Thread: 7mm08 down loading to reduce noise

I've been thinking about putting together a low velocity/ noise bush load for shooting over the dog.

I was amazed at how much louder my rifle was when doing load development and cranking the speed right up. When shooting sub 50m I don't need all that speed and I I'm trying to be mindful of the dogs ears

My plan is to run 140gr sierra sbts at 2200ish fps.

Hornady has data for 2208 33.5gr at 2400 but nothing for 2206h or 2209.

Getting to the question

1.
What powder is better suited to reduce noise
A low charge of a faster burning powder or use a powder that's slow burning like 2217 or 2225?

2.
How low of a charge is to low?
I've read about under pressure acting alot like over pressure

why not just get a supressor?

The rifle is suppressed

If it breaks the sound barrier it goes crack! Not much you can do about it apart from a sub sonic load

What about heavy for calibre like 175gn Nosler Partition at starting load

Only another box of bullets to buy and I doubt you would need to change your normal zero if you only shooting to 50m
Just a thought

Originally Posted by Gkp

If it breaks the sound barrier it goes crack! Not much you can do about it apart from a sub sonic load

I would have said "crack" is always the same but more powder burnt = more perceived "boom"

Should give you a start point as 2206h is the same powder as h4895, made by adi and sold as hogdon.

https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aai...1-5e4f54a017c1

Greetings,
There is information on reduced loads for H4895 (AR2206H) and Trail Boss in the reference section on the Hodgdon site. You can go down to 60% of the listed max charge with AR2206H. In the .308 I have found this burns a bit dirty but shoots OK. With the 140 grain in the 7mm-08 Hodgdon lists a max of 42.5 grains of AR2206H and I would start around 35 grains for a reduced load which should produce around 2,200 fps. Most projectiles should still expand at that speed although I would probably switch to a soft point flat base. Read the Hodgdon data before doing any loading. I've been using 38 grains of AR2206H for years for a light target load with the 150 grain in my .308.
Regards GPM.

speer make awesome soft projectiles that would be...arguably more suited to the task you asking it to do...
2206h data is out there and being such a chunky powder SHOULD give you a fuller case=better burn.
there used to be an rule/suggestion to look at the powders that would give you desired velocity and pick the one that gave you most volume filled in the case....for most even/consistant ignition.
and YES a lighter load is noticably quieter than a hot one...

and its not completely dumb to have some really quiet...subsonic or just above loads for finishing off game up close or that peski camp possum.
having had a good play around with subsonic I came to conclusion that slightly faster is much better..a case pretty full of trailboss would be easiest solution for the 2nd loading..

PS. Went back and looked at the Web site and the load data is gone. The 60% rule is still there. Earlier loads for the 7mm-08 were listed at 35.6 grains of AR2206H with the 120 grain for 2,605 fps and 35.2 grains with the 130 grain for 2,509 fps.
GPM.

Don't shoot over your dog. Control him/her and shoot from in front. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
There is information on reduced loads for H4895 (AR2206H) and Trail Boss in the reference section on the Hodgdon site. You can go down to 60% of the listed max charge with AR2206H. In the .308 I have found this burns a bit dirty but shoots OK. With the 140 grain in the 7mm-08 Hodgdon lists a max of 42.5 grains of AR2206H and I would start around 35 grains for a reduced load which should produce around 2,200 fps. Most projectiles should still expand at that speed although I would probably switch to a soft point flat base. Read the Hodgdon data before doing any loading. I've been using 38 grains of AR2206H for years for a light target load with the 150 grain in my .308.
Regards GPM.

Any idea what speed your loads are doing?looking for a light bush load for my boy to use. Thanks

If you shoot over your dog and it doesn’t worry him, why are you worried? I’ve had a couple of dogs that recognise the working of the action or closing of a bolt and drop back behind to get away from the noise. Noise worries some dogs and not others.

I took my last deer a few weeks ago, an old fallow stag, at 36m with a 204gn cast HP from Rob Walker doing 960fps chronographed. So subsonic. Shoulder hit, dropped like a.stone. Shoot that load all day without muffs. Very very quiet. Used 6gn ICI Nobel Shotgun Powder No 78. Red Dot and AS50N are very similar. AP70N can also be used in that 6- 13gn charge range. 800x is excellent, 700x has been used by some but find good data for your application. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star cowboy powder can also be used successfully if you can find some. No fillers required. At the upper charge levels you would expect 1400-1600 fps. Accuracy can diminish quickly with cast at the higher velocities. Pistol/Shotgun powders in rifle cases can spike pressure very quickly as max charge is reached - around 12-13gn
depending on case size etc. Work a load up carefully from 6-8 gn. Do not use fine ball powders for such loads, e.g. W260/H110. Best are coarse or large flake powders. Also can be troublesome to meter but once you have your load not hard to trickle batch charge 50 cases.

Trailboss is good if you can get some/stand the current prices.

If loading jacketed bullets for sub loads check during load dev that the bullet reliably exits the bore.