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

[WildRose]

Hello to all,

My first post after "lurking" for awhile. I am a 7STW owner/shooter since 1992. Mine was built pretty much to specs from Layne Simpson's ST article. Rem 700 action, 26" Douglas stainless steel air gauged barrel, 1/10 twist. McMillan stock, now wearing a 2.5x10 Zeiss Diavari in Warne QD rings, Weaver two piece mounts. Have added a Jewell trigger and aftermarket firing pin assembly. I shoot Nosler 140 gr BT on top of a "pile" of H1000 @ 3425fps.....3/4" @ 100 yds and a bunch of whitetails over the years. My other load and one that the rifle does really well with is 160 gr Nosler AB over RL 25....essentially one ragged hole if I don't get nervous and "jank" one!!. No chrono numbers yet, Chrony is disabled, but that's another story!! Used this combo on a moose hunt in AK in 2012.

Anyhow, longer post than I expected...glad to be here, lots of information regarding one helluva fantastic cartridge!. Will post pic when I figure out how..

Welcome. I'd love to hear how your Moose hunt went in detail and what the results were with your bullet/load combo.

 

[thekyrifleman]

Thanks Wild Rose,

Unfortunately no moose. This was a hunt with a life long friend of mine who has lived in AK since the early 70's. First off, we had a nearly 10 day wait due to weather, 100 mph wind coming into Anchorage,(we were in Fairbanks) and could not fly. He has a Super Cub. Eventually we got in, and within a very short time saw moose, unfortunately, not legal. I think it was WMU 20 or 21, and as a non resident, bulls for me had to have 4 brow tines or exceed 50" in spread. Did see one giant a long way off, not confident enough to attempt some of the shooting that I have been reading about on this site, and in fact not really accessible due to high water, etc. after 3 days, weather started to act up again and we bailed. Never saw such ominous clouds, snow and wind as that day, coming from the south. So no moose, but a chance of a lifetime to hunt once again with a life long friend,(we met at age 9 or 10, which is 60+ years ago!), enjoy a new experience in the Alaskan bush!! PRICELESS!!! A fly in caribou hunt might be next! I attached a picture of "camp".

PS...he has killed probably a dozen moose with a rebarreled Ruger number one in 7mm-08, 150 gr Sirocco II's. Bear load is 160 gr Nosler Partitions, backed up with a S&W 44. By the way, the possibility of bears, and they were there, got my attention for sure

 

[WildRose]

Thanks Wild Rose,

Unfortunately no moose. This was a hunt with a life long friend of mine who has lived in AK since the early 70's. First off, we had a nearly 10 day wait due to weather, 100 mph wind coming into Anchorage,(we were in Fairbanks) and could not fly. He has a Super Cub. Eventually we got in, and within a very short time saw moose, unfortunately, not legal. I think it was WMU 20 or 21, and as a non resident, bulls for me had to have 4 brow tines or exceed 50" in spread. Did see one giant a long way off, not confident enough to attempt some of the shooting that I have been reading about on this site, and in fact not really accessible due to high water, etc. after 3 days, weather started to act up again and we bailed. Never saw such ominous clouds, snow and wind as that day, coming from the south. So no moose, but a chance of a lifetime to hunt once again with a life long friend,(we met at age 9 or 10, which is 60+ years ago!), enjoy a new experience in the Alaskan bush!! PRICELESS!!! A fly in caribou hunt might be next! I attached a picture of "camp".

PS...he has killed probably a dozen moose with a rebarreled Ruger number one in 7mm-08, 150 gr Sirocco II's. Bear load is 160 gr Nosler Partitions, backed up with a S&W 44. By the way, the possibility of bears, and they were there, got my attention for sure

Yah, that's why we call it "hunting". Sounds like you managed to have a good time anyhow and that's all that really matters in the end. Everyone I know who lives or has lived in AK or spend much time there talks about the weather and just how quickly it can turn bad and thus why you always plan to be prepared for extra days in any fly in location.

Anyhow, once again, welcome.

