7mm STW Reloading Thread

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm trading for this Christensen 7 STW. Very Excited to get it and working up some loads for it. For now it will get a Leupold VXII 6-18x40 but eventually I want to upgrade to a scope that the rifle deserves. Any IMR 7828 loads I should start with? I also have some 4000MR.

this is a trace from some years ago I did with the 140 sierra , 7828, and a 215 primer. It would be a top load in the rifle it was shot in.

 

[newstwshooter]

I wanting to try some 175gr Nosler LR Accubonds for elk. Looking for for some input on how accubonds work for elk. Thanks

 

[MudRunner2005]

I wanting to try some 175gr Nosler LR Accubonds for elk. Looking for for some input on how accubonds work for elk. Thanks

I wouldn't waste my time....Go straight for the Berger 180 Hybrids or 180 VLD's. You won't be disappointed.

 

[riemer]

Any of you guys ever try RL-33 with 180s?

 

[Kado101]

not trying to high Jack the thread but while traveling through West Virginia I stopped off at
the Cabela's near Wheeling and found 2 boxes of 25 Nosler 7 STW brass for $67.99 per box. I did not buy them but if any of you in the area want or need them they are still there.

 

[CP7mmSTW]

Here is my setup

Gun: Custom Remington 700 Sendero SF 7mmSTW, 26" barrel, 9.25" twist
Scope: leupold 6.5 X 20 X 50 Varix 3

Favorite load: 120gr Nosler Ballistic tip
82gr RL22
Remington brass
Winchester large magnum primer

Runs through the chrono at 4100fps

It was a little costly for what it is but a very accurate, fun to shoot rifle

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Here is my setup

Gun: Custom Remington 700 Sendero SF 7mmSTW, 26" barrel, 9.25" twist
Scope: leupold 6.5 X 20 X 50 Varix 3

Favorite load: 120gr Nosler Ballistic tip
82gr RL22
Remington brass
Winchester large magnum primer

Runs through the chrono at 4100fps

It was a little costly for what it is but a very accurate, fun to shoot rifle

A bit fast from what I've seen stw's do with 120's.... I had a sendero with a elite 4200 8-32x for years and did run 120's with both rl22 and 7828; they ended up a bit over 3600 fps using my oehler 35.... some chrono's will see the muzzle blast and register high...
she'll slow down plenty quick though with the bc a 120 can produce....
If you aren't passing 500 yards or so it'll be a hoot on deer...

I'm using the 140 ab with 82 rl25 in my7 stw at present and that's only because some tool put it together with a 10" twist barrel (custom or not that's too slow for a 7mm) and she won't spin heavier than 150's worth a hoot. She's getting a new barrel when I get around to it... a 8-9" twist depending on what I can source; I want to be able to spin 180's well...

 

[CP7mmSTW]

I've run it through 4 different chrono's and 4100 is actually the slowest fps I've gotten with 4160 being the fastest. When I first got it sighted in I fired 10 rounds, all different powder charges at 400 yards and all the bullets are within a silver dollar with 5 of them touching. I've never been more impressed with a guns accuracy. I have shot many deer with this gun from 25 yards to 400 yards and never had one take a single step after I fired, the thing seems to hit dead on no matter how close or how far away the target. I myself find it hard to accept but to be honest I've never missed a single shot with this rifle since I sighted it in. It's had about everything done to it that can be done hence the hefty price and after building a few guns myself now, I understand the price. I never new just how much work and time it takes to build a good one. I have owned many a gun in my day but this one will always be my favorite

 

[Fire306]

I've run it through 4 different chrono's and 4100 is actually the slowest fps I've gotten with 4160 being the fastest. When I first got it sighted in I fired 10 rounds, all different powder charges at 400 yards and all the bullets are within a silver dollar with 5 of them touching. I've never been more impressed with a guns accuracy. I have shot many deer with this gun from 25 yards to 400 yards and never had one take a single step after I fired, the thing seems to hit dead on no matter how close or how far away the target. I myself find it hard to accept but to be honest I've never missed a single shot with this rifle since I sighted it in. It's had about everything done to it that can be done hence the hefty price and after building a few guns myself now, I understand the price. I never new just how much work and time it takes to build a good one. I have owned many a gun in my day but this one will always be my favorite

