7mm STW Reloading Thread

[marioq]

Thank you Mr Bean. I didn't see your post until this morning and I loaded up some test rounds last evening. I set the COAL at 3.64 and, ironically, started at 78gr of RL25 moving up in 1 gr increments to 81. Figured it was a good place to start.
I have a Rem 700 with a 24" barrel and 1:9.25 twist. It shoots the Nosler factory ammo in 140gr Partition and 160gr Accubond very well. Using Barnes data, I worked up a nice load for the 150gr TTSX with 74.0 gr of IMR 4350 and COAL 3.68. Gave me a cloverleaf at 100 yards. Chronograph 3272 fps average.
From what I've read on this thread, you are the man when it comes to the STW and finding the magic loads. So, any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Doug

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Don't stroke his goat too much!!!!!! He'lol have an even bigger head than he does!!!!!

Bean surely has Jedi mind powers on these STWs. They listen to him!!!!!

Way to go bean!!!

 

[ButterBean]

Thank you Mr Bean. I didn't see your post until this morning and I loaded up some test rounds last evening. I set the COAL at 3.64 and, ironically, started at 78gr of RL25 moving up in 1 gr increments to 81. Figured it was a good place to start.
I have a Rem 700 with a 24" barrel and 1:9.25 twist. It shoots the Nosler factory ammo in 140gr Partition and 160gr Accubond very well. Using Barnes data, I worked up a nice load for the 150gr TTSX with 74.0 gr of IMR 4350 and COAL 3.68. Gave me a cloverleaf at 100 yards. Chronograph 3272 fps average.
From what I've read on this thread, you are the man when it comes to the STW and finding the magic loads. So, any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Doug

Just give what you have loaded a try and let me know what happens and we will go from there

 

[dougduey]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Don't stroke his goat too much!!!!!! He'lol have an even bigger head than he does!!!!!

Bean surely has Jedi mind powers on these STWs. They listen to him!!!!!

Way to go bean!!!

It's not bragging when you can back it up! Yet, Mr Bean hasn't bragged at all, so I guess it's like the old saying, "when you're really good you don't have to say anything because others will tell you how good you are"!!

 

[marioq]

It's not bragging when you can back it up! Yet, Mr Bean hasn't bragged at all, so I guess it's like the old saying, "when you're really good you don't have to say anything because others will tell you how good you are"!!

Shhhhhhh. It's growing. I can hear it!!!!


He knows I'm playing. He's helped me in the past. Absolutely solid guy!!!!

 

[ButterBean]

Shhhhhhh. It's growing. I can hear it!!!!


He knows I'm playing. He's helped me in the past. Absolutely solid guy!!!!

Mario I dont know what I would do without Ya And DougDuey Im not the man by any means Ive just had some really good luck with the Stw and all of the guys here have helped me a bunch too.............and by the way Mario..... my hat is getting tight for some reason

 

[marioq]

Hahahaja ha. U go brother bean!!!!

 

[dougduey]

Just give what you have loaded a try and let me know what happens and we will go from there

Thanks for all the help
Here's the results from the range this morning with the 140gr TSX-RL 25 3.64 COAL.
The 81 and 81.5 gr both shot 1 moa, but the average fps went down from 3350(81gr) to 3333 (81.5), which surprised me. I feel I can get tighter groups with this cartridge and I'm not satisfied with 1 moa........I want a clover leaf or ragged hole!!
I also loaded up some 160gr Partitions with H1000 (78-82 gr in 1gr increments) and COAL 3.65. Best group was with 80gr and 3198 fps average. Again no cloverleaf and I feel I should be able to tighten it up.
So teach me the way Obi Wan Kanobi!!
I have another question for you. My sub moa load of 74gr-IMR4350 of the 150gr TTSX (COAL 3.68), gave me a very sticky bolt and stuck bolt today. I didn't have this issue when I worked the load up. The temperature is about the same as last time. Could it be the Nosler brass I'm using? It's fire formed from the Nosler factory ammo that I've bought and then neck sized. I'm finding I need to full length size the brass a lot of the cases that have been neck sized since they are tight when I go to chamber them. I normally use Winchester or Remington brass with my reloads for my 243, 30-06 and 300 WSM and mainly neck size all of them with great results. I've read that Nosler brass is "softer" than some of the others.

