7mm STW Reloading Thread

4100 seems high for STW but who am I to argue. Are you sure it's a 120 gr bullet and not a 100 gr? We could just about get there with a 100 gr but accuracy was not good.

When we were experimenting with the STW back in the early 90s, there was no reloading data. Our loads were hotter than what is now published in the popular reloading books and we had no problems. I was just looking at the reloading books online a few minutes ago and I think I was using H4831 or IMR 4831 and well into the 80s in grains of powder with a 125 gr Ballistic Tip. 3700 fps was what I recall.

My comment about holdover in the previous post was too high...holdover at 500 yards was more like 20 inches sighted in +1.5 at 100 yards.

I'm going to dig into my records so I can stop speculating and give you guys real numbers from over 20 years ago...

The only time we hit 4000+ fps was with 22-250 Ackley Improved. Barrel life suffered and cases lasted about 2 cycles before breaking in half. Didn't keep that one very long, but i'll never get rid of the STW.
 
I have a Ruger # 1 that started out as a 7mm Rem Mag. Got it when someone bought it and tried that ammo in a 7STW chamber. It shot factory Nosler 140 Part. like a shotgun about 2" groups. Fixed the forend by taking off the wood contact, and it had an ejector problem (stuck piston/spring). Tried 175 Partitions but was not happy with a couple of powders. I didn't like the looks of the barrel innards so I fire lapped it and bore coated it. Put some 300 H & H brass into the lap loads to fire form it. Worked great. Brass 300 H & H, H-1000, Fed-215's, 180 Berger hunting bullets. Vel. 2939 fps. Seated .010" off the lands. 1st 2 shot group with 77.0 grains .5" (with a single shot I do 2 shot groups, what is the point of more) 2nd two shot group I thought I had a flyer till I took a closer look, one hole. With ballistics program I set it 3.9" high at 100 and am good on out to 400 easy. Scope is Nikon 3-12 Monarch.
 
To anyone calling this a"fish" tale I would say, load some up and prove it to yourself. The slowest 120gr load the book shows is 3290 so go from there. I have run them at 4100fps on four different chrono's with some of them hitting 4160 and yes I know how to set up the chrono correctly and I know exactly what too much pressure looks like. I had to trim the cases just a bit after four runs but no signs of excessive pressure and the gun is still tight as a drum;)

Really.........And this is why I have been off the grid
 
Alive and well after another 50 rounds today;) Just laughing at all the nay sayers...

Please don't take this as me sounding like a dick, but...Prove it. If you can't understand why we don't believe you, then you should setup a simultaneous video with 3 cameras, one on you, the gun, and on a properly calibrated chrono, show us the rifle, ammo, headstamp, and prove us wrong. Then we'll believe you.
 
Guess I just don't know as much about shooting as the rest of you...Good luck guys

It has nothing to do with knowing more or less about shooting, it has to do with posting numbers that nobody with a 26" STW shooting 120gr bullets has ever seen before. So you should be able to see why we are quesioning the accuracy of the speeds you posted.

So if it's legit, there should be no problem proving it. Personally, I'd like to see it.
 
Apparently my last post didn't make it in here but I put the 168 grain reloads in the 140 grain box and vise versa so the supposed 168s was 140 grainers easy mistake as far as barrel speeds in Nevada well if it makes ya a believer my 300 rum with 215 bergers is 3306 fps
 
Looked up my old data from '93. It wasn't as much powder as I thought.

Best load for accuracy while maintaining good velocity was:

8mm Mag brass necked down to 7mm and fire formed
81 gr H4831
120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
Federal Magnum Primer
3.750 COL
.015 out of lands
3620 fps
3/8" groups

Remington 700 re-barreled to 7mm STW. Barrel length 24 or 26 inches...guess i'll have to pull it out of the safe and measure the barrel length some day.
 
Looked up my old data from '93. It wasn't as much powder as I thought.

Best load for accuracy while maintaining good velocity was:

8mm Mag brass necked down to 7mm and fire formed
81 gr H4831
120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
Federal Magnum Primer
3.750 COL
.015 out of lands
3620 fps
3/8" groups

Remington 700 re-barreled to 7mm STW. Barrel length 24 or 26 inches...guess i'll have to pull it out of the safe and measure the barrel length some day.

The load sounds about right for a rifle that likes 120's:).
I'd toss a bit heavier slug in it and have some fun further out if she'll shoot the lighter bullets that well at 100yds.
 

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