7mm STW vs 7mm WBY

[HarryN]

But think about it.....What if you could have a 3,000-3,100 fps 180gr Berger Hyrbrid slinging monster..... Think how cool that would be.

I have a 3K 210gr slinging gun, it's a .300 Ackley Improved Magnum. It's seriously beastmode for a 10-11lb hunting rifle (Sendero SF custom build).

It sounds fantastic, except I don't think I can use those Bergers for hunting here. In 7mm, I am more or less limited to 110 - 125 grains due to the lead-free hunting bullets only aspect.

The law is BS of course, but I don't have the time on money to build up ammo for lead and lead free zones.

CA law unintended consequence. Limit the mass of bullet I can shoot in my rifle. Answer - I guess I need another rifle in a bigger caliber. 416, here I come.

 

[MudRunner2005]

It sounds fantastic, except I don't think I can use those Bergers for hunting here. In 7mm, I am more or less limited to 110 - 125 grains due to the lead-free hunting bullets only aspect.

The law is BS of course, but I don't have the time on money to build up ammo for lead and lead free zones.

CA law unintended consequence. Limit the mass of bullet I can shoot in my rifle. Answer - I guess I need another rifle in a bigger caliber. 416, here I come.

Look into Cutting Edge bullets. They make long range hunting bullets that are solid copper. Kind of pricey, but if you live in KommieFornia, then it might be your best option....Other than moving to a free state, of course.

 

[riemer]

What COL are you guys loading the STW with the 180's to? Any magazine issues?

 

[MudRunner2005]

What COL are you guys loading the STW with the 180's to? Any magazine issues?

Mine are way out there. I have to shoot mine single-shot because I haven't had a Wyatt's 4.000" extended mag box put in it yet.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Look into Cutting Edge bullets. They make long range hunting bullets that are solid copper. Kind of pricey, but if you live in KommieFornia, then it might be your best option....Other than moving to a free state, of course.

Barnes also goes up to 168 in their lrx pill in 7mm. I don't doubt that you could hit 3200 fps with it in a stw with retumbo or rl25/33.

As to the 270 mentioned earlier with 100gr mono's; I load 130 grain gmx to ~3100 fps in one of my 270's and the 130mrx to 3100 fps in my other rifle in 270.

As to 300 grain mono's, I'd look at a long barreled 375 rum and go to the 320 ce or 300 tsx for a pill. Either should be able to go over 2800 fps and cost less to feed then a big 416 will.

Even up here in N.D. I've gotten some loads together with mono bullets; all we need is the epa to kill lead bullets and we'll all be in a world of hurt... I'd rather hedge my bets and have at least a bit of ammo around that'll still fly without a fine if the world flips on its axis.

 

[cards]

HELLO Boys, I'm new here. However I was reading something in youl's writing and thoughts. 7stw 140 gr. @ 4700fps swallow that. 30" barrel one in twelve twist on a rem 700 action. Blue printed, bloop tube, ss, steel beded, toped with a nightforce. Bad medicine on any game with the right man behind it.

 

[MudRunner2005]

HELLO Boys, I'm new here. However I was reading something in youl's writing and thoughts. 7stw 140 gr. @ 4700fps swallow that. 30" barrel one in twelve twist on a rem 700 action. Blue printed, bloop tube, ss, steel beded, toped with a nightforce. Bad medicine on any game with the right man behind it.

Not just impossible, but complete bullcrap, if 4,700 fps is what someone is claiming...

 

[cards]

Sounds impossible but true. Recorded one shot kill on King Ranch Deep South Texas (ready) excess one mile. Not every body believes, However possible. Most stw rifles are built on a one in 10 twist. I don't know if your rifle in factory, this one isn't. Hand loads not in any book. The barrel started as a blank from Shilen, turned and reemmed and fitted into a rem 700 action. Using reloader powder. Try it you might like it. Oh I almost forgot, bullet holes in bullet holes @ 300 yards. Not half moa's or clover leaves.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Sounds impossible but true. Recorded one shot kill on King Ranch Deep South Texas (ready) excess one mile. Not every body believes, However possible. Most stw rifles are built on a one in 10 twist. I don't know if your rifle in factory, this one isn't. Hand loads not in any book. The barrel started as a blank from Shilen, turned and reemmed and fitted into a rem 700 action. Using reloader powder. Try it you might like it. Oh I almost forgot, bullet holes in bullet holes @ 300 yards. Not half moa's or clover leaves.

