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

[7stw]

Thanks for all the input on the 7mm and twist rates, the gun I have is basically brand new. I have put 15 rounds down the barrel so far just to do some breaking in. My wife really thinks I need to be well she's has her opinion because this gun that I have is new. I may just opt out for a break on the barrel for now, since we have little girl on the way. The 300 has a lot of recoil and needs to be taimed down a little. I love shooting guns but after shooting a 300win mag with 178 amax in a savages stevens (18 rounds) and then shooting the 300RUM with the 178amax I sported a bruise on the sholder for a week. I hate to say it but I really love my 6.5x284. Very mild recoil and with hand loads I constantly shoot .5 inch groups at 100 and have been shooting 4 inch groups at 600. Its a stock savage 116 stainless accu stock and trigger. I also really love the trigger on this rifle as well. But thanks for the input and I will takes some notes down and when it does get changed over it will also have a break. Thanks.....

That is another reason I recommended the STW over the 7 RUM. It is a very finicky round, that by the time you get it to shoot right, you are probably at about 7stw velocities. Sometimes too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing. The is about as max overbore that 7 mm can be, and still be SHOOTABLE. That is a mathematical certainy that was explained to me by someone in the know! Try it, you'll like it!!
P/ S, congrats on the new addition, and a girl at that! Perfect!

 

[bobs]

That's exactly what that bullet was designed for. Penetration into the vitals and then the expenditure of all energy. DRT, means perfect performance,and you didn't lose the opposite shoulder meat. This isn't underperformance it is efficient performance. Over penetration on a deer (nobler partition/Barnes) often leads to an animal still active after the shot. Yes they can be DRT but that usually involves a spine shot or close to it.

Jake, you probably have more experience than I, but someday you might find yourself wishing for a partition or barnes if the only shot you have on the last day of your hunt is a steep quartering angle requiring penetration through the shoulder or paunch. One of my buddies on an elk hunt had to pass on a 90 yard tailbone shot on a big 5x5. When the bull disapeared into the timber I asked him why he didn't take the shot and he said he didn't trust his bullet to break the pelvis and/or penetrate all the way up into the vitals. I know my partition would have. He was using a cup & core bullet, I don't remember the brand. Anyway, that was the last elk he saw that trip. I have found that energy & "knock down" power don't kill as well under all conditions as a good sized hole through the vital organs with complete penetration for a good blood trail. I have never lost an animal either. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ButterBean]

Jake, you probably have more experience than I, but someday you might find yourself wishing for a partition or barnes if the only shot you have on the last day of your hunt is a steep quartering angle requiring penetration through the shoulder or paunch. One of my buddies on an elk hunt had to pass on a 90 yard tailbone shot on a big 5x5. When the bull disapeared into the timber I asked him why he didn't take the shot and he said he didn't trust his bullet to break the pelvis and/or penetrate all the way up into the vitals. I know my partition would have. He was using a cup & core bullet, I don't remember the brand. Anyway, that was the last elk he saw that trip. I have found that energy & "knock down" power don't kill as well under all conditions as a good sized hole through the vital organs with complete penetration for a good blood trail. I have never lost an animal either. Just my 2 cents.

Ditto on the Partition and Barnes

 

[7stw]

Ditto on the Partition and Barnes

+1, what he said!

 

[Bear 9362]

Jake, you probably have more experience than I, but someday you might find yourself wishing for a partition or barnes if the only shot you have on the last day of your hunt is a steep quartering angle requiring penetration through the shoulder or paunch. One of my buddies on an elk hunt had to pass on a 90 yard tailbone shot on a big 5x5. When the bull disapeared into the timber I asked him why he didn't take the shot and he said he didn't trust his bullet to break the pelvis and/or penetrate all the way up into the vitals. I know my partition would have. He was using a cup & core bullet, I don't remember the brand. Anyway, that was the last elk he saw that trip. I have found that energy & "knock down" power don't kill as well under all conditions as a good sized hole through the vital organs with complete penetration for a good blood trail. I have never lost an animal either. Just my 2 cents.

That's the exact reason why I have a tough bullet for a mag load and a target vld type bullet for down range, I know it is a bit more mucking around to sort out a suitable combo but when that trophy off a life time jumps up close in front of you, not presenting an easy kill shot what are you goin do?

another 2 cents

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Jake, you probably have more experience than I, but someday you might find yourself wishing for a partition or barnes if the only shot you have on the last day of your hunt is a steep quartering angle requiring penetration through the shoulder or paunch. One of my buddies on an elk hunt had to pass on a 90 yard tailbone shot on a big 5x5. When the bull disapeared into the timber I asked him why he didn't take the shot and he said he didn't trust his bullet to break the pelvis and/or penetrate all the way up into the vitals. I know my partition would have. He was using a cup & core bullet, I don't remember the brand. Anyway, that was the last elk he saw that trip. I have found that energy & "knock down" power don't kill as well under all conditions as a good sized hole through the vital organs with complete penetration for a good blood trail. I have never lost an animal either. Just my 2 cents.

