7mm STW Brotherhood - For those who shoot the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner

[7stw]

At these velocities the SST is a flying bomb. If you're a big fan of Hornady and want to stay with their bullets I'd strongly recommend using the interbond or interlock instead. They'll hold together much better and give you very good penetration and controlled expansion.

Welcome to "The Brotherhood".

+1. the SST' are WAYYYYY tooooo fragile at these velocities!

 

[marioq]

+1. the SST' are WAYYYYY tooooo fragile at these velocities!

I'll third that!!! Shot an elk with my stock. 300 win mag and when I was cleaning the animal, I found pieces of copper completely removed from the lead!! And the meat was all shot out in that area!!! Made me never even look at hornady again!!! That was the sst!!! Never tried the others but the experience in this forum is legendary!!!!

 

[alex clark]

This my first post. I bought a 7mm sendaro when they first come out had it rechambered to stw and a triger job before ever shooting it. shot a few boxes of factory amo. great . shot 140 gr hand loads unbeleable killed a book antolope 400yds. Lights out. I am glad to find stw brotherhood becouse I thought I was the only one in love with it. alex

 

[MudRunner2005]

I quit shooting the SST's a long time ago, for the same reasons as yall. I had too many whitetails run. Plus, it ruined alot of meat in the impact zones.

However, when I had my old custom target .308, I used to take it deer hunting occasionally. This was all before I started reloading. And I have taken several deer with the Hornady TAP, in the red box (LE ammo), 168 HPBT's. And they have some serious punch! They don't frange bad at all, and they will put a wallop on whatever you shoot.

Granted, the only Hornady bullets I shoot these days are LeverEvolutions for my pistols and lever guns, but I wouldn't completely write them off simply b/c of how sensative and frangible the SST's are... Just my opinion. Also, their Match brass is really good stuff for load development. It's cheap and you don't have to waste shots fired on your good high-dollar brass. That's what I use for load development for my .308. Then once I get a load I really like, I load some up in my Lapua brass.

 

[MudRunner2005]

This my first post. I bought a 7mm sendaro when they first come out had it rechambered to stw and a triger job before ever shooting it. shot a few boxes of factory amo. great . shot 140 gr hand loads unbeleable killed a book antolope 400yds. Lights out. I am glad to find stw brotherhood becouse I thought I was the only one in love with it. alex

Alex, you are certainly not alone. Welcome to the brotherhood. Most of us have been in love with the caliber for over a decade. Some, since it first came to be. You will find TONS of knowledge here. I, too, have had my Sendero SF 7mmSTW (factory chamber) since it was new 11 years ago. I have loved the gun and the caliber and will ALWAYS have atleast 1 STW sitting in the safe. I have found that mine seems to love the heavies (160-180gr). Currently I am working on load development with some 180gr Berger VLD's.

 

[80 grains]

Welcome to the hood alex clark! This is awesome!

 

[lesutton2]

I load 139gr Hornady boatail soft points not SST's. gun)

 

[284nut]

I'll third that!!! Shot an elk with my stock. 300 win mag and when I was cleaning the animal, I found pieces of copper completely removed from the lead!! And the meat was all shot out in that area!!! Made me never even look at hornady again!!! That was the sst!!! Never tried the others but the experience in this forum is legendary!!!!

Since we are on the subject welcome to the conversation Alex. What have you guys experienced with Nosler Ballistic tips versus Accubonds??

A few recoveries have led me to believe that the accubond is a tougher bullet, any comments???

 

[7stw]

Since we are on the subject welcome to the conversation Alex. What have you guys experienced with Nosler Ballistic tips versus Accubonds??

A few recoveries have led me to believe that the accubond is a tougher bullet, any comments???

I second the Welcome to Alex, and enjoy the ride. Be careful, you might learn something!!

284, yes you are correct about the AB being a tougher bullet. And they do fly different, then the same weight BT. I don't know why, but they do. I have killed deer with the AB in 30 caliber, and it did as was described on target, went in, opened up, and kept going, and didn't grenade. I have a new rifle in a 7 mm flavor that I would love to get it to shoot that bullet, as it is perfect for that round. ( .280 ). I have some put aside for it, and am anxious to try them. They do stay together better then the BT, CT.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I've got 300 nos bt (140 grain 7mm) blems on order but haven't gotten them yet. The Last time I shot a deer with a nos bt it was a 25 cal 100 grain from a 25-06. I hit a doe mule deer with it at a bit over 300 yards and the pill didn't make through on a high slats shot. We texas heart shot a white tail buck at 50 yards with a 165 bt from a 300 win years ago and the biggest part we found was the heel of the lead core.
On the other hand, I popped a mule deer doe at 100 yards with my brother's 270 a few years back ( I was holding the rifle as he was gutting a deer and one came into my view; I dumped the deer with the first shot I'd shot from that rifle) and the 130 grain pill went through the slats just fine.
In short, I've seen it both ways but I'll use a hornady interlock, nos ab, or sierra long before I'll hunt with a bt again. I'll use the bt's for paper punching and save the good pills for when I want to eat it.

 

[WildRose]

I'll third that!!! Shot an elk with my stock. 300 win mag and when I was cleaning the animal, I found pieces of copper completely removed from the lead!! And the meat was all shot out in that area!!! Made me never even look at hornady again!!! That was the sst!!! Never tried the others but the experience in this forum is legendary!!!!

You will love the terminal performance of the interbond and interlock on tough critters like Elk, water buff, big hogs etc.

They fly well and when they meet the meat give very good controlled expansion even at long range. For long range the Interbond is my go to Hornady Bullet. They have literally never let me down.

 

[Planenut]

Wanting to add a 7 rem mag or 7 STW to my collection. I do reload and expect to use the berger 168 VLD. What kind of barrel life can I expect from these?

Looking for a Sendero but will probably have to settle for a standard Remington 700 and upgrade the barrel down the road as well as add a bell and Carlson stock. I'm from SC so game does not get that big.

Any suggestions.

Currently reloading for 270 Win with Berger Classic hunters in 130 VLD's getting 2960 with a 22 inch Boss barrel. Also Reloading pistol calibers.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I've put over 500 down the tube of mine in the last 11 years (didn't always reload), and ammo was expensive, then it got scarce. Now that I reload, I've put probably 150 in the last 6+ months.

I've been told that loading normal (not super hot loads), you can expect 1500+ out of it.

 

[284nut]

Wanting to add a 7 rem mag or 7 STW to my collection. I do reload and expect to use the berger 168 VLD. What kind of barrel life can I expect from these?

Looking for a Sendero but will probably have to settle for a standard Remington 700 and upgrade the barrel down the road as well as add a bell and Carlson stock. I'm from SC so game does not get that big.

Any suggestions.

Currently reloading for 270 Win with Berger Classic hunters in 130 VLD's getting 2960 with a 22 inch Boss barrel. Also Reloading pistol calibers.

I have a Remington 700 in a 7 Mag that my dad bought new in 1976, probably 2000 rounds through it and still shoots 3/4" groups at 100. Added a Bell and Carlson stock and the rest is stock Remington. She shows a little throat erosion, but accuracy is still good for what I do.

The 7 STW I have is from 1995 near 1000 rounds through it with no signs of lost accuracy. ALL HAVE BEEN MAXIMUM LOADS, no need to drive a race car like the grocery getter. It's a Winchester 70 and is bone stock.