introduce a youth hunter to this caliber. Deadly accurate and enough power for deer/elk. 7mm-08 is one of my favorites!

[runamuk]

It has low recoil I have one and if you wanted to try it I would be happy to let you see for yourself....I am a big wimp and I like shooting mine.

[CP]

.308, .243, 7mm-08 all use the same case.  Recoil will be determined by the weight of the bullet, the velocity (those two determine the force exerted i.e. F=ma= m(dV/dt)), and the weight of the rifle.

heavy bullet, high Velocity, light gun = big recoil
light bullet, low Velocity, heavy gun = low recoil

[Bigshooter]

My buddy bought one in a ruger youth rifle for his girl friend a few years ago.  He took it out and shot it and told me that he couldn't believe how hard it kicked.  I made fun of him and told him he was a sissy and that it doesn't kick it's just a 7mm-08.  He said you go shoot it then.  So I took it out and shot it.  I was stunned at how hard it kicked.  Its not 338mag recoil.  But it is a very sharp crack.  I would not recommend one for a youth as a first gun.  For a guy that has shot a lot its no problem.  But for a young shooter I would look at something different.

[C-Money]

Tenderheart, shoot one and be your own judge!

[carpsniperg2]

Got this moved over here for you

The 7mm-08 is one of my favorite calibers. It has low recoil and with a good bullet, you can take anything from yote to bear. Great caliber for youth hunters as well. That and the 25-06 are great choice as well.

[Jamieb]

I love my 7-08.
Most 7-08's are in lighter rifles then the mags so the felt recoil is worse then you'd think, another factor is the faster burning powder in the 7-08 makes the recoil fast, sharper then a lot of mag rifles.

[Wenatcheejay]

Minimal.

[woodswalker]

Recoil as compared to .308/30-06 is significantly less.  I run 120 grain TTSX Barnes in mine...run at less than "Gopher Baroque" levels...midrange in the Manual, that is what new shooters get.  I load 150/154s for my self at near top end velocities, with accuracy as the denominator and its still light recoil.

But i also load 135 grain Nosler Solid Bases (until i run out of them) at moderate velocities for .308 as well....can duplicate 150 or 165 ballistics out to ~200 yards...print the same holes out to there, then the 135 drops faster as it slows more.

So it depends on if you load or not.

Also there are Remington Managed Recoil loads

Caliber, Index, Bullet Type, Primer Number, Weight

30-06 Springfield,  RL30062, Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point, 9 1/2, 125gr

7mm-08 Remington,  RL7M081, Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point, 9 1/2, 140gr

308 Win,  RL308W1, Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point, 9 1/2, 125gr

300 Win Mag,  RL300W1, Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point, 9 1/2, 150gr

[tenderheart]

It has low recoil I have one and if you wanted to try it I would be happy to let you see for yourself....I am a big wimp and I like shooting mine.

Thank You for the offer. Have a great evening.

[Black Plague]

I second the 25-06 great flat-shooting gun.... i killed my first buck with one at 12 years old

[tenderheart]

Got this moved over here for you :tup:Thanks!

The 7mm-08 is one of my favorite calibers. It has low recoil and with a good bullet, you can take anything from yote to bear. Great caliber for youth hunters as well. That and the 25-06 are great choice as well.

Thanks for the info, sounds like that's what we're going to go for.

[carpsniperg2]

  Good deal glad to help.

[runamuk]

It has low recoil I have one and if you wanted to try it I would be happy to let you see for yourself....I am a big wimp and I like shooting mine.

Thank You for the offer. Have a great evening.

sure....I find shooting the guns seems to help me decide if I like them...but finding places to try them can be a challenge...mine is a ruger hawkeye it is not light weight for sure which may be what helps the recoil... I usually shoot 140's either fusion or a remington...or I was shooting some 120's we were loading up those actually were snappier than the over the counter stuff but also a bit more accurate...I live outside of Olympia and go to the evergreen range if you wanted to try it they are pretty relaxed down there and I usually have fun....I am a medium sized female and kinda a wimp so figure if I think its ok it must not be too bad

[Huntbear]

I have a 7-08 as well.  Love that gun.  Light, easy to shoot, no recoil.  It all boils down to fit and what loads you are shooting.

[GEARHEAD]

i shoot a 7mm-08, little recoil, hard hitting and accurate. it's taken 10 or 11 deer in the last ten,  five of them between 304 yards and 456 yards.

[bearpaw]

what recoil, anybody can shoot a 7mm/08

[Bofire]

The ones I have fired kicked very mildly.
Carl

[gadwall]

7mm-08 recoil is very tolerable. I would not hesitate to introduce a youth hunter to this caliber. Deadly accurate and enough power for deer/elk. 7mm-08 is one of my favorites!

The 7mm-08 is one of my favorites too.  I recommend it for anyone who is sensitive to recoil but wants one gun to start with because it has the capability for elk and bears if shots are taken wisely.

[GEARHEAD]

look this is not an attack on anyone at all, just my opinion, but i gotta say i am tired of hearing the: its a good starter gun with regard to the 7mm-08, on every single thread regarding this calibre. i've been hunting 26 years, started with a 270, then went up to a 7mag, then a 30-06, took animals with them all, liked them all too, but ten years ago i settled for the 7mm-08, its my main gun, i have a nice custom 300 wsm, but it stays shelved. the 7mm-08 is the work horse. its precise, everytime! ya can put that bullet on the end of a hair and recoil is never an anticipation. two of my deer were taken at 404 and 456 yards, one shot drops. it will take elk and bear no problem, especially now that we have the TSX and GMX selections out there. just my little vent and 2pennies.