I'll add hornady interlock and sierra pro hunter to the mix here too. I've been driving the two of those through mule deer, white tail deer, and antelope from every conceivable angle for 20 years and I've only cought two or three bullets, and I usually shoot 140 grain 7mm's(sierra) and 165 grain 30 cal.(hornady) so they aren't THAT heavy for caliber. Even at 500-700 yards out they pass through fine. If it's a red box or a green box it'll get first nod in the field, with a bonded nosler in the game too.

 

[WildRose]

Thanks for all the input on the 7mm and twist rates, the gun I have is basically brand new. I have put 15 rounds down the barrel so far just to do some breaking in. My wife really thinks I need to be well she's has her opinion because this gun that I have is new. I may just opt out for a break on the barrel for now, since we have little girl on the way. The 300 has a lot of recoil and needs to be taimed down a little. I love shooting guns but after shooting a 300win mag with 178 amax in a savages stevens (18 rounds) and then shooting the 300RUM with the 178amax I sported a bruise on the sholder for a week. I hate to say it but I really love my 6.5x284. Very mild recoil and with hand loads I constantly shoot .5 inch groups at 100 and have been shooting 4 inch groups at 600. Its a stock savage 116 stainless accu stock and trigger. I also really love the trigger on this rifle as well. But thanks for the input and I will takes some notes down and when it does get changed over it will also have a break. Thanks.....

You need to get either Pachmayer Decellerator or Simm's Limbsaver recoil pads.

On top of that when you mount the rifle make dead sure each time you really have it properly in the right place on your shoulder and pull it in tight to your shoulder. The reason you are bruising is from the impact of the rifle hitting you. If you are snuggled up and tucked in tight you move with the recoil vs being hit by it.

Also, invest in good muzzle brakes. I'm not recoil sensitive at all but even my 7-8.lbs magnums such as the 7mm STW and 300wm with heavy for caliber loads are much more enjoyable to shoot with a good muzzle brake, and that includes the ability to see each impact even at close range.

 

[WildRose]

+1, what he said!

Neither are my choices, I prefer the Interlock or Interbond by Hornady or the Nosler Accubond.

That being said, I absolutely agree with the sentiment. I want a hole on both sides and a good blood trail to follow in the event it's not a DRT hit.

I was at one time sold on the idea of all the energy being retained in the animal vs an exit as being a good thing.

I got over it after having to go get the dogs too many times to fine one that had taken a perfect chest hit and still disappeared into the brush.

Since most of those were big hogs over 500lbs I can assure you that following them into the brush is a hair raising experience especially after you've had a few come charging back out at you.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

That is another reason I recommended the STW over the 7 RUM. It is a very finicky round, that by the time you get it to shoot right, you are probably at about 7stw velocities. Sometimes too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing. The is about as max overbore that 7 mm can be, and still be SHOOTABLE. That is a mathematical certainy that was explained to me by someone in the know! Try it, you'll like it!!
P/ S, congrats on the new addition, and a girl at that! Perfect!

I like both the stw and the 7rum. The rum is a bit faster and can be the cat's meow in certain cases, but for an all around fire breathing 7mm the stw gets the nod. The stw will get you at least another 500 rounds bbl life if you treat both with a bit of respect.
As far as the 7rum being finicky round, not at all if you feed it no faster than rl25 or retumbo( I prefer stick 50 cal powders) and let it eat flat base bullets with a monster jump (.4" to .5") to smooth out the pressure.
It ( the 7rum) is simply an awesome round that was so accurate in the field in my last rifle I once put the crosshair two inches below the nose on a trotting mule deer doe at over 200 yards, adjusted lead, pulled the trigger, and proceeded to put a bullet through her head within an inch of where I wanted to (I always shoot offhand and usually from sitting). Needless to say I didn't ruin any meat on that one.
I'm thinking of building a 7rum to pitch 140's with as my last one would do over 3500 fps at normal pressure with 140's; it's hard to get to 3400 fps with an stw with 140's-- some powders will get you there but barely. I think I'm going to try for an 8# 7 rum and a 10# 7stw. The rum will be a max. pbr carry rifle and the stw will be a re-work of my current lh bdl stw for cross canyon critter and long range paper punching.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Hey Lefty

This is exactly what i think i want to do now instead of dumping money in the old left handed rem 700 bdl. Would like to just build a left handed Sendero with 26" stainless fluted barrel..... Just don't know really where to start. I don't want to use the action from the 700 i have because it was my daddy's, didnt want to change much about the looks besides a little longer barrel. I think i will just leave it in the case like it is. Im scared that even after putting a 26" barrel, pillar bedding stock and truing action it still may not shoot all that great....