 

[ButterBean]

Thanks Wild Rose,

Unfortunately no moose. This was a hunt with a life long friend of mine who has lived in AK since the early 70's. First off, we had a nearly 10 day wait due to weather, 100 mph wind coming into Anchorage,(we were in Fairbanks) and could not fly. He has a Super Cub. Eventually we got in, and within a very short time saw moose, unfortunately, not legal. I think it was WMU 20 or 21, and as a non resident, bulls for me had to have 4 brow tines or exceed 50" in spread. Did see one giant a long way off, not confident enough to attempt some of the shooting that I have been reading about on this site, and in fact not really accessible due to high water, etc. after 3 days, weather started to act up again and we bailed. Never saw such ominous clouds, snow and wind as that day, coming from the south. So no moose, but a chance of a lifetime to hunt once again with a life long friend,(we met at age 9 or 10, which is 60+ years ago!), enjoy a new experience in the Alaskan bush!! PRICELESS!!! A fly in caribou hunt might be next! I attached a picture of "camp".

PS...he has killed probably a dozen moose with a rebarreled Ruger number one in 7mm-08, 150 gr Sirocco II's. Bear load is 160 gr Nosler Partitions, backed up with a S&W 44. By the way, the possibility of bears, and they were there, got my attention for sure

One of my best friends grew up in AK ....his Dad flys for Stoney River Lodge

 

[thekyrifleman]

Alaska is rapidly becoming our favorite place to visit. Been there 3X so far. Hope to get back soon. This past summer, my wife and I rode our motorcycles from Key West, FL to Fairbanks, with the intention of going to Prudhoe Bay. We were on a fund raising mission for the American Legion Legacy Scholorship Fund. Had to get help from my friend to get all the way, but we made it. The "Highway" was just too difficult, not made for street style Harley's, and the horror stories we heard were finally enough to discourage us from riding.

 

[bobs]

Way off topic here guys but I just posted a rifle for sale in the classifieds. Fantastic medium range thumper for elk, moose, bear. Remington Mod 660 in .350 Rem Mag. with a 1.5X5 Leupold Vari-X III in Talley QD mounts. 153 rounds of factory ammo & 73 pcs of once-fired rem brass included. Iv'e got the whole rig priced at $1500 but would give a nice discount to "The Brotherhood". Call or email me at [email protected] 970 946 3894. Bob

 

[marioq]

Guys I need a little help here… I think I am doing things right with what I have but I will do the short version… It is too late to send Butterbean a text so I figured I would come here and Pick the brains of all y'all at once…
As some of you know I have 2 STWs. One rem 700 from hill county rifles and another model 70 that I had done by a local guy. Anyway, for my montana hunt I reloaded 20 rounds. turns out the seater die was set too deep and buggered up the shoulder area and the shells would not work. Today, I decided to try and fix that problem so I pulled all the bullets and started to resize the cases. Well, they would not fit in my 700. The 70 no problem. So I then started trimming the cases because I measured and they were a little long. Still would not chamber in the 700. I figured maybe I have to push the shoulder back…. I know many of you talk about it by .002 but I do not know how to do this…..

I dialed the die in a turn at a time and after 3-4 times, it would chamber…. I thought FInally!!!!! So, I tried with the next one and got a case stuck…. Stripped the lip at the base of the case….. Hit the primer ejector piece from my lee die with a mallet and got it out… Now, the primer ejector and the neck expander are stuck in the case..( same part I know.) End of the story, I am tired of messing with it so not till mañana….
but I need to pull the expander out…. It won't go into the little screw piece because I think i dented it a little and it seems as though the tolerances around the expander acre piece are very tight….

