.243 vs 7MM 08 recoil

[fulstrut]

Can anyone tell me how much difference there is in felt recoil between a .243 vs a 7mm08 cartridge? I realize the stock and weight of the rifle make a difference. I'm trying to introduce a smaller framed woman into the sport she just shot her first deer (a doe) with one of my .243's it went 50 yds and folded. I would like her to look at a 7mm 08 because of the versatility of the the 7mm bullet in hand loads. I shoot a Forbes Ultra light in 7mm 08 but being such a light gun it barks a little.

[MrStarnes1]

better off with a 270 or 30.06
7mm is a bit much for a smaller framed person. it will make them not enjoy shooting when they are getting the snot kicked out of them and the scope ring to the crown of their nose every other shot

[mrpike57]

better off with a 270 or 30.06
7mm is a bit much for a smaller framed person. it will make them not enjoy shooting when they are getting the snot kicked out of them and the scope ring to the crown of their nose every other shot

7mm 08 shouldnt be any worse than the 243, or 270... 7mm mag, now that is a different story

[MrStarnes1]

7mm 08 shouldnt be any worse than the 243, or 270... 7mm mag, now that is a different story


my bad! for some reason i had 7mm mag in my head

[T Mac]

7mm-08 doesn't kick much at all.
I have shot it.
It kicks like my 6mm...which is nothing, really.
I wouldn't hesitate to get one for a small shooter.
Nice cartridge.

[amax]

7mm-08 run the 162 amax and dont look back.

[Phil T]

There is a decent recoil calculator on the homepage of HuntAmerica.com. You need to know the weight of the firearm, and any attached stuff like scope, sling, etc. You can get a powder charge value from Hodgdon's reloading website.
Since the 7-08 shoots heavier bullets than a 243, I'm pretty sure it kicks a little more.

[2Labs]

I have shot the 7mm-08. I expected to feel the recoil of a .308.

I was stunned.

There was VERY little recoil.

Recoil sensitivity is cumulative. If you have someone punch you lightly on the upper arm once, it doesn't hurt. But have them do it 100 times and it DOES hurt. Over the years with all the shooting I have done (including 10 gauge and 12 gauge 3.5 inchers) I am very recoil sensitive.

But that 7mm-08 (Remington bolt action synthetic stock with a recoil pad on the butt stock) gave me VERY little recoil. At first I thought it might have been a mis-loaded round. But I shot it again and the recoil was exactly the same. My buddy asked "How much recoil was it?" I answered "NONE!"

Can't compare it to the .243 -- but I can tell you it was MUCH MUCH less than a .30-30.

I don't need another long gun for deer. BUT if I ever buy one it or start a youngster shooting on one will be the 7mm-08.

[J.Iverson]

I bought one for my 10 year old daughter after she borrowed a .243 to take her first deer. We haven't sighted it in yet since it wrapped under the tree but all research I did said the recoil would be very similar. I had the stock cut 1 inch and a sims recoil saver pad put on. I also got her some low recoil hornady ammo just in case. We can let you know after christmas.

[High Ball]

Fulstrut, I once purchase a 7mm-08 for my daughter who weighed in at 105 pounds soaking wet. She handled her mothers .243 very well at the time, so I opted to bump her up to a larger caliber for deer hunting. The rifle I chose was a model 70 featherweight in the 7mm-08. The 20 or 22 inch barrel back then (can't remember) was indeed a larger burst of muzzle flash than the .243. The noise from the blast was a bunch in comparison. The recoil wasn't the problem, just the blast and more muzzle jump. She stayed with the .243 for the nest couple of years and I handloaded her some Nosler Partition bullets in the 100 grn weight.


The 7mm-08 does give a much wider pick of bullet weights suitable up to even elk. The caliber is very accurate as well, do to the parent case I suppose. See if you can get your hands on a 7mm-08 for her to shoot and see how she likes the rifle, it's a more of a sure thing then when you spend the money. Also the .243 caliber is notorious for it's accuracy out to 800 yards, again the parent case takes the bows.