Thread: Youth load for 308

Hey all, looking at a youth/light load for my son to shoot thru the 308.
Thinking of a 125gr projectile, not looking for fastest load ever just a reliable projectile at sensible speeds for a 11 year old to shoot.
Thanks in advance for your comments

Have you got a break or suppressor on ?

110gr RN with a however much trailboss behind it

What about a flatnose 30-30 projectile, at 30-30 speeds? Sierra do a 125gr flatnose hollowpoint. Or the 160gr hornady ftx for better range.
The 30-30 projectiles are devastating on goats thru the 308, but would have lower recoil and good expansion and penetration at the slower speeds they are designed for.

Start him off on some cast bullets over trailboss, quiet low recoil, will teach him the rifle well without him developing a flinch.

125grn ballistic tips or 130grn speer hps both work great and dont need to be pushed fast...Im using win 748 powder and dropping load by a couple of grains...really mild to shoot but devastating at terminal end..... for what its worth they both work at 7.62x39mm speed too,know this as used them in the wee case too. the 125grn seirra flat nose hp for 30/30 are naaaaasty at .308 speeds and they kill deer at x39mm speed so another good option......
cast and TB are lots of fun and so cheap my .22lr sits rusting away in back of cabinet.

Originally Posted by Boaraxa

Have you got a break or suppressor on ?

Yeah with a suppressor

Robs 150 grain hollow point with 7.9 grains trail boss. My 4 year old can shoot it. Through my Tikka about sane recoil as a 22lr.


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I've just started playing with youth loads for 260 and 7mm08. Got some data off a US website from a chap that had disassembled the factory Rem reduced recoil loads. The factory used 30 gr of imr4198 in both 260 and 708 with 120gr bullets. For around 2400 fps.

Hodgdon says that you can download 4895 (2206H) to 60% of max loads for that powder in that cartridge. But my testing thus far shows much better accuracy with the imr4198.

I'm thinking young ones are unlikely to take shots at animals beyond 200 yards, so as long as your load hold 1000 ft lbs to that distance it'll be sweet.

Did a couple of test a while ago for a soft load. 43Gn H4895( AR2206H) was giving 2650fps in 21"barrel. 125gn Sierra projectile.

Thanks barefoot, was thinking 125sst or as you suggest 125 sierra

I have used the 151g cast from Robert in tokoroa with 8.5g trail boss for my 6yr old ,great for small game and plinking so far and have loaded up 110g Barnes TTSX with 45g 2206h ,not much recoil and should be good for deer,yet to shoot one but excellent accuracy at 50m.

125gn Nosler BT, it's my go-to adult load too, bang flop