7mm RUM or 7mm STW

[valleysnyper]

Hi, I have searched this site and have seen a few posts about this but mostly older I believe. I have a rem 700 chambered in 7MM RUM, but thinking of rechambering to 7MM STW. I don't do any real long range hunting like a lot of you, 400 yds is a far shot for me. I am just looking at something different, and am hooked on horsepower !! But realistically don't know if I need the RUM, I prob will shoot it moderately, not a ton of rounds through it. Brass seems to be about the same price, and I will end up reloading. Any advice ? thanks in advance....Gary

 

[mikea5232]

Well being the RUM is a little larger than the STW I'm not exactly sure what you are really looking for being your hooked on hp. I love my 7STW it will kill anything and everything I'll need it to. But if 400yrds is a far shot for thehunting area you have a whole plethora of cartridges that will fit that bill perfectly. And if you reload the options are almost endless. I mean 400 yrds is 22-250 distance for whitetail. Good luck with your choice and if A 7STW is something you want to try, i don't think you will be disappointed. I love mine and others love theirs as well

 

[valleysnyper]

Thanks for the reply, I know they both are killers. I guess I am wondering if the Rum is harder to get reloading stuff for. Seems like it is not as popular as the STW. I do like speed as I said, but I do have to be able to get components for reloading without taking out a 2nd mortgage. I would like to do some longer range hunting in the future.

 

[mikea5232]

Well the only difference is the brass. The rest of the components are the same. If you have saved your rum brass you would have the brass. Nosler makes 7stw brass. Not cheap. But you could also buy factory loaded stw brass and shoot that for fun and get the brass that way. I just bought 400 pieces of new winchester 300wby brass for .50 a case. A little FL sizing and a shot to fireform and i have 7stw brass. So you have options.

 

[valleysnyper]

I do have some rum brass. What weight are your guys rifles ? the rifle I will be building from is a tock rem 700 cdl, is there much advantage of the rum over the STW or the other way around ?

 

[mikea5232]

I've never shot a RUM so i can't speak of advantages of either. I shoot mostly 120s and 140g bullets. I shoot my loads hot and the 120s shoot faster than 22-250s with 55g bullets. I have a spare new factory barrel with a custom cut chamber. It was cut the same time as the current barrel and I don't know if i need to sit on it forever waiting to burn this 1 out but i do have it on the shelf.

My rifle is a sendaro with a bedded laminated stock, heavy steel 34mm rings and a 30+oz. scope. weights 12 lbs empty.

 

[Predator 22]

If you are looking for something different that still has plenty of horsepower look at a 7mm hart. Basically a 7mm mag ackley improved.

 

[toddc]

If you wanna make sure you can find great brass build a 7-338AI Lapua. Let the horsepower wars begin.

 

[mikea5232]

Now that's an idea!

 

[valleysnyper]

I did have a 338 Lapua...should have kept it

 

[Rich Coyle]

Hi, I have searched this site and have seen a few posts about this but mostly older I believe. I have a rem 700 chambered in 7MM RUM, but thinking of rechambering to 7MM STW. I don't do any real long range hunting like a lot of you, 400 yds is a far shot for me. I am just looking at something different, and am hooked on horsepower !! But realistically don't know if I need the RUM, I prob will shoot it moderately, not a ton of rounds through it. Brass seems to be about the same price, and I will end up reloading. Any advice ? thanks in advance....Gary

I had a rifle chambered in 7STW with a 28" barrel and used it for awhile. Then I had it rechambered to 7RUM. It used a lot more powder and gained 25 feet per second. I think I was using 120 or 140 grain bullets.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

How about neither, I'll sacrifice the 200 fps and chamber it for 7 mm rem mag and at least be able to shoot it all I want, tired of the Brass Hassle and ain't playing that game anymore !

 

[WildRose]

Thanks for the reply, I know they both are killers. I guess I am wondering if the Rum is harder to get reloading stuff for. Seems like it is not as popular as the STW. I do like speed as I said, but I do have to be able to get components for reloading without taking out a 2nd mortgage. I would like to do some longer range hunting in the future.

You'd have to rebarrel to go from the Rum to the STW.

RUM brass is extremely expensive and often hard to get. It has enough of a following with the public that we can probably count on someone supplying it for some time to come but with Remington dropping more and more calibers from their brass lineup there's no telling how expensive it will be in a few years.

Brass for the STW isn't hard to come by at all and while it isn't cheap by any means it is affordable.

The biggest difference in the two is that the RUM is so overbore that it eats barrels for three meals a day all day every day and snacks when you aren't looking.

Even in the days when I was completely nuts trying to get maximum possible velocity out of everything I could I was never able to justify the negatives of the 7mm's with a higher case capacity than the STW.

There's a point of diminishing returns for every bullet and that wall seems to be at or awfully close to the STW.

One really nice thing about the STW is that not only can you find it still in production, when you can't lay your hands on it, it's easy to fireform from the parent cartridge, the 8mm Rem mag for which it doesn't seem like there's ever been a lack of brass availability in spite of the fact it's never been a very popular caliber except for a small niche following.

The harder question today with the advent of the 28 Nosler is whether or not to rechamber to the STW or the Nosler since the Nosler will almost certainly continue to have good factory support well into the future.

With the STW unless you plan on shooting it heavily 200 cases will give most people a near lifetime brass supply and to avoid paying outrageous prices for the brass alone you can buy high quality factory loaded ammunition for it and then reload the once fired brass.

I still have 3 STW's and probably will for the rest of my life as I just absolutely love what the round does.

 

[valleysnyper]

Thanks for all the advice. Think I will change it over to a STW, now for the next question, 28" or 30" barrel ? Ill be hunting from a shooting house so Im not worried about a little xtra barrel length. Does anyone advise a break ?