7mm STW Brotherhood - For those who shoot the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner

[ButterBean]

Gday Gents, I purchased a new Rem700 375h&h last year, pulled the barrel straight away then started to piece things together. It has a 28"maddco #8 profile barrel matched to the trued and lapped action and purchased a pacific tooling finish reamer for future barrel changes when the need be. Fitted it to a mcmillan bakers special sitting in epoxy with a jewel trigger and topped with a nightforce nxs 3.5-15x56 scope. With the 168 vld's and rl25 it is one hell of a fringe country sniping rifle for the deer. Nosler custom brass after four loads of various extremes is holding up very well. Also have a custom muzzle brake by my local gunsmith fitted making it as pleasant to shoot as a .222rem. Good reading through the other articles fellas.

Sounds like a nice rig

 

[etisll40]

Hey Jim Oliver,

I have high expectations for everything I buy. It's the value thing that's good. We all want the most from our money spent. With the exception of Lapua and Norma, it's hard to get real value in most other case makers. I'm now experimenting using 8mm rem mag brass that feels heavier and considering even annealing my brass before first firing or before first reloading. Looking for the magic bullet of longer lasting brass so to speak. I will recommend to write a brass manufacturer an email and put your name and telephone number on it may help. Somebody will read it there eventually. Send the same one to Norma and Lapua with your experience and hope they start making some for us. I believe that once they too get enough emails they will start making brass for us! I hope... I do believe the grass roots effort we make will speed up the process. More competition usually makes prices come down too.

 

[7stw]

Hey Jim Oliver,

I have high expectations for everything I buy. It's the value thing that's good. We all want the most from our money spent. With the exception of Lapua and Norma, it's hard to get real value in most other case makers. I'm now experimenting using 8mm rem mag brass that feels heavier and considering even annealing my brass before first firing or before first reloading. Looking for the magic bullet of longer lasting brass so to speak. I will recommend to write a brass manufacturer an email and put your name and telephone number on it may help. Somebody will read it there eventually. Send the same one to Norma and Lapua with your experience and hope they start making some for us. I believe that once they too get enough emails they will start making brass for us! I hope... I do believe the grass roots effort we make will speed up the process. More competition usually makes prices come down too.

Good words said there Brother. How cool would it be to be able to get Norma or Lapua brass? Man, wouldnt that be awesome. I would buy a train load of Norma brass if they made it. That stuff is awesome in my 7 mags. ( I just discarded 60 pieces of STW brass ).

 

[7stw]

Gday Gents, I purchased a new Rem700 375h&h last year, pulled the barrel straight away then started to piece things together. It has a 28"maddco #8 profile barrel matched to the trued and lapped action and purchased a pacific tooling finish reamer for future barrel changes when the need be. Fitted it to a mcmillan bakers special sitting in epoxy with a jewel trigger and topped with a nightforce nxs 3.5-15x56 scope. With the 168 vld's and rl25 it is one hell of a fringe country sniping rifle for the deer. Nosler custom brass after four loads of various extremes is holding up very well. Also have a custom muzzle brake by my local gunsmith fitted making it as pleasant to shoot as a .222rem. Good reading through the other articles fellas.

Welcome to the " Brotherhood" . That rig of yours sounds very nice indeed. I have shot a lot of rifles in my life, but nothin' gives me goosebumps like the STW. Layne Simpson did it right, and did US all a favor, when he wildcatted it, and finally Remington legitimized it. And the rest is unfortunate history. Regardless, it is still alive and kicking, and only cool people own and shoot them! LOL. Awesome rifle in a awesome caliber, how can you go wrong? Enjoy!!!!. ( I'm sure you will).

 

[Riverman]

I'm new to this forum but I thought that I would jump on board. I've been playing with 7mm STW's for a few years.

I'm building my 3rd. 7mm STW. Stiller Predator action, B&C Medalist stock, Brux barrel SS 9 twist 26", Swarovski Z5 3.5-18 x 44 Ballistic Turret scope, Shilen Trigger, Wyatt Box magazine, PTG bottom metal, Genrtry Model 70 safety.

I plan to shoot 160 gr. Nosler Accubonds ahead of 84 grs. Retumbo and CCI-250 primers.

 

[etisll40]

I've heard of Gentry safety's for Mausers but didn't know they could be installed on a Stiller Predator action. Neat.

