Hey guys, first post, I'm gearing up for an elk hunt this fall, and working up a load for my stw, I went and shot some 160 AB over Retumbo, H1000, IMR7828, and reloader 22. I got the best groups wirh 7828 and H1000, I'm shooting a savage model 112 factory 7stw. Any imput or tips with these powders and bullets or just the gun is appreciated, thanks!
7mm STW
- Thread starter Austin17
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The 160's are great but the 140 CT's scream out of the STW, RL25 will get you where you need to be, Look in the Forums for STW , tons of info in there
dok7mm
Well-Known Member
I like the 180 Berger for elk size big game in my 26" STW running at about 3,000 fps w/ Retumbo.
Ill have to try some other bullets then, I was afraid 140s wouldn't Have enough energy when they got there and I'm not too sure the 180s will fit in my magazine. 3.600 is absolute Max unless I wanna load one at a time, thanks guys!
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140's will work just fine on Elk driven hard and don't worry about the COAL, Most STW's like a good bit of jump
7mm stw has had a large following. There's a whole forum slot dedicated to it here. I really like mine. I shoot 180s in a 8.7 twist. What's your barrel length? I'm guessing 24 or 26". Either way you might be able to run 180s to at least 3050fps fairly easy. With the right powder you might be able to get 160s to 3180 in a 24". The stw is no slouch. It will rock & roll. I send 180s from a 28" @ aprx 3180fps with n570 and no pressure signed at all. Shoots flatter and bucks the wind harder than my 300 Norma with 230s. And does it with a lot less recoil.
There's not much info about those guns online being they only made them for 2 years, and with the covid going on, I can't get a hold of savage, but a fella on Facebook informed me it is a 1:9.5 twist rate, and it's a 24" heavy contour barrel with a 2" brake. I attached pics of the rifle and the most accurate out of the 4 tested (76gr h1000 and 160AB @100 yards off bipods)
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At STW velocities, a 9.5 twist will stabilize a 160-175 gr. You will get varied opinions, but I would be willing to bet that a 162 eld-m seated somewhere from .047-.080 from the lands will get you to around 1/2 moa. If you have a chronograph. Look for nodes (velocities to flatten out) somewhere between 3040fps- 3080fps. And if you can get to 3150-3200fps without hitting max, there should be a node in there somewhere. A 168 hybrid Berger would be another fine choice for your twist rate. I personally stay away from the eldx bullets. I really think that you will find the best accuracy with a 162 eldm or a 168 hybrid. I have had a 180 eldm stabilize in a 9.25 twist and you might possibly be able to also but it's no sure bet. All you could do is try. I use nosler brass, I found out that more neck tension than less worked better for me.
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