Thanks for all the feedback,
Doug

 

[ButterBean]

Thanks for all the help
Here's the results from the range this morning with the 140gr TSX-RL 25 3.64 COAL.
The 81 and 81.5 gr both shot 1 moa, but the average fps went down from 3350(81gr) to 3333 (81.5), which surprised me. I feel I can get tighter groups with this cartridge and I'm not satisfied with 1 moa........I want a clover leaf or ragged hole!!
I also loaded up some 160gr Partitions with H1000 (78-82 gr in 1gr increments) and COAL 3.65. Best group was with 80gr and 3198 fps average. Again no cloverleaf and I feel I should be able to tighten it up.
So teach me the way Obi Wan Kanobi!!
I have another question for you. My sub moa load of 74gr-IMR4350 of the 150gr TTSX (COAL 3.68), gave me a very sticky bolt and stuck bolt today. I didn't have this issue when I worked the load up. The temperature is about the same as last time. Could it be the Nosler brass I'm using? It's fire formed from the Nosler factory ammo that I've bought and then neck sized. I'm finding I need to full length size the brass a lot of the cases that have been neck sized since they are tight when I go to chamber them. I normally use Winchester or Remington brass with my reloads for my 243, 30-06 and 300 WSM and mainly neck size all of them with great results. I've read that Nosler brass is "softer" than some of the others.

Thanks for all the feedback,
Doug

Dont worry about the numbers rite now, What contour is your tube? And yes Nosler brass is a little softer but I doubt that's the problem ..... What did the 78gr load look like

 

[dougduey]

Dont worry about the numbers rite now, What contour is your tube? And yes Nosler brass is a little softer but I doubt that's the problem ..... What did the 78gr load look like

It's a stock Remington SPS barrel, so I guess it would be considered a sporter yet I know I had to buy the H-S Precision stock to fit a magnum barrel when I changed the stock out.

As far as the 78gr load, are you referring to the 140gr TSX load or the 160 Partition load? They were both about 2-2.5" grouping

 

[WildRose]

Thanks for all the help
Here's the results from the range this morning with the 140gr TSX-RL 25 3.64 COAL.
The 81 and 81.5 gr both shot 1 moa, but the average fps went down from 3350(81gr) to 3333 (81.5), which surprised me. I feel I can get tighter groups with this cartridge and I'm not satisfied with 1 moa........I want a clover leaf or ragged hole!!
I also loaded up some 160gr Partitions with H1000 (78-82 gr in 1gr increments) and COAL 3.65. Best group was with 80gr and 3198 fps average. Again no cloverleaf and I feel I should be able to tighten it up.
So teach me the way Obi Wan Kanobi!!
I have another question for you. My sub moa load of 74gr-IMR4350 of the 150gr TTSX (COAL 3.68), gave me a very sticky bolt and stuck bolt today. I didn't have this issue when I worked the load up. The temperature is about the same as last time. Could it be the Nosler brass I'm using? It's fire formed from the Nosler factory ammo that I've bought and then neck sized. I'm finding I need to full length size the brass a lot of the cases that have been neck sized since they are tight when I go to chamber them. I normally use Winchester or Remington brass with my reloads for my 243, 30-06 and 300 WSM and mainly neck size all of them with great results. I've read that Nosler brass is "softer" than some of the others.

Thanks for all the feedback,
Doug

Doug, in my experience you'll be hard pressed to get the partitions to shoot much better than MOA. They are a flat based low BC bullet not intended for long range.

I have a friend who's shot truck loads of elk with them out to 800+ in a 7mm Rem but as good as he was as a rifleman and reloader I never saw him shoot much better than MOA with them.

 

[ButterBean]

It's a stock Remington SPS barrel, so I guess it would be considered a sporter yet I know I had to buy the H-S Precision stock to fit a magnum barrel when I changed the stock out.