One of my STW's is a factory Sendero SF, the other is custom build.

I also don't waste reloads using lightweight bullets. I shoot heavy-for-caliber bullets in almost all of my rifles. The only one I shoot mid-weight bullets in is my .30-06 AI, and I shoot Berger 185 VLD's out of it at 2,860 fps MV.

I hate Alliant powders. They're only good for fire-forming brass. I used to use them alot, but 19 and 22 proved to not be temp stable. And my local store won't carry 25, 33, and 50, so I can't try those.

As for my STW loads, I'll stick with my Berger 180 Hybrids pushed by 7828 SSC. It's doing just fine...

And I still don't believe you're getting 4,700 fps with a 140gr bullet. I would have easily believed 3,700 fps. Because Layne Simpson (the man who invented the 7mm STW) used to get around 3,700 with 140gr loads pushing them really hot.

The reason I don't believe you, is because you can't stuff that much powder IN an STW case to get that, without risking the gun blowing up. If you had said 120gr stuffed completely full @ around 4,000 fps, then I could have believed you, but being that I've owned and studied the 7mm STW caliber for over 12 years, I am absolutely positively sure that you're not reaching those velocities, even with a 30" barrel. And if your chronogragh says so, then you might wanna either chunk it in the garbage, or send it in to have it recalibrated.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

HELLO Boys, I'm new here. However I was reading something in youl's writing and thoughts. 7stw 140 gr. @ 4700fps swallow that. 30" barrel one in twelve twist on a rem 700 action. Blue printed, bloop tube, ss, steel beded, toped with a nightforce. Bad medicine on any game with the right man behind it.

Not possible at sane pressures even with the best powders available today. First, get a chronograph, second, read this thread.

Barrel twist rate means less than 100 fps here so please do not try to hang your "velocity" on a slower than normal twist. We've had a couple of guys here with 11" and 12" twist stw's; one offered me his barrel for free a couple of months back; we decided that slower than a 9.5" twist was better as a tomato stake than a rifle barrel. His was about 30" and 11" or 12" twist. When I use up my 10" twist lh remmy's barrel I'll be in the market for one in the 8"-9" range so it'll be good for up to 180 grain slugs.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/4000-fps-7mm-stw-w-140-bullet-109862/

 

[cards]

One of my STW's is a factory Sendero SF, the other is custom build.

I also don't waste reloads using lightweight bullets. I shoot heavy-for-caliber bullets in almost all of my rifles. The only one I shoot mid-weight bullets in is my .30-06 AI, and I shoot Berger 185 VLD's out of it at 2,860 fps MV.

I hate Alliant powders. They're only good for fire-forming brass. I used to use them alot, but 19 and 22 proved to not be temp stable. And my local store won't carry 25, 33, and 50, so I can't try those.

As for my STW loads, I'll stick with my Berger 180 Hybrids pushed by 7828 SSC. It's doing just fine...

And I still don't believe you're getting 4,700 fps with a 140gr bullet. I would have easily believed 3,700 fps. Because Layne Simpson (the man who invented the 7mm STW) used to get around 3,700 with 140gr loads pushing them really hot.

The reason I don't believe you, is because you can't stuff that much powder IN an STW case to get that, without risking the gun blowing up. If you had said 120gr stuffed completely full @ around 4,000 fps, then I could have believed you, but being that I've owned and studied the 7mm STW caliber for over 12 years, I am absolutely positively sure that you're not reaching those velocities, even with a 30" barrel. And if your chronogragh says so, then you might wanna either chunk it in the garbage, or send it in to have it recalibrated.