So, anyone see this before??? Am I doing it right??? Should I push the shoulder a little at a time??? I did not lube them first… maybe that would help….
wither way, good night… And let me know what you think…

Thanks
Mario

 

[WildRose]

Guys I need a little help here… I think I am doing things right with what I have but I will do the short version… It is too late to send Butterbean a text so I figured I would come here and Pick the brains of all y'all at once…
As some of you know I have 2 STWs. One rem 700 from hill county rifles and another model 70 that I had done by a local guy. Anyway, for my montana hunt I reloaded 20 rounds. turns out the seater die was set too deep and buggered up the shoulder area and the shells would not work. Today, I decided to try and fix that problem so I pulled all the bullets and started to resize the cases. Well, they would not fit in my 700. The 70 no problem. So I then started trimming the cases because I measured and they were a little long. Still would not chamber in the 700. I figured maybe I have to push the shoulder back…. I know many of you talk about it by .002 but I do not know how to do this…..

I dialed the die in a turn at a time and after 3-4 times, it would chamber…. I thought FInally!!!!! So, I tried with the next one and got a case stuck…. Stripped the lip at the base of the case….. Hit the primer ejector piece from my lee die with a mallet and got it out… Now, the primer ejector and the neck expander are stuck in the case..( same part I know.) End of the story, I am tired of messing with it so not till mañana….
but I need to pull the expander out…. It won't go into the little screw piece because I think i dented it a little and it seems as though the tolerances around the expander acre piece are very tight….

So, anyone see this before??? Am I doing it right??? Should I push the shoulder a little at a time??? I did not lube them first… maybe that would help….
wither way, good night… And let me know what you think…

Thanks
Mario

Mario of I'm reading you right you probably have a little more generous neck area in the 70 than you do in the HCR as in a "no turn neck" on the 70.

If it were me I'd take one that's not chambering and smoke it and slowly slip it forward till it makes contact and pull it out an see exactly where it's making contact.

Are you beveling slightly after resizing and trimming? You can get some spreading of the leading edge of the neck at times which will cause them to hang.

If you smoke one and work it a bit I'll bet you figure it out.

If you have a micrometer that will fit, check the thickness of the necks on those that do fit and those that don't.

Something else you can do would be to mic a fired case from each one checking the outer neck diameter right at the lip.

 

[marioq]

By smoking u mean put a match or lighter to get it black?
Then gently slide into the chamber to see where it contacts?

If I do that, how do I them change my die??
By the way, die has a case stuck so I have to solve that issue first.
I'll measure the wall thickness. I have a standard electronic micrometer so I hope that will work.

Work in progress I guess. Hahahahha
Thanks rose!!!

 

[WildRose]

By smoking u mean put a match or lighter to get it black?
Then gently slide into the chamber to see where it contacts?

If I do that, how do I them change my die??
By the way, die has a case stuck so I have to solve that issue first.
I'll measure the wall thickness. I have a standard electronic micrometer so I hope that will work.

Work in progress I guess. Hahahahha
Thanks rose!!!

If the necks have thickened you'll have to turn them down specifically for that rifle. What I'd probably do is save my brass from that rifle and mic the wall thickness and save one loaded round that chambers fine.

carefully remove the bullet from that loaded round and mic it both outer diameter and wall thickness. Then turn down your fired bras to match the wall thickness, resize it, mic it again and compare the neck to one that's chambering fine.

Pain in the *** but it's the shortest route to success I can think of short of just tossing those that don't chamber at all.

Yes, what I mean by smoking is to soot it up with a candle or match, not sure if a match will do it as they burn pretty cleanly but give it a try with what you have.

As for what to do when you know for sure where the contact is, that'll depend on what it shows.

 

[lizardsinep]

I always use lube when re-sizing

I usually only turn them a 1/4 or less while adjusting

But what usually is the problem with my cases not chambering / stcking/hard to chamber is that I have bulged out the brass by pushing back the shoulder to far
sometimes hard to see .sometimes plain as day , mic it just were the shoulder starts to taper in

I never had the problem be a thick neck

 

[marioq]

I figured out the problem. I have two guns. Different chambers. I fire formed in the first one and try to reload into the second one this did not work. I figured it out and now I will buy 2 dies and separate the brass. Thank you for your help

 

[WapitiBob]

3rd generation has RL25...

 

[WildRose]

3rd generation has RL25...

Thanks for the head's up.