7mm STW Reloading Thread

[bobs]

Have not tried RL33. Have had really good results with Retumbo with the 168 ABLR' and 168 vld's.
Have tried to keep my LR guns on the Extream powders. One of my STW's holds less than 1/2 moa at 1k with vld's. The other holds about 1/2 moa with ABLR's at 30 degrees or 85 degrees. Don't think a powder change would better my deal. Can't hold it any tighter than that.
I do a lot of guide work for whitetails and also a lot of culling and I do know the stw is their worse nightmare. One heck of a cartridge.
Ddgo

ddgo - what twist rate are you using with the 168 ABLR's? Could you also share your laods, vel & bbl length? How has terminal performance been?

Thanks

 

[ddgo]

Kreiger 29" 1/9 twist
81.0 gr Retumbo @3260fps
Kreiger 27.5" 1/9 twist
82.0gr Retumbo @3230fps
Both with remington neck turned brass and cci's 250 primers
Out of about 40 deer I recovered 2 bullets. Both expanded to.600 retained 52 and 55 percent.
Longest shoots were 2 bucks at 1 k. One dropped the other ran about 60 yds. Both were pass thrus
Very happy so far.
Ddgo

 

[bobs]

Kreiger 29" 1/9 twist
81.0 gr Retumbo @3260fps
Kreiger 27.5" 1/9 twist
82.0gr Retumbo @3230fps
Both with remington neck turned brass and cci's 250 primers
Out of about 40 deer I recovered 2 bullets. Both expanded to.600 retained 52 and 55 percent.
Longest shoots were 2 bucks at 1 k. One dropped the other ran about 60 yds. Both were pass thrus
Very happy so far.
Ddgo

Thanks for the info ddgo. How do you think the 168 gr ABLR would perform on elk?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks for the info ddgo. How do you think the 168 gr ABLR would perform on elk?

Not as well as the 180gr Berger VLD or Hybrid will...

Never shot an elk, but for a thick tough game animal, you will want the HP design of the Berger, and not the controlled expansion design of the Accubombs that are frangible and can explode.

 

[Stickerflicker1]

not to change of subject but what is the best brass for a 7stw? do they make a match brass for the 7stw? a guy was telling me the other day that match brass is much better than the other brass and that you could be .2 grains off with the match brass and still be more accurate than the regular run of the mill brass due to the area in the casing thats not being used with power in more accurate from one round to the other. basicaly the presures will be more of the same from one round to the other with match brass. any more info would be great.

 

[MudRunner2005]

not to change of subject but what is the best brass for a 7stw? do they make a match brass for the 7stw? a guy was telling me the other day that match brass is much better than the other brass and that you could be .2 grains off with the match brass and still be more accurate than the regular run of the mill brass due to the area in the casing thats not being used with power in more accurate from one round to the other. basicaly the presures will be more of the same from one round to the other with match brass. any more info would be great.

Nosler Custom Reloading Brass 7mm STW Box of 25

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Not as well as the 180gr Berger VLD or Hybrid will...

Never shot an elk, but for a thick tough game animal, you will want the HP design of the Berger, and not the controlled expansion design of the Accubombs that are frangible and can explode.

a heavy cup and core like the berger in its heaviest weights for the caliber will work well on heavy critters but for deer and good cup and core or bonded will cut through no sweat. I prefer the hornady or the regular accubond with some sierra pro hunters in there too. I'm getting into bergers a bit in 7mm but I might not even get to try anything new this year as I don't have a tag yet and may not get one the way it is going...

 

[MudRunner2005]

a heavy cup and core like the berger in its heaviest weights for the caliber will work well on heavy critters but for deer and good cup and core or bonded will cut through no sweat. I prefer the hornady or the regular accubond with some sierra pro hunters in there too. I'm getting into bergers a bit in 7mm but I might not even get to try anything new this year as I don't have a tag yet and may not get one the way it is going...

The way my 168 VLD's performed in my 7mmRM this past season, I have been extremely pleased.

For deer-sized game, the 168 would be ideal. But for LR deer and larger game, I would go 180's.

 

[mariodave]

Hi Guys,I just got a sendero in 7STW and am getting ready to load ammo. Im going to try 140 Gr accubonds with 80-82 gr re25. any fine tuning suggestions? Also going to load 160 gr AB with same powder. Don't have any H-1000. Any good loads there?

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Hi Guys,I just got a sendero in 7STW and am getting ready to load ammo. Im going to try 140 Gr accubonds with 80-82 gr re25. any fine tuning suggestions? Also going to load 160 gr AB with same powder. Don't have any H-1000. Any good loads there?

win or rem brass and a 215 at ~ 3.650"oal... work up from about 78 grain and go up with rl25. you should be able to get in the neighborhood of 3350-3450 fps out of it. I was running 82 grains in my sender with the 140 ab, rl25, and win brass for 3450 fps.

 

[mariodave]

what about 160's? Im using RP 8mm mag brass necked down,rem 9 1/2 mag primers re 25 and nos 160 AB brass has had flash holes de bured and primer pockets uniformed.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

what about 160's? Im using RP 8mm mag brass necked down,rem 9 1/2 mag primers re 25 and nos 160 AB brass has had flash holes de bured and primer pockets uniformed.

I had one box of 160 ab's... Never really found a great load for them and the 140's were great, so I went that way.

 

[gamehawker]

I had one box of 160 ab's... Never really found a great load for them and the 140's were great, so I went that way.

Ditto what Lefty said.

For heavier bullets I use the Matrix .284 168 grain VLDs in my twin Remington 700 Sendero SF 7mm STWs.

.284 Caliber Bullets Custom Built for Accuracy | Matrix Ballistics

 

[TheTinker]

I'm trading for this Christensen 7 STW. Very Excited to get it and working up some loads for it. For now it will get a Leupold VXII 6-18x40 but eventually I want to upgrade to a scope that the rifle deserves. Any IMR 7828 loads I should start with? I also have some 4000MR.