WildRose
Well-Known Member
Nope, I'd start with probably the 160gr class and go up from there. For deep penetration on heavy bodied animals you need to be moving a bigger mass with higher sectional density vs higher velocity.
7mm STW Brotherhood - For those who shoot the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner
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Lefty7mmstw
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't do a Tikka conversion from 7mm rem to 7mm stw... you will end up single feeding as the magazine isn't long enough. You may even have trouble getting cases from the action as the eject port is rather small for the stw.
If you are reaming a tikka, I'd go 7x300win as it can fit into a standard action. Same if you want to punch out a rather good shooting ruger m77.
If you want a good shooting 7stw at present, you will have to look around a bit. Cooper punches chambers for it, as does the weatherby custom shop. I'd find a donor remmy 700 long action mag and re-barrel if I were you. Most factory pipes aren't 8" twist anyway (9" or slightly slower), and with the current trending to extremely heavy pills for caliber, you may find your barrel lacking if it isn't an 8" twist.
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
I hear you on the access to information on the web, truly outstanding!
I am 55 and have been hunting and shooting since I was 5 with my father, was I ever lucky to have the father I had, sure do miss him. Many days after school I would take out my pellet rifle (open sight no scope) and go hunt blackbirds, starlings, seagulls and squirrels. Sometimes the holdover on them blackbirds was 2 feet hehe, was nothing to shoot 20 birds an afternoon. With seagulls after loading my pellet I would drop in some #9 shot in the front of the barrel and shoot them in flight. Did a lot of shooting with my 22 once I moved up in caliber lol.
I agree with everything you have said Wildrose and after speaking with my gunsmith he basically said the same thing you have about only gaining 100 to 150 feet. He does all of my work and he also told me that rechambering a Tikka can't be done because their barrels are to hard. So as it stands I think that I will just stick to the Tikka T3 Hunter, or a T3 Stainless 7mm rem mag. Most of the killing I do is under 500 yards, in fact the longest kill shot I took to date was on a beauty bull moose around 500 yards, freehand with my 30-06. I was in a meadow with no trees and high grass, so I had no option but to freehand the shot. The moose dropped got up went 75 yards and expired.
This is the scenario that made my realize that I did not have the perfect setup to take longer shots. I was using a Bausch & Lomb 4200 Rainguard Elite and with that setup the holdover is significant and iffy. That is the day I decided to buy myself a different rifle that was flatter shooting and a scope that I could adjust and then aim at what I wanted to shoot at and eliminating the guessing game. The first hunt I went on with my 300WSM and Huskemaw was a Mule Deer hunt. I remember going out that day hoping for a long range gun)to see what my new setup would do, the deer I killed I shot at 75 yards, foiled again haha!
I also agree that there is lots to learn about long range shooting, never did like reading that much, more of a hands on guy that prefers practical experience over theoretical. So lots of shooting is in order and will be done. As it stands now with my Huskemaw and my 300 WSM, 500 yards with a 10 inch disk I never miss, my rest is the hood of my truck on a packsack.
I have been using 180 grain Nosler Trophy Grade Accubonds in my 300 WSM. What is your favorite bullet for long range shooting on elk?
WildRose
Well-Known Member
One that currently isn't available... .HA!I hear you on the access to information on the web, truly outstanding!
I am 55 and have been hunting and shooting since I was 5 with my father, was I ever lucky to have the father I had, sure do miss him. Many days after school I would take out my pellet rifle (open sight no scope) and go hunt blackbirds, starlings, seagulls and squirrels. Sometimes the holdover on them blackbirds was 2 feet hehe, was nothing to shoot 20 birds an afternoon. With seagulls after loading my pellet I would drop in some #9 shot in the front of the barrel and shoot them in flight. Did a lot of shooting with my 22 once I moved up in caliber lol.
I agree with everything you have said Wildrose and after speaking with my gunsmith he basically said the same thing you have about only gaining 100 to 150 feet. He does all of my work and he also told me that rechambering a Tikka can't be done because their barrels are to hard. So as it stands I think that I will just stick to the Tikka T3 Hunter, or a T3 Stainless 7mm rem mag. Most of the killing I do is under 500 yards, in fact the longest kill shot I took to date was on a beauty bull moose around 500 yards, freehand with my 30-06. I was in a meadow with no trees and high grass, so I had no option but to freehand the shot. The moose dropped got up went 75 yards and expired.
This is the scenario that made my realize that I did not have the perfect setup to take longer shots. I was using a Bausch & Lomb 4200 Rainguard Elite and with that setup the holdover is significant and iffy. That is the day I decided to buy myself a different rifle that was flatter shooting and a scope that I could adjust and then aim at what I wanted to shoot at and eliminating the guessing game. The first hunt I went on with my 300WSM and Huskemaw was a Mule Deer hunt. I remember going out that day hoping for a long range gun)to see what my new setup would do, the deer I killed I shot at 75 yards, foiled again haha!
I also agree that there is lots to learn about long range shooting, never did like reading that much, more of a hands on guy that prefers practical experience over theoretical. So lots of shooting is in order and will be done. As it stands now with my Huskemaw and my 300 WSM, 500 yards with a 10 inch disk I never miss, my rest is the hood of my truck on a packsack.
I have been using 180 grain Nosler Trophy Grade Accubonds in my 300 WSM. What is your favorite bullet for long range shooting on elk?
I'm a Hornady Guy and really like their Interbond the best for high velocity and big critters.
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: .308 30 CAL :: 30 Cal .308 150 gr InterBond®
If they start making them again, and since they are "temporarily suspended" I suspect they are planning to I'll buy a lifetime supply first chance I get.
In lieu of them my next choice would be the Nosler Accubond.
