.270 WSM vs. 7mm STW

[nyrifleman]

I've narrowed down my search for an all purpose LR deer round to these two choices.

.270 WSM: Pros - 24" bbl, good for box blinds where room may be tight.
Cons - Feeding may be an issue. Lower B.C. with 140 grain
bullets.
Rifle will be a Winchester 70 Extreme Weather in a McMillan.

7mm STW: Pros - Higher B.C. with 150 or 160 grain bullets.
Cons - bbl life, really needs a 26" tube.
Rifle will be a M-70 Classic Stainless in a McMillan.

Anticipated shots will be out to 500 yards.

I'm leaning toward the WSM, but love the ballistics of the big seven.

I'd appreciate any input from anyone who has actual experience with either of these.

 

[4bycamper]

Appreciating your dilemma, why not try a 7mm WSM ? lightbulb
I love my 270 wsm and agree that the BC of .277 bullets leaves something on the table. My 7mm Rem mag will hopefully solve this problem for me as soon as I get it with a new 26" McGowen back from the gunsmith.




Jm .02

 

[liltank]

Yeah, I was thinking in the same lines with the 7mmWSM. You can still throw the heavy pills at a pretty good clip. Not near as fast as the STW, but will definitely do the job to 500yards. But between the two, I like the WSM's just for the lesser usage of powder.

Tank

 

[nyrifleman]

I'm not considering any cartridges other than the .270 WSM and 7mm STW.

 

[liltank]

I'm not considering any cartridges other than the .270 WSM and 7mm STW.

I'm sold on the WSM's. I would go for the 270. Berger makes a decent 150 that will get you out there. Hornady has that new GMX bullet that shows promise. The 150 Nosler Partition, Ballistic Tip, and Accu-Bond will do the trick. Sierra shows promise in their 135 SMK, and 150 Game King. Speer should offer some good solid hits with their 130 and 150 Hot-Cor and BT's.

This of course if you reload, but if not, they offer most of the bullets I have selected in decent factory loads. Go with the 270.

I would save the 7STW when you want to enter Howitzer status and build a rifle with a 28 to 32 inch barrel and take advantage of the powder capacity and bullets available.

Tank

 

[aroshtr]

I own both of these rifles and here is my advise.

For DEER up to 600 yards, I would go with the 270wsm.

If there is a change of shooting ELK, or deer past 700 yards, I would go with the 7mm STW.

My 270wsm is a 24"bbl, and the STW is a 28". Neither have brakes. Another drawback of the STW is dealing with VLD bullets fitting in a standard magazine box. My loads with berger 180s are 3.840" OAL seated .010" into the lands!

Now.... If I could only have one rifle I would do it differently. I would want a 7mmWSM, or a 6.5X284. It sounds like you are dead set on these two rifles, but from My experiance...... I WOULD GET A 7mmWSM!!!

Hope this helps

 

[happylilcuss]

I would go 270 I did and am very happy. I have taken elk out to 800+ with it. (Not highly reccommended I know) I understand the availability of high bc bullets is tougher to find but they are out there. As stated above all of those are great bullets. If you dont reload try the winchester xp3, failsafe, or accubonds. My rifle loves both the xp3 and the failsafe. I am actually buying boxes of factory winchester ammo and then taking them apart and reloading with my own (magic).. Just some more to think about.

 

[J E Custom]

Appreciating your dilemma, why not try a 7mm WSM ? lightbulb
I love my 270 wsm and agree that the BC of .277 bullets leaves something on the table. My 7mm Rem mag will hopefully solve this problem for me as soon as I get it with a new 26" McGowen back from the gunsmith.




Jm .02

+1
Go with the 7 WSM . It will work with a 22'' to 24'' barrel and on any short action reducing
the over all length of the rifle for stand hunting and will handel 140grain+ bullets well
and the 160grain+ work well on ELK.

J E CUSTOM

 

[nyrifleman]

liltank & happylilcuss

Thanks for the input. The .270 WSM with a 24" bbl in the Extreme Weather is a very attractive package. I'm thinking 140gr Accubonds over Magpro.

 

[angus-5024]

for deer sized game out to 500 yards there isnt really a need for the 7 STW, though I would probably do it anyways (I just cant turn down a big case, its a curse really). The 270 WSM is more than flat enough, has lots of energy for deer out to 500, and is more readilly available than the 7STW, not to mention has a shorter barrel and better barrel life. like previously mentioned, if it is an elk rifle go 7mm STW hands down, but a purpose built deer rifle is where the 270 shines. Just my $.02

JM

 

[liltank]

Not a problem, I know what it is like to want something and be set on it. I wish I would have done a little more research before purchasing a .30 caliber. I would have decided on a 7mm of some type. I just liked the idea of the .308 Win. for target work. I then had it reamed to 300WSM. Next new barrel will be a 7mm of some type.

Tank

 

[trueblue]

If your only going to get one rifle than between the 2, the 7STW is the way to go. Shoot the 140gr Barnes for deer under 500 yards, and the 168or180gr Berger's for elk. As far as mag length with the Berger's, that is an easy fix with a Wyatt magbox, and a smith that will mill out 110 thousands out of the back of the receiver and bolt stop. Very easy, so don't let that scare you away from Berger bullets. I don't shoot anything but Berger past 500 yards, except the 300gr SMK out of my 338's. As far as barrel life, I have almost 500 rounds on my 7 STW and it shows no signs of throat wear, but I don't shoot long strings of fire either. A 26" barrel is all you need for a 7 STW. But there are other great calibers to choose from, like 7 Rem Mag, 280 Rem, 308, 30-06, 260 Rem, ect. Why just the 270WSM and 7 STW to choose from?

 

[nyrifleman]

Angus- I too am tempted by the potential of the STW.

I have elk covered with (take your pick) .300Wby/.340Wby/7mmRem Mag.

I have absolutely no interest in the 7mmWSM (or the .300 version for that matter).

The .270 WSM and the STW just "trip my trigger".

 

[LewisH]

I had a successful South African plains game hunt in 2007 using a .270 WCF and .338 Win.Mag., but I wanted something that shot flattter, farther with plenty of power for my (hoped for) next trip.

After research and expert consultation (with Kirby Allen), I chose the 7 STW. The 7 STW with 180 gr Bergers and a good dose of Retumbo should be very close to ideal for my purposes.