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

[Lefty7mmstw]

Anyone on here dabble with US869? Its an awsome powder and is a real pleasure to use! Meters very well.

I've used aa8700 and wc 872 in my 7stw's at one time or another. The slow ball stuff works, and sometimes very well..... But I've seen as good or better luck with slow stick like rl25. 50 bmg class ball is like a light switch in this cal.; either it shoots well or it shoots like crap. All you can do is to try it out. I'd start in the low 80's with a 175 class pill and work to 86 grains or so as that's about the most you'll get in it with a big bullet and you'll be about at top pressure anyway.

 

[WildRose]

A question about barrels. Would a 7mm, 8.5 twist, fluted, finished at 28 inches, Brux 15 Palma work as a blank to bore out to an STW? I am thinking if using my old 7mm action and get a new barrel. Then a New stock. Found this barrel for 450. Will it work? Or, what is the route I should follow to get a barrel? Thanks for the input.

It should work very well for you. If it were me I'd send it back to Brux and get it fluted... .

 

[WildRose]

Just out of curiosity I called Hendershots this morning and it's just a Winchester Model 70 Classic SS and not a Sharpshooter. Lance (from Hendershots) said it was a excellent shape (he looked at the bore with a bore scope when the rifle was traded in) and he said if he were to guess that it has only about 100 rounds shot through it.

If anyone is interested, here's another Winchester Model 70 Classic SS in 7mm STW on Armslist for $700 for the rifle only and $1,000 for the rifle with alot of extras! It looks like this rifle is in great shape too.

ARMSLIST - For Sale: Winchester model 70 Stainless Classic Sporter 7 STW

That's definitely a much better deal.

For that price for everything even if it needed to be set back and rechambered and trued you'd come out money ahead vs the other one.

Those stocks are not terrible either. I think you've seen me talk about how you can stiffen them up and weight them. Do that and a good bedding job and you should have a nice rig. I have the same model in a 300wm with a nice grey laminate stock on it that shoots extremely well and all I did was put in steel piers and bed it.

 

[WildRose]

I haven't tried single loading the FN version (#4 in the pic). The Classic Stainless (New Haven, #3 in the pic) extractor is more rounded on the front (maybe to help it cam out over the cartridge rim?). Besides being able to cam over the rim, there must be enough room at the breech to allow the extractor to flex outwards adequately to cam over the rim.

Interesting that there are so many variations; if you look at the threaded section of the FN striker assembly, you will see that it won't interchange with the New Haven parts........


Jim

That's what I was thinking. I'm going to see if I can find a GS that can modify mine. I'm pretty disappointed in Winchester advertising it as a 3+1 when it clearly isn't unless you want to load the magazine upside down.

 

[WildRose]

Marioq, yes, no, pros, and cons. First the YES. Yes it will work, and a fine barrel at that. Price seems to in the park. The 8.5 twist is for the really heavy stuff, like 195 grain. So, here comes the NO. I would go withe the no, IF you are going to be shooting " normal" weight 7mm bullets. ( 140-175 grain). Now for the pros! That is a excellent barrel, and those Palma contoured blanks have been the begging of a lot of tack drivers, and they break in quick too. The " cons" would be the weight of the gun, due to the barrel weight, but as long you are good with that, it really isn't a problem. Most of my guns are heavy barrels, and I don't mind toting them, because normally it's to a blind, or tree stand.
So, if you were to decide on another barrel, you might want to check Bruno Supply. They have famous make barrels, in stock, and their prices are very reasonable. Or, you can go to the individual barrel makers website. Sometimes, they have some sizes in stock, and ready to ship. Deciding on a barrel is a critical step. You have to be sure to get what you want, because once it's threaded, and reamed, you own it!

You cannot over spin a bullet so I'd say go for it. Brux will also turn it down and flute it for you if you send it back to them.

 

[WildRose]

Anyone on here dabble with US869? Its an awsome powder and is a real pleasure to use! Meters very well.

No but H870 worked very well for me and US869 is supposed to be formulated very similarly.

I used it with 140-154wt bullets.

 

[sirulrick]

Around how many grains of rl25 would you use for 140 grain pills. I haven't got any load data for rl25 with that light of pill. My reloading books go to rl22 when you get to 140gr bullets.

 

[WildRose]

I've used aa8700 and wc 872 in my 7stw's at one time or another. The slow ball stuff works, and sometimes very well..... But I've seen as good or better luck with slow stick like rl25. 50 bmg class ball is like a light switch in this cal.; either it shoots well or it shoots like crap. All you can do is to try it out. I'd start in the low 80's with a 175 class pill and work to 86 grains or so as that's about the most you'll get in it with a big bullet and you'll be about at top pressure anyway.

I always got great results with 870 spherical in both my 7mm mag and 7mm STW.

I'll be setting up the reloading bunker again when we get the new house done so I'll probably be next in line with a long list of questions HA! gun)

 

[ButterBean]

Around how many grains of rl25 would you use for 140 grain pills. I haven't got any load data for rl25 with that light of pill. My reloading books go to rl22 when you get to 140gr bullets.

My load for the 140 TSX is 78.5gr of RL 25

 

[wiiicgun]

what is the most consistant powder that yall have found. we have temps that reach 100+ in the summer and down to the upper 20's come winter. and with a few trips planed for further north i need something that i can sightin during 50-60 degree weather that will hold 0 in weather that is in the teens or colder.

I've had great success with Retumbo. Started with loads in March finalized development July/Aug, nailed a nice 9 pt. late Nov. 561 yds right where I put the X hair. Upstate NY. 70+- degree temp diff.

 

[Jim Oliver]

I've had great success with Retumbo. Started with loads in March finalized development July/Aug, nailed a nice 9 pt. late Nov. 561 yds right where I put the X hair. Upstate NY. 70+- degree temp diff.

How about details of the Retumbo load?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[wiiicgun]

Jim,

139grSST. Seated @ 4.088 for hunting
88.0 gr. Retumbo. (Start @ 85.0 gr)
Rem brass
Fed215 lg mag primer
Chrony measured @ 2 yds.
Hi 3494 fps
Lo. 3464 fps
S.D. 13 fps

Rem. 700 Sendero SF 7mmSTW

Bill

 

[Jim Oliver]

Thanks!

My Sendero magazine won't take that COL. Does your rifle have the std. chamber/throat?

Jim

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Around how many grains of rl25 would you use for 140 grain pills. I haven't got any load data for rl25 with that light of pill. My reloading books go to rl22 when you get to 140gr bullets.

Start in the high 70's and you will land at 81-82 grains depending on your brass, barrel, and bullet. I usually shoot 140 gr nos- a-bonds with 82 rl25 in win brass with a 215 under it. Rem brass seems to have a bit more neck tension and would top out at 81 in my rifle.