Howa long action 300win mag to 7mm STW

[signature542]

Hi

Has anyone used this action to build a 7mm STW ? Is the action long enough to handle the 8mm Rem Case

Any other options out there I should consider to shoot long and hard ?

Bearing in mind I already have a T3 Camo in 7mm Rem, Accumark 300weatherby and 300wsm Howa custom.
I'm in Australia so gunsmiths arent thick on the ground? The simpler the conversion the bettter.

Thanks

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

depends on your gunsmith. Its hard to find guys here to do work on the HOWA. I know Pete Lincon in Germany has chamberd all the way up to the 338 Lapua so take that for what its worth. I dont think you will have an issue at all if you are just loading single rounds.

 

[Kiwi Nate]

Hi, the mag box on the howa is the same as the old Sako Finnbear- 91-92mm long. You would need to seat bullets to 90mm for smooth feeding. Bullet jump will be up to 12mm (.5") which would make even old Roy WBY turn in his grave. Anyway, you can work all this out for yourself as the .300 WBY ammo you have is near identical in both case length and COAL as the STW.

You have a good solid receiver so don't get rid of it but (sigh) you need to go back to the drawing board and have a re-think. Looks like you might be in for a wildcat. I am thinking about the same for my M70 winny. Am preparing to build a 7mm-300 Win mag improved. Velocity will be the same as the STW and RUM with 160gr bullets, slightly slower with 180 grain bullets. There is only so much energy you can force through a 7mm Bore and this wildcat is as good as it gets if throat erosion is to be avoided.
160gr- 3275fps
180gr-3050fps (conservative)

Its a good cartridge for all of us out in the wop wops. Brass is easy to obtain, the case can be fireformed with 'goat loads' and it won't create too much of a headache for your gunsmith as he can use a fresh 7mmRM case belt to headspace the wildcat. This puts it ahead of the Dakota etc by a long shot.

If you are planning a trip to NZ at any time, there are folk who can have your rifle re-barreled pronto. You would need a reamer from PT&G (google PTG reamer) and they will already have details of Aussie smiths on file so should be able to point you in the right direction.

OK- will try and re-do the post in Australian language (my old lady is an Australian/ Gold coast)

Hey Siggo- your pullin the raw prawn if ya think that japo action is gonna take that thousand mile bindie buster cartridge.

Have a beer.

What you need is a wild dingo with a firecracker up its a'''s. It a good number for us back country yobbo's.

Its a fair suck of the sav that you can't get the job done here in NZ. Get ya misses to google PTG + reamer after she gets you another beer.

 

[signature542]

Thanks for that all good Info...

What' s the Berger supply like in N/Z all dried up here...located two boxes of 162g'n SST's and 160gn Accubonds the other day..for my T3 7RM ..Camo Just finished fitting a Ernie the Gun Smith Varmint spring..

Lucky I have a few thousand Mag primers on hand..drying up around here..

Hey have you tired or used a Truflite barrel? This is what I was hoping for..N/Z based and they have the reamers I may need. May also save some serious import/export paper work from the US. Never replied to my email last week so I may have to pick up the phone or grab a cheap Virgin flight!

Its possibly just a touch short in the action for what I want to build but it would make a great 7mm/300wsm custom. 2.825 is the case spec on the Roy and the stw is even longer..

I have just finished a semi custom Howa 300wsm (Howa 300wsm, Wild Dog SL stock and Harrels brake, honed trigger etc. ) you can read about it in Victorian Deer hunter Mag( I think it travels across the Tasman) taking a nice Sambar at 212...not exactly LR but very decisive with the 180gn SST... Happy with its performance 110 gn recovery.

I might pass on this build although I love the quality/triggers and actions over some others out there. Stocks are another issue for the Howa platform .. fine if its a short action like my wsm.. Bell and Carlson make a weatherby Mk 5 style one any other ideas?

 

[Kiwi Nate]

No worries. The Berger supplier here is Dead eye Dick shooting supplies- imports and sells to the public at a good price. They have a good supply of VLD bullets at the mo. There are no 162gr SST's in the country at all- none expected till after Xmas. Federal magnum primers are as rare as rocking horse s@%&t.

I have to admit- I am biased regarding True-Flite as the owner is a friend and collegue. So, when I say that I love the True-Flite barrels, its a bit moot. I wrote an article about them a while back- tried to be as unbiased as possible. Its on my website-
Terminal Ballistics Research Ltd

As for stocks, any stock made for the old sako AV or Finnbear will match up nicely- the Howa really is a rip off (extremely high quality rip off) of the old great. Actually, I think the Howa is better than the new Sako 75. When Sako wentstainless, they changed everything- typical cost cutting/ whoops I mean upgrading excersize. For people who like the Sako AV but want stainless, the Howa is exactly that. I guess as far as stainless goes you don't get much rain in AU or when it does, the heat dries things nicely and limits the rust.

Yes, isn't the 180 grain SST a boon, really puts the acid on both small/lean and big animals.

 

[Topshot]

Hey Herb,
Clancy has a 7mm STW reamer.

I like the idea of a 7 RUM shortened a bit to form a wildcat. You could customise the cartridge length to suit the longer 7mm bullets and still fit in your magazine.

It would have more grunt than a WSM and less throat erosion than a RUM.

You could call it either a 7mm WSM long or a 7mm RUM short?

Picked up the new stick today........Oh happy days..

 

[Kiwi Nate]

Greg Duley (don't know his user name here) has shortened up the 7RUM a touch, similar to the .338 RUM necked down. The 7mm-375 Ruger wildcat is a true 2.5" magnum and velocities are the same as the STW and RUM. The only problem is getting a steady brass supply outside of the US.

 

[signature542]

Thanks for that info.. Glad I now have a contact or advice on trueflight barrels.

MMMM spoke to a friend today...having great luck with his Sendero in 7mm shooting 162gn SST's and dropping fallow out to 7 and 8 hundred.
Also scored 200 168VLDs ... Mind you he is a smith and has worked it to the hilt .. He also runs a Sendero 300 rum

Okay ..I am hearing you just dont know if I really want a wildcat that far out of normal.. . Happy with a 338 edge 7mm stW or similar..

May be better off using a remington action or locating and another Howa wsm short action as stocks seem more available..

Thanks for your input definitely will be looking for a truflight when the time comes!