I'm not a fan of tearing down a gifted (or inherited) rifle. My wife gave me a marlin in 270 for x-mas last year and it started out shooting really well. It was an honest moa rifle with good groups at 1/2 moa or better. By summer, it was shooting poorly, with it's best groups coming in at over 2 moa. I found out the stock was too flimsey and was beating on the barrel causing the inaccuracy. A simple bbl. float cured it's ills.

I'd get someone to help you go over your Pop's rifle but keep her nearly stock, and carve up an sps or cdl remmy. It should be one or two things tops that are the prob. on your Pop's pipe, with a warped stock (humidity will sometimes beat on wood stocks) or a fouled barrel at the top of my list; actually it would about BE my list if the rifle once shot well. The only other thing I'd do is try another scope as they DO go bad from time to time. Assuming of course everything is good and tight on it.

 

[WildRose]

Hey Lefty

This is exactly what i think i want to do now instead of dumping money in the old left handed rem 700 bdl. Would like to just build a left handed Sendero with 26" stainless fluted barrel..... Just don't know really where to start. I don't want to use the action from the 700 i have because it was my daddy's, didnt want to change much about the looks besides a little longer barrel. I think i will just leave it in the case like it is. Im scared that even after putting a 26" barrel, pillar bedding stock and truing action it still may not shoot all that great....

You can take daddy's rifle in and have the following done and unless the barrel is totally shot you will have a very fine shooter without really changing anything.

Pillar bed and free float.

Have a smith borescope the barrel and tell you what you have and if it's worth reworking. If it is.

Have them tear it down blue print/true it all up and perhaps just set it back and rechamber it.

You can really stiffen up even a plain wood stock by taking a router and digging out a channel all the way back to the lug recess, drop a stainless rod in it and set that rod in Devcon or similar epoxy. For even more stiffness you can lay a piece of 1/2" angle aluminum or even steel in the channel instead of just using a piece of rod.

When you finish there will be no change at all in the appearance of the rifle, it'll just be like taking dad's old car and having the engine overhauled.

Either that, or just go buy a junk yard special for the action and build one up from scratch.

 

[marioq]

I have a Die question. WILL a Lee 2 die set work in my RCBS and is it fine for my STW(when I finally make it and get it??) Found a set on ebay for 21 bucks

 

[SFR292]

You need to get either Pachmayer Decellerator or Simm's Limbsaver recoil pads.

On top of that when you mount the rifle make dead sure each time you really have it properly in the right place on your shoulder and pull it in tight to your shoulder. The reason you are bruising is from the impact of the rifle hitting you. If you are snuggled up and tucked in tight you move with the recoil vs being hit by it.

Also, invest in good muzzle brakes. I'm not recoil sensitive at all but even my 7-8.lbs magnums such as the 7mm STW and 300wm with heavy for caliber loads are much more enjoyable to shoot with a good muzzle brake, and that includes the ability to see each impact even at close range.

I used to use Limbsaver pads but they deteriorate very badly over a short period of time, the decellerator is great pad as well. Custom fitting the pad looks much better on the decellerator's base material IMO as well.

Brakes make all the difference in the world. I really like the Holland Muzzle Brake, they work very well, not huge, and not overly loud either. That being said, there's always a trade off with brakes, the reduced recoil comes at the effect of added noise. Usually the noise isn't bad for the driver, but any passengers in the area might not like you very much. If you're out in the open (hunting in places the STW really shows itself) the noise isn't bad at all. I have a few different brakes on my guns, all work well in different ways. If you find a brake you like I'll be more than happy to share my experience with it. I do between 5-10 brakes a week in the shop. Another thing I like about Hollands are they are available in many different threads that allow them to be installed on small diameter (like most light weight hunting guns) without having to shorten the barrel down to get enough "meat" to cut the standard 5/8-24 that many popular brakes are offered in.

 

[WildRose]

I have a Die question. WILL a Lee 2 die set work in my RCBS and is it fine for my STW(when I finally make it and get it??) Found a set on ebay for 21 bucks

Yep. All the major makers use the same thread and diameter.