As far as the 78gr load, are you referring to the 140gr TSX load or the 160 Partition load? They were both about 2-2.5" grouping

I was Afraid you were gonna say that .....Keep in mind that I am not knocking your rifle but we (the combined Braintrust) have never gotten an SPS in 7mmSTW to shoot anything under MOA, It was a bad production run on Remingtons part WhapitiBob went the distance with his and tried everything imaginable and spent a ton of money and still had to retube, the chambers are really sloppy and the rifling looked like gator hide under a bore scope......if memory serves they even replaced his rifle or retubed it and it was worse than the original.......just some info to stew on before you drive yourself nuts or waste a bunch of money

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I was Afraid you were gonna say that .....Keep in mind that I am not knocking your rifle but we (the combined Braintrust) have never gotten an SPS in 7mmSTW to shoot anything under MOA, It was a bad production run on Remingtons part WhapitiBob went the distance with his and tried everything imaginable and spent a ton of money and still had to retube, the chambers are really sloppy and the rifling looked like gator hide under a bore scope......if memory serves they even replaced his rifle or retubed it and it was worse than the original.......just some info to stew on before you drive yourself nuts or waste a bunch of money

Remmy quality has been hit or miss lately; that's for sure. That said, they have been putting out some good rifles.... if you can pick the wheat from the chaff.

My brother just picked up a 700 sps lr in 7stw a week or so ago and he's already got one 1/2 moa load for it using the 140 sierra and rl22, We'll work on a load with a better bc bullet over the spring. I'm assuming something like rl33/50 with a 180 berger/ sierra will be a hot ticket but we haven't gotten that far yet. It's only seen the range a time or two.

 

[dougduey]

I was Afraid you were gonna say that .....Keep in mind that I am not knocking your rifle but we (the combined Braintrust) have never gotten an SPS in 7mmSTW to shoot anything under MOA, It was a bad production run on Remingtons part WhapitiBob went the distance with his and tried everything imaginable and spent a ton of money and still had to retube, the chambers are really sloppy and the rifling looked like gator hide under a bore scope......if memory serves they even replaced his rifle or retubed it and it was worse than the original.......just some info to stew on before you drive yourself nuts or waste a bunch of money

Good to know. But, I've got it shooting some stuff sub moa. The 150gr TTSX was a clover leaf grouping and is dead on at 200 yards. The Nosler factory ammo in 140gr Partition and 160gr Accubond are super accurate. After I sighted it in, I moved to the 200 yard range and shot both rounds. First shot 140gr Partition hit the bullseye so perfectly that I thought I missed the target at first. Then hit the bullseye 1/2" lower than the 140gr with the 160gr Accubond with the next shot. Honestly, I think the rifle is shooting pretty decent. I was planning on replacing the barrel in the near future, but wanted to get some time behind the trigger on it and work up some good loads for future reference. Funny thing is, my 30-06 is the cheapest rifle I own and is extremely accurate. It's an old Savage 110 from 1996 and I spent $300 on it. Only expense was a nice Leupold scope and new Bell & Carlson stock. It's a tack driver. My expensive weapon is actually giving me some fits. I have a beautiful Sako 75 300 WSM that seems to be off a couple of inches every time I shoot it. I'm starting to think my Zeiss Conquest may not be holding it's zero anymore since I have to adjust the elevation to re-zero every time I shoot it lately.
Can you give me some insight on why I had a sticky bolt with the 150TTSX the last time I shot it and didn't when I first worked up the load?

 

[dougduey]

Doug, in my experience you'll be hard pressed to get the partitions to shoot much better than MOA. They are a flat based low BC bullet not intended for long range.

I have a friend who's shot truck loads of elk with them out to 800+ in a 7mm Rem but as good as he was as a rifleman and reloader I never saw him shoot much better than MOA with them.

WildRose,
Thanks for that info and I'll keep it in mind and try not to drive myself crazy getting better results. I really like the Accubonds and they just weren't in stock when I was buying bullets.
So........where is halfway between Lubbock and Dallas exactly? I live in San Antonio