Believe what you want. If your custom barrel is a Shilen and your reciever is a remington try working up a load. reloader 25 is the key. Partiton 140 gr. This load will roll south Texas deer in the air and drop in their tracks! Contact King Ranch and ask for their longest shot recorded kill.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

One of my STW's is a factory Sendero SF, the other is custom build.

I also don't waste reloads using lightweight bullets. I shoot heavy-for-caliber bullets in almost all of my rifles. The only one I shoot mid-weight bullets in is my .30-06 AI, and I shoot Berger 185 VLD's out of it at 2,860 fps MV.

I hate Alliant powders. They're only good for fire-forming brass. I used to use them alot, but 19 and 22 proved to not be temp stable. And my local store won't carry 25, 33, and 50, so I can't try those.

As for my STW loads, I'll stick with my Berger 180 Hybrids pushed by 7828 SSC. It's doing just fine...

And I still don't believe you're getting 4,700 fps with a 140gr bullet. I would have easily believed 3,700 fps. Because Layne Simpson (the man who invented the 7mm STW) used to get around 3,700 with 140gr loads pushing them really hot.

The reason I don't believe you, is because you can't stuff that much powder IN an STW case to get that, without risking the gun blowing up. If you had said 120gr stuffed completely full @ around 4,000 fps, then I could have believed you, but being that I've owned and studied the 7mm STW caliber for over 12 years, I am absolutely positively sure that you're not reaching those velocities, even with a 30" barrel. And if your chronogragh says so, then you might wanna either chunk it in the garbage, or send it in to have it recalibrated.

Muddy, I've pushed the 50 cal powders to their limits in the 7stw and netted 3550-3600 fps with 140's, but at pressures that would kill brass in a few firings. 3400 fps is a sane top vel. in a 26" bbl. with a 140... even if you ad 200 fps for an extra 4" of bbl. (not gonna happen but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt) you still fall in the 3600 fps range... ad 100 fpr for the slow twist and the extra couple of grains of powder you will need to get to pressure( it is really more of a net sum than a gain but again- the benefit of the doubt) and you MAY have a chance of getting close to 3700 fps with the right combo...
As to 120's, the only time I've seen 4000 fps with a 7mm 120 is using 50 cal ball offerings with a 7rum and then only barely.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Believe what you want. If your custom barrel is a Shilen and your reciever is a remington try working up a load. reloader 25 is the key. Partiton 140 gr. This load will roll south Texas deer in the air and drop in their tracks! Contact King Ranch and ask for their longest shot recorded kill.

hogwash, and I shot 1,000 rounds worth of rl25 in my last stw with both nosler and sierra 140's.
At 81 gr rl25 with a 140 sierra you are at 3350 fps at 58,500-59,500 psi in my old rifle (26" bbl. sendero)... (roughly- no reference ammo but 70,000 psi win factory ammo had a bit of a shiner so it was over-pressure in my rifle)

you will gain pressure quickly even in a 12" twist with little real vel. gains.. I do not have any graphs of heavier than 81 grains though as those have been lost to the sands of time, but hovering at 60,000 psi with a medium load does not get you 4700 fps with a full out load in a couple of inch longer barrel, especially when the stw is only in the 10,000 to 20,000 psi mark at the muzzle at 26".

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/4000-fps-7mm-stw-w-140-bullet-109862/index7.html

this page has some of the traces from my old rifle... for your enjoyment

 

[Deleted member 46119]

Cards,

Math says that 3700fps is possible with Reloader-25 but dangerous.

The Nosler Partition 140 is a flat base bullet, not a friend to long range.

Everything you say matches if the 4700fps is changed to 3700fps.

Optical chronographs are notorious for picking up stray readings. Especially if there is a florescent light anywhere near the unit.

So, what chronograph were you using and was there a light on anywhere that the pickups could "see". It could even be a parking lot light left on in the day time.