7mm dilemma !!!!

[MudRunner2005]

The biggest problem with the 7rem and smaller is that you slow down too much with heavier bullets. They are great mid range rounds but the extra few hundred fps from the stw and bigger means a lot when you stretch the range a good bit. I'll take a 175 at 3100 (start charge in my 7rum) any day over a 175 at 2800(top charge for my last 7rem).
I know some are doing better with their 7rem's, but it's usually at pressures I won't let my rifles generate. I plan on using them years and winding the dog snot out of them is counter productive to me. Go big or go home.

Hey, my 7RM is insanely fast. It hates the 180's, but pushes the 168's @ 3,115 fps MV. Pressures are not bad, I get no pressure signs either. It's weird, but I ain't complaining.

"How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does posi-track on a Plymouth work?........It just does."

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Hey, my 7RM is insanely fast. It hates the 180's, but pushes the 168's @ 3,115 fps MV. Pressures are not bad, I get no pressure signs either. It's weird, but I ain't complaining.

"How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does posi-track on a Plymouth work?........It just does."

3000-3100 fps with 160-168 grain pills is rather normal for 26" bbl'd 7rems, but you go up to 175-180gr and you'll be pushing hard to hit or break 2900 fps. I can go 200 fps faster in my rum and be at lower map..

I've had a few 7rems now, and any one I buy from now on will get a re-chambering to 7x300 (standard action) or 7stw (full length action).

 

[Dick Tinsley]

There is one more 7mm that i havnt seen mentioned. a 7-300win mag. Some great information about them on this forum. Falls right between the 7 mag and 7 STW. Actually with 180gr bullets its pretty easy to acheive 7 STW velocity in a 28" barrel and still be alot shorter round.

More very good advice! Good stuff!

DT

 

[upacreek]

I have always wanted more out of my 7RM, especially with heavier bullets. Since doing a lot of reading here and experimenting I have gotten where I want to be. 180 bergers at 2960fps with no pressure signs. After reading a lot on the 7STW and not able to find any info supporting heavy bullets it isnt selling me. Seems like the brass is so long that heavy bullets just arent an option for repeating hunting rifles. I am very interested in the 7-300WM though. Thats my next goal!

 

[MudRunner2005]

I have always wanted more out of my 7RM, especially with heavier bullets. Since doing a lot of reading here and experimenting I have gotten where I want to be. 180 bergers at 2960fps with no pressure signs. After reading a lot on the 7STW and not able to find any info supporting heavy bullets it isnt selling me. Seems like the brass is so long that heavy bullets just arent an option for repeating hunting rifles. I am very interested in the 7-300WM though. Thats my next goal!

I'm confused by this statement... The 180's ARE the heavy bullets for the 7mm caliber. There's LOTS of info on the heavy bullets for the STW if you look in the right places. I shoot 180's out of mine. I can give you supporting info. But you never asked.

You can shoot 180's just fine out of an STW repeater if you seat the bullets deeper.

Or, there's always that old stand-by...You can spend $100 on a Wyatt's extended mag box and about $100 having it installed, and you can run your STW 180's all the way to the lands and still have a repeater.

 

[upacreek]

The 7STW was very appealing when choosing the chamber of my new barrel. The 180 was what my focus was on when I ordered the barrel. But it just concerned me how 90% of what I read was guys shooting 140-150 class bullets 3300fps. This is just my experience and how my descision was made. I admit maybe my searching was insufficient, cause all I saw was talk about "gonna use" 175-180's but no real life experience of "did use".
So what powder, charge and velocity are you seeing with your 7STW with 180's? I can buy loaded ammo here any day of the week which translates into brass, whereas the 7-300WM isnt commercially produced.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The 7STW was very appealing when choosing the chamber of my new barrel. The 180 was what my focus was on when I ordered the barrel. But it just concerned me how 90% of what I read was guys shooting 140-150 class bullets 3300fps. This is just my experience and how my descision was made. I admit maybe my searching was insufficient, cause all I saw was talk about "gonna use" 175-180's but no real life experience of "did use".
So what powder, charge and velocity are you seeing with your 7STW with 180's? I can buy loaded ammo here any day of the week which translates into brass, whereas the 7-300WM isnt commercially produced.

You will never hear of my shooting 140-150g bullets in an STW. That's insane. Why waste a great LR caliber, by shootin only lightweight bullets? Alot of folks do, and I personally think it's madness. But it's their gun, they can do what they want with it. As for me, I will continu to use the 180's.

