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

[WildRose]

I think someone back east has one for sale!!!!

Who? Where?

PM me.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

If it were me I'd load up nine of those at each weight and go out on as calm a day as possible and set up a 300yds target.

Let the rifle cool down completely between each three round group.

take the average from each weight/charge and see which gives you the best accuracy.

You can tweak up and down with whichever gives you the best results until you find that sweet spot between accuracy and speed.

Once you've done that as long as you are seeing zero pressure signs, you can adjust your seating depth outward a couple of thousandths at a time and see if that tightens it up even further.

Unless you plan on shooting prairie dogs beyond six hundred yards anything under 1 MOA is acceptable especially in an SPS.

Question, have you done a complete float and bedding job? Does it have an aluminum bedding block or factory pillars installed?

If you haven't done the floating and bedding I would not mess with anything else until that is done because your results over the long term are likely to be very inconsistent particularly with changes in temperature and humidity.

Took the advice and pillar bedded on my aluminum bedding block in my B&C stock. Just getting her back together - she's TIGHT!

I think I'm going to ladder up with one round each from 74 - 80 grains with H1000 and the 168 grain AB Long Range per this articlelightbulb: Hand Loading for Long Range 4: Powderin' it

Kind of opened my eyes to a better process for identifying the accuracy node(s).

Then I'll fine tune from there. I'll report back after phase 1 of this process. I may try the same thing with the 175 gr AB Long range from 73 - 79 grains. I Picked up 100 of those too, but I suspect that might be on the edge stability wise with factory twist. I think factory twist is 1:9.5? Guess I could measure it to know for sure. Be interesting to see how well it shoots the factory 160 gr. Nosler Customs now that I've stabilized the action. Probably starting over from scratch. I bedded 1" in front of the recoil lug on the non-tapered portion of the barrel. I can always grind it out if it doesn't like it I guess.

Can anybody report max load with H1000 and 168's? Based on some stuff I've seen on Bergers it seemed like about 80-ish was max. I'll keep an eye on pressure signs as I work up.

Thanks for the advice guys!

Coop

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Crickets... : /

lightbulbJust an idea, but wouldn't it be extremely helpful if we created an STW loading database for everybody's pet loads listing:

Rifle
barrel mfg
twist rate
bbl length
bullet
bullet wt
powder
charge weight
primer
brass
OAL
Bullet Jump
Velocity
ES
Best group size
Average group size
And a comments section: for additional info such as, "This was near max for my rifle, approach with caution!" or whatever relevant tidbits somebody wants to add.

Just an idea... One person could be in charge of collecting the data, put it in a spreadsheet and put it in a file-share account so we could post the link as a sticky thread. There's more STW shooters right here than any other place on earth. Be nice to document some of the knowledge and make it accessible.

 

[etisll40]

Ruger No 1, I believe I read the twist rate is 1 - 9 1/2. If anyone knows other, please say you! I shot a group of 150 powerpoints today and was about 1 1/4". I'd like to do a little trigger work on this gun too. Overall, I think it will shoot quite a bit better.

Any suggestions on bullet selection, OAL and such. I have h-1000, and a few other powders, but name a few if you could.

Merry Christmas to all.

Be safe.

 

[Black67]

etisll40

My Ruger No.1 stw really likes the Federal 150gr Trophy Bonded loads. I know that really doesn't help, as the load is not made anymore. With that load, mine would print about an 1" at 100 yards.

The barrels on these are 1:9.5" twist. The triggers are a bit heavy. For a few areas to help improve the groups, you can check the forend and see if its hitting. This can be in a few spots, the reciever block and the internal parts in the forend. Also check to see if its hitting the barrel. Another spot is the scope rail, as this can rub the action too.

For mine, I had to put on Millet rings. The Ruger rings would twist under recoil. No matter how tight I made them, they would move on me.