[carpsniperg2]

Why would you get tired of hearing that? Its great for a beginner or seasoned hunter a like. When the thread is about a new hunter starting out, why would you not expect to hear "its a great starter caliber"? I own 2 of them and soon to be 3 of them. One in a cfp and a semi auto, the other will soon be a bolt. Every new hunter that asks for a great starter cal i am going to tell them 7mm-08 just like a ton of others on here. If someone asks: whats a good mild recoil rifle, that can take any animal around here. I am going say 7mm-08. Don't let it bother you that people say its a great starter gun. It means nothing negative towards anyone from 8-99 that shoots a 7mm-08. Or has hunter for 1 year to 99 years.

[Miles]

You may want to look in to the 6.5 x 55.  It meets your criteria.

[thinkingman]

Same as the 308 or 243 in my opinion.  Heavier gun will kick a little less, while a lighter gun will kick a little more, just like with any other caliber.

This post is correct.
I have a 6.5lb 7-08 and with Hornady Light Magnums, I doubt you'd say the recoil was light.
In a 9lb M700, you would have a different experience.
There is no absolute answer.

[bobcat]

Same as the 308 or 243 in my opinion.  Heavier gun will kick a little less, while a lighter gun will kick a little more, just like with any other caliber.

This post is correct.
I have a 6.5lb 7-08 and with Hornady Light Magnums, I doubt you'd say the recoil was light.
In a 9lb M700, you would have a different experience.
There is no absolute answer.

   I've tried to stay out of this but a 308 is a great starter gun as well, and cheaper to shoot. Recoil won't be any more than with the 7/08, if the same weight bullet is used.

[GEARHEAD]

I guess what i'm saying Carp, and i agree with you it is a good starter gun, i'm just saying that it seems that the context of the conversation with regard to this round is that its only good as a starter gun, i'm saying it can be a guys main gun, its not weak or meek by any of my standards, the deer i shot at 404 yards, the bullet stopped on the opposite shoulder, but the deer at 456 yards, that bullet an SST, went straight thru the animal. i'm just simply saying its a great big game round, a guy named Bell, who may have shot more elephants than any other, shot half of them with a precise shot from a 7x57.

[Kent Hunter]

Get him or her the 7mm-08. It's a great shootin iron!!

[carpsniperg2]

I guess what i'm saying Carp, and i agree with you it is a good starter gun, i'm just saying that it seems that the context of the conversation with regard to this round is that its only good as a starter gun, i'm saying it can be a guys main gun, its not weak or meek by any of my standards, the deer i shot at 404 yards, the bullet stopped on the opposite shoulder, but the deer at 456 yards, that bullet an SST, went straight thru the animal. i'm just simply saying its a great big game round, a guy named Bell, who may have shot more elephants than any other, shot half of them with a precise shot from a 7x57.

I agree with you as well. But in no way, would I ever say that its just a starter gun. I am young to a lot of guys on this site. But I find myself in the same mind set, as a lot of the older shooters. I have learned that it does not take a 300 ultra mag to kill a deer or etc. I would rather see a hunter shoot a 7mm-08 accurately then a guy shoot a 300 ultra mag decently. The 7mm-08 will kill anything around here. I have started packing smaller and smaller cals. Over my bigger cal's, because I don't need to shoot 1000yards to kill a deer or elk. The smaller cals will kill just fine, but have a little smaller margin of error to them, then the mags. Stay away from the bigger shoulder bones and you can kill anything with 24cal+.

[C-Money]

I too am in the same mind set! Guess I never really felt a need to pack a magnum. Most of my animals have fell to a 30-06 or a 270win. Since my wife and I have begun shooting the 7mm-08, wow! It kicks less than my 270 and packs plenty enough punch for dang near all western hunting settings. I was suprised to see Guy Eastman shoot his Nevada bull with a 270wsm. I thought he shot the big ultra mags most of the time. He to must be seeing that you dont need a super mag to kill animals. The elk Guy shot was what looked to be 300 yards or more away, and that bull did not go far before he stoved up and was finished with a follow up shot.

[Miles]

I too am in the same mind set! Guess I never really felt a need to pack a magnum.

Same here.

Magnums are sort of like the big jacked up 4 x 4's of the truck world...the drivers (or shooters in this case) are usually compensating for something else.

It gives them a way to say to their friends "hey look at how big my gun is".

[rasbo]

buy a youth model .243....I bought one for my wife she loves it,I find myself packing it around more and more.simple to get ammo for.Light and easy to pack.

[runamuk]

I too am in the same mind set! Guess I never really felt a need to pack a magnum.

Same here.

Magnums are sort of like the big jacked up 4 x 4's of the truck world...the drivers (or shooters in this case) are usually compensating for something else.

It gives them a way to say to their friends "hey look at how big my gun is".

and what is wrong with big jacked up 4x4"s  I like them they sure are a lot better than jacked down baboomboom trucks that cant clear a speed bump

and I like all the small guns I dont want to develop bad habits and if a gun scares me or hurts I am gonna get flinchy

[C-Money]

I too am in the same mind set! Guess I never really felt a need to pack a magnum.

Same here.

Magnums are sort of like the big jacked up 4 x 4's of the truck world...the drivers (or shooters in this case) are usually compensating for something else.

It gives them a way to say to their friends "hey look at how big my gun is".

 :yeah:Man you read my mind, I just did not find it in my heart to post it! Same way of thinking is the guys that have all the super cowboy bull riding stickers all over their pickups that have never put leather or hot iron to hair.
Runamuk, I would rather see a lifted "magnum" truck any day and twice on Sunday than look at a low rider! Riding low just is not my style.
By the way, did I mention the 7mm-08 is a great cartridge?