Can you show a picture of the gun with that safety?

I may have that done too, can it be installed by a novice like me?

 

[Riverman]

Just as soon as I get it back from my gunsmith, I'll post a photo if I can figure that process out.

The Stiller Predator is nothing more than a Remington Model 700 with all of the improvements Remington should make. The bolt release is up on the rear of the reciever and it has an M-16 extractor, pinned recoil lug and spiral flutes on the bolt.

I also have a Remington 700, 280 Remington, with a Gentry safety installed built by the same
gunsmith, Brett Evans, Bonney Lake, Washington.

 

[etisll40]

Thanks, my STW has a Stiller Predator action. I'm beginning to understand why Jerry Stiller is so popular right now. His custom actions are less expensive than others too. They are being used in 1000 yard benchrest guns pretty regularly, over taking Remington 700's and now having their place next to Bat's and Surgeons it seems.

I'll remember that gunsmith's name, post his website or telephone number if you have it.

Can't wait to see the build, I've got an old gunsmith who sent me a picture of an FN commercial made model 1950 mauser action that he installed a Gentry safety on (caliber 300 Norma) with scrolling and a beautiful wood stock. One of his own guns! The safety looked beautiful too, I spoke with him and he explained what a brilliant and safe, safety system it was.

 

[etisll40]

gentry safety on mauser.

 

[WapitiBob]

This is what I'm getting from my factory Rem 700 STW so far. The idea was to get a Rem, a good scope and stock then see what I had before moving on to the barrel/action stuff. This is all at 100 yards. It looks to my untrained eye that this rifle likes bullets on or right off the lands unless it's RL22 and then it doesn't like that powder at all. One thing I noticed with the RL22, the barrel got hotter than heck with 3 shots. Hot enough I could only hold it for about 3 seconds.
The action is skim bedded on .030 pillars in a greybull stock, greybull scope, shooting in a sled. The high low flyers concern me. Could the sled be causing that? Powder is measured to a single particle, seating depth won't change unless the contact point of the bullet is different.

the center target has staple holes, left center and right.

 

[Freebore]

WapitiBob,

You may want to try some IMR-7828 at the top with those 140 BT or even better yet the 140 TTSX Barnes in the area of w/OAL 3.667. Some 7STW's factory guns like this load...alot.

 

[7stw]

Wapitibob, don't give up on it! It is talking to you, but you have to translate it. IMHO, the RL25 is too slow for the 140 bullet. I have by far had far more luck with RL22,or 7828 with 140-145-150 bullets. And oh yeah, barrels do get warm quick with 22, especially this time of year. If I had to seltle on one powder, it would probably be RL22. I have shot all bullet weights with it, but it really shines with the bullet weight you are shooting now. And as was said by another, 7828 is a great choice too. You could be onto some thing with the lead sled thing! It does change the harmonics, versus when the gun is shouldered, or bagged. Save the RL 25 for the heavy weights would be my recommendation. I would like to recommend the 140 TSX. My Sako absoleutely loves those things. My #1 sendero STW loves 140 CT bullets. FWIW, my all time favorite 140 load is, 79.3-RL22-140 CT, BT, TSX. Federal 215, @ 3.670 for Remingtons, and 3.701 for Sako. You can duplicate that load with 7828. The latter, is a tad slower, but it has worked for me. Good luck, and feel free to ask for advice.

 

[7stw]

This is what I'm getting from my factory Rem 700 STW so far. The idea was to get a Rem, a good scope and stock then see what I had before moving on to the barrel/action stuff. This is all at 100 yards. It looks to my untrained eye that this rifle likes bullets on or right off the lands unless it's RL22 and then it doesn't like that powder at all. One thing I noticed with the RL22, the barrel got hotter than heck with 3 shots. Hot enough I could only hold it for about 3 seconds.
The action is skim bedded on .030 pillars in a greybull stock, greybull scope, shooting in a sled. The high low flyers concern me. Could the sled be causing that? Powder is measured to a single particle, seating depth won't change unless the contact point of the bullet is different.

the center target has staple holes, left center and right.

P/S, in addition to my other post, what contour is your barrel? Also, maybe try 3 shot groups. That's all I use on magnum testing. Take care.

 

[7stw]

gentry safety on mauser.

Man, is that thing BEAUTIFUL. I would be afraid to shoot it. Nice caliber too!!!