Right now I am using a moderate-to-stiff charge of IMR 7828 SSC, and am gettng right at 3,000 fps MV out of 26" barrel with the Berger 180 Hyrbids. I am not getting any pressure signs with that load, so I can work up higher. I'm hoping to hit around 3,100-3,150 with the 180's and I'll be really happy. However, I haven't had the chance to work up any higher yet, as I haven't been back to the range since before summer (gets too hot around here to shoot during the summer, makes range days miserable).

After my 12+ years with the STW, I would say that while Federal Premium ammo has been the best shooting factory ammo for me...Federal brass sucks. It lasts maybe 3 firings, then it's done. I have 3-4 on my Nosler brass and it is still like new. I strongly recommend buying good brass like Nosler if you are going to run a performance caliber like the 7mm STW. I run Nosler in almost every one of my calibers, except my .308 Win, and I run Lapua brass in it.

You can buy Nosler brass here... And it's on sale for $10.00 off per box.

Nosler Custom Reloading Brass 7mm STW Box of 25

7mm-300WM is a great caliber, and buying .300WM brass is pretty common everywhere. And to form brass is a simple trip through the FL sizing die to neck the case down. So it's not a very time-consuming or difficult wildcat to form brass for. The reason I don't own one is because I have several 7mm RemMags and two 7mm STW's. So I really don't have a need for a 7mm-300 WM, as it is directly inbetween the 2.

 

[upacreek]

Thanks for your input. I wont ever shoot less than 160 class bullets. Just dont need to. This is what I was seeing when researching the 7STW
08-17-2009, 08:10 PM
Rabbitslayer78 Rabbitslayer78 is offline
Junior Member

Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 25
Re: 7mm 180gr Berger VLD
Average out of a 5 shot Muzzle velocity is 2812 fps, 74 .0 gr Retumbo, 7mm STW 180 Berger Hunting Load C.O.A.L is the factor!!!
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I think its a great cartridge. Just happy I stayed with the 7RM.

 

[MudRunner2005]

All of the velocities I quote for my own guns and loads were verified by my MagnetoSpeed V2 chronograph. It's VERY accurate.

Also keep in mind that every gun will be different. Some barrels are faster, some are slower. It's just the nature of the beast. You might luck-up and get a fast barrel, or you could get a slower barrel. You just never know till you work up a load and chrono it.

 

[Levi]

What about the 7mm saum? It seems this round is gaining notoriety with the production of Norma brass. I'm in the same "dilemma " as the OP, and am considering this cartridge. For me it's between the rem mag, and saum. Can you guys give the OP and myself some more direction?

 

[TMR]

7 Rem Mag for simplicity. With my chamber 180's run 3020-3040 in 27" barrels. Lots of different brass options out there as well. Hard to beat the 7 mag.

 

[MudRunner2005]

7 Rem Mag for simplicity. With my chamber 180's run 3020-3040 in 27" barrels. Lots of different brass options out there as well. Hard to beat the 7 mag.

Agreed. It's one of my all-time favorite hunting calibers for a reason...And that reason is because for me, it just gets the job done, from close range to long range, and it hits hard and shoots flat.

 

[Levi]

Thanks gentleman! I'm wanting to shoot the 180 HVLD. Is there any special magazine considerations with the rem mag and that bullet? Possibly looking at using HS bottom metal. Thanks again.

 

[bkondeff]

Travis,

After just reading through the pages of this thread I was about to respond to support the 7x300, aka 7mm Rogue, so I am suprised to see your response. Why pick the 7RM instead?

I for one like the opportunity to use what I see as higher quality brass(Norma) in the 300. Been using Norma brass in a .280 I bought this year for a goat hunt and find it to be excellent vs the usual Winchester or Remington brass I have used. Have heard that Nosler brass was soft, but no personal experience to verify.

The 7x300's variations all seem to be more efficient using the longer bullets(168-180) than either the 7RM or 7STW.

The downside of the wildcat seems to be 1) Picking a non-SAAMI reamer, 2) No headstamped brass, and 3) No factory chamberings if you are looking for emergency ammo. No knock on those that don't reload, but I'd think most on here that are serious LR hunters do.

This said, I shoot 2 7RM's now, so it's not like I have anything against them, but it seems like I'd have a hard time getting over 3000fps with 180's without a really long barrel, and I think =/-26" is ideal for me as I would prefer a break.