Bill

 

[etisll40]

Hi Bill, thanks. I was thinking the 150-154 weight bullet or maybe a little lighter would be best too. It did shoot the 150 powerpoints as a factory load bad today. If I had a higher power scope on it, I would have been able to dial the crosshairs in more. I'm going to put my vx-3 4.5x14 on it tonight. I had a custom pic rail put on it, but it's interesting to hear you say the rings stress under recoil. Would this have any effect? I'll check the rings, but tomorrow I'll have either nightforce rings or TPS rings. Today was just a 1" tube, old bushnell 3x9x40. Not what will b staying on it. I may put my nightforce on it tomorrow or the vx-3 will do at 100-200 no problem. I love Ruger No. 1's so I hope to get this down to 3/4" soon. Trigger pull and foreend I'll probably play with last.

 

[WildRose]

Hi Bill, thanks. I was thinking the 150-154 weight bullet or maybe a little lighter would be best too. It did shoot the 150 powerpoints as a factory load bad today. If I had a higher power scope on it, I would have been able to dial the crosshairs in more. I'm going to put my vx-3 4.5x14 on it tonight. I had a custom pic rail put on it, but it's interesting to hear you say the rings stress under recoil. Would this have any effect? I'll check the rings, but tomorrow I'll have either nightforce rings or TPS rings. Today was just a 1" tube, old bushnell 3x9x40. Not what will b staying on it. I may put my nightforce on it tomorrow or the vx-3 will do at 100-200 no problem. I love Ruger No. 1's so I hope to get this down to 3/4" soon. Trigger pull and foreend I'll probably play with last.

Give the 150gr Sirocco II a try.

One problem with Ruger No 1's is the short barrel length so using faster burning powders and lighter bullets tends to work out real well in them.

Of course when you shoot it out, get a longer barrel!

 

[Black67]

Wildrose,

The 7mm stw stainless guns have a 26" barrel on them, or at least mine does from the factory. I bought mine new in 2001.

I have a Bushnell 4200 2.5-10x on mine. I have thought of a new scope for this, but then I would do new rings too. The rear ring is really close to the center of the scope to get the proper eye relief for me. Leopuld makes some extension rings for Rugers, and someone makes a base for mounting Weaver style rings.

Bill

 

[WildRose]

Wildrose,

The 7mm stw stainless guns have a 26" barrel on them, or at least mine does from the factory. I bought mine new in 2001.

I have a Bushnell 4200 2.5-10x on mine. I have thought of a new scope for this, but then I would do new rings too. The rear ring is really close to the center of the scope to get the proper eye relief for me. Leopuld makes some extension rings for Rugers, and someone makes a base for mounting Weaver style rings.

Bill

My mistake. I thought they came with a 24".

 

[Black67]

Wildrose

That's fine, I have seen some of the new Ruger #1's with a 24" barrel. I have seen some of the last stainless 308's with a 24" barrel on them. To me, that takes away some of the added features of a single shot. I would like to have a 28".

Bill

 

[etisll40]

All of my "b" models are 26" and look great. I think my 375 H&H is 24" but it is a heavy barrel and has open sights on it. Looks awesome with out the scope mounted.

 

[Mowdy Ag]

n/m

 

[Mowdy Ag]

The "B"'s, which were factory chambered for the STW, are 26". The "V"'s, which are 24", were not factory chambered in the 7STW, although I think there was a factory run of 7Rem at one time.

MA

 

[jake300]

Just signed up for LRH, it was the 7mmSTW brotherhood that brought me in. I currently own and shoot two 7mmSTWs.
1st one
Stiller Predator action
Gaillard stainless 1 in 8 Sendero contour barrel
Shilen trigger
Wyatt mag box & Remington bottom metal
MacMillan Remington Hunter stock desert camo tac fill
TPS rings
Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50 TMR illuminated reticle
Favourite load: 180 Berger VLD and lots of Retumbo at 3050fps
2nd one
Sako AV action blued
Sako stainless factory barrel
Sako laminated AV stock
Sako rings
Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40 with CDS dial
Favourite load: 140 Nosler BT lots of H1000 at 3425fps