Just for curiosity sakes, next time you are at the range try putting the chrono out 20-30 feet from the muzzle. It was previously mentioned, the STW and I'm sure other heavy cartridges is bad for fooling Chronographs due to muzzle blast. 4100 is extremely fast, it would be interesting to see if your speeds are that high, with the chrono out of muzzle blast range.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I've run it through 4 different chrono's and 4100 is actually the slowest fps I've gotten with 4160 being the fastest. When I first got it sighted in I fired 10 rounds, all different powder charges at 400 yards and all the bullets are within a silver dollar with 5 of them touching. I've never been more impressed with a guns accuracy. I have shot many deer with this gun from 25 yards to 400 yards and never had one take a single step after I fired, the thing seems to hit dead on no matter how close or how far away the target. I myself find it hard to accept but to be honest I've never missed a single shot with this rifle since I sighted it in. It's had about everything done to it that can be done hence the hefty price and after building a few guns myself now, I understand the price. I never new just how much work and time it takes to build a good one. I have owned many a gun in my day but this one will always be my favorite

Out to 400 or so a lightweight like the 120 will fly well, but give it another couple of hundred yards and it'll fall apart as the vel. bleeds off and the wind gets to it. My brother just shot a mule deer at 565 yards with an '06 and a mid weight bullet yesterday, and that was about it even with me calling the range of the shot before he shot.

As far as chronoing, you've got to get the chrono back a good bit... my minimum is 15-20 feet and I try for a bit more. If you are seeing the chrono move from the muzzle blast you are too close. It would also be interesting to see what your drops actually are... those numbers will tell you more about your real speed than a couple of chrono's confused by muzzle blast.
If you are actually running that speed you ought to tone it back as your pressures can not be safe considering the case capacity of the stw and your barrel length. There is no free lunch here...

 

[CP7mmSTW]

I set the chrono's at 25 feet and didn't see it move from muzzle blast at all. I haven't shot farther than 400 yards yet so I don't know how it will react at that distance but I feel it will do well out to 600 or so. I ran some 150gr ballistic tips through it just out of curiosity but it didn't seem to like them much, grouped a lot better with the 120's. Tight groups at 600 plus yards might be a job for this stw but dropping a deer at that distance seems a simple task to me, I've shot prairie dog at 600 yards with a custom AR-15 .223 though it took a few shots to get dialed in. The STW cases are starting to stretch a little but other than that I have no visible signs of excessive pressure at this velocity. 565 yards for an '06 is a **** fine shot! I used to shoot an '06 with 150gr rounds but it dropped quick at 500 yards. I don't shoot the STW much past 300 yards these days as my eyes are too bad anymore but it would be fun to try it at 600-1000. I watched my friend compete with it at 600 yards and his first time out without practice he finished 27th out of 135 shooters but he is a far better shooter than I am

 

[308 holes]

I love my 7stw so I will chime in here I chrono'd mine today :
Remington 700 action 26 inch barrel with 2 inchs of muzzle brake
Unknown barrel
78.8 Grains of Ramshot Magnum
Nosler Brass,215 gmm primers
168 grain jlk
Elevation 5670
Barometric pressure 29.920
Temp 41.9
33%rh
3687 fps 5 shot average
Remington 8mm brass produced similar results with higher sd

 

[308 holes]

My ES is 61
My SD is 23
I failed to mention that in previous post

 

[CP7mmSTW]

That's pretty fast for 168gr bullet. Like I said in earlier posts my average speed is 4100 for the 120gr Nosler which everyone seems to think is some mistake I made with the chrono but I've used several chronos and without muzzle blast error they all read about the same, 4100-4160. I have no signs of excessive pressure and the gun is very accurate with this load so I will stick with it. This is by far the most accurate gun I've ever shot and the most accurate STW I've shot. All the other STW's I've shot were factory guns where mine is custom, you couldn't buy a STW when I had this one built and from what I've seen the difference between factory and custom is night and day. Not that factory guns are not accurate, I've shot some very nice ones but after my first custom gun I have very little use for off the shelf guns other than .22's which all mine are also custom I just always seem to enjoy shooting my STW more than any other gun