AccuBond Bullet
If your rifle will shoot them accurately and they will cycle properly and fit in your magazine the Accubond LR is a very good bullet as well.
I have a dear friend who has killed more elk with a 7mm Rem than probably anyone else alive at ranges out to 850yds swears by the 165gr Nosler Partition.
Partition Bullet
The partition is a flat based bullet that has considerably lower BC than the others but they are a very hard hitting bullet that is ideal for punching through heavy bone and thick bodies.
One problem with Elk is that particularly in the later season they are often covered in ice so bullets that expand rapidly can end up failing to penetrate and just make for a very nasty wound.
In general you want a well constructed bullet that assures deep penetration and limited well controlled expansion that doesn't break up.
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
Funny you should mention ice covered elk. I was drawn this year for cow elk for the Nov1st - Dec 20th season. In northern Canada you may have heard about out weather "A"? LOL
Accubonds are my first choice, and since you have shared you friends success with the Partition format, I am thinking that may the bullet of choice for me too. Over the years I have learned that "Reinventing The Wheel" is like taking the longest road to complete a full circle.
I like the ballistics of the Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range ABLR. With the Partition, I could only find the 150 and 175 Grain bullets, so I would go with the 175.
It will be interesting to see this of these two bullets the barrel of my new rifle will prefer. Thanks again for your input Wildrose, much appreciated!
marioq
Well-Known Member
Funny you should mention ice covered elk. I was drawn this year for cow elk for the Nov1st - Dec 20th season. In northern Canada you may have heard about out weather "A"? LOL
Accubonds are my first choice, and since you have shared you friends success with the Partition format, I am thinking that may the bullet of choice for me too. Over the years I have learned that "Reinventing The Wheel" is like taking the longest road to complete a full circle.
I like the ballistics of the Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range ABLR. With the Partition, I could only find the 150 and 175 Grain bullets, so I would go with the 175.
It will be interesting to see this of these two bullets the barrel of my new rifle will prefer. Thanks again for your input Wildrose, much appreciated!
Rose knows his STWs!!!!
Looking at picking up another one this week. So I have to sell 2 of my 3 stws to make room and make money!!!!
Look for them on the sale side of things.
Heads up rose!!! 1 month till AZ elk.
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500,000 views of this 7mm STW thread. That is amazing.
You guys should get a room.
Oh, I forgot. You already do have a room. ... your own 7mm STW sub-forum.
You guys should get a room.
Oh, I forgot. You already do have a room. ... your own 7mm STW sub-forum.
- Joined
- May 2, 2001
- Messages
- 7,521
You guys earned the room.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
If I were going on a trip like that I think I would stick with the Hornady GMX (limited but positive results so far with it) the Hornady Interlock, or the Nosler Partition.Funny you should mention ice covered elk. I was drawn this year for cow elk for the Nov1st - Dec 20th season. In northern Canada you may have heard about out weather "A"? LOL
Accubonds are my first choice, and since you have shared you friends success with the Partition format, I am thinking that may the bullet of choice for me too. Over the years I have learned that "Reinventing The Wheel" is like taking the longest road to complete a full circle.
I like the ballistics of the Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range ABLR. With the Partition, I could only find the 150 and 175 Grain bullets, so I would go with the 175.
It will be interesting to see this of these two bullets the barrel of my new rifle will prefer. Thanks again for your input Wildrose, much appreciated!
I've had good luck with the accubond too and the ALR but those bullets are not constructed as heavily as the others and the ALR isn't as heavily constructed as the Accubond.
The problem in general with bullets specifically designed for long range is that they will expand by design at much lower energy levels and as a result if they hit something solid be that ice, dried mud (really common on bulls in warm weather because of the wallowing they do) or bone you can get full expansion and littler or no penetration.
Of course sometimes we just over examine these things to death. If you pick a LR designed bullet don't shoot for the shoulder, put it through the ribs below the shoulder and just behind the leg in the "triangle" made by the leg/shoulder bones. Put it through there and the heart, lungs, or both are gone and there's very little meat loss at all compared to a spine/shoulder shot.
Too Add: The BC of the Accubond LR bullets is highly inflated, the actual BC is around .100 less than they show.
Oh, there's another great bullet I left out which is the Swift A-Frame. NOT a long range bullet but it's designed as an expanding but deep penetrating round for African Game.
Of the choices listed pick a couple and load them up, see what shoots best for you in your rifle and maybe for this year limit yourself this year to a range at which you are 100% confident in shooting at.
Think of it this way, you don't want to have a bad experience on your first attempt so don't push the limits beyond what you are dead sure you can succeed at.
If you read enough stories here about shots being rather common from 600-1,200yds by our members again and again so it's easy to start thinking it's easy.
It's not, some of us have been working at this for more than 3 decades.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
gun)
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
500,000 views of this 7mm STW thread. That is amazing.
You guys should get a room.
Oh, I forgot. You already do have a room. ... your own 7mm STW sub-forum.
Just wanted to thank you for an awesome forum Mr. Backus!
Nice people in the know here. This Canadian certainly appreciates the insight.
God Bless the USA, Canada and Huskemaw! gun)
I've had good luck with both. I got one Winchester 70 in .264 Win Mag and compared to my 7mm Rem Mag it will fall short everytime. Been looking into restock and barrel on both but with my new STW I think it's going to get the work next. Back to looking at stocks one cannot fail to consider barrel too. Kinda goes hand and hand. Obviously I can change the stock easily using the same barrel. In the case at hand if I desire precession I will have to do both. IMO. My question is I've got my eye on one, a Bell and Carlson LA M40. Says will work with LA 700 with heavy barrel. I hunt in CO and want to have a rifle not lite but not 12# either. 10# or less, idea. Is a No5 contour considered a "heavy" barrel. Would you recommend some other contour? Just curious for input from like minded shooters.
