7mm STW or 28 Nosler?

[Buttermilk]

those 166's running 300 fps over your 175's would really be horn honking on it

I'm at book max charge with a longer throat and bullet seated out so got some head room on pressure.

 

[RevJim]

Anyone of you guys played with or used on Game the 7mm Nosler 160 Ballistic Tip? Has a pretty heavy jacket/solid base.

 

[zeeman]

You could always go with a 7mm-300 Weatherby and then you could say you are shooting a caliber that held the world record at 1000 yards at one time. Was around long before Lane Simpson stole the idea for the STW and is almost identical in ballistics. Any 300 Weatherby brass will work for it as well by simply necking down or Quality Cartridge makes 7mm-300 WBY brass. I'm shooting 180 Bregers around 2900fps out of a 28" Douglas barrel.

Just came from the range today shooting some old seven 300s built in the 1990s. Chronograph the 168 Sierra matching at 3320! A little too hot but what the heck. It was a great cartridge at the time and most likely still is, but obviously time has passed by, mine is a 364 Winchester action, 30 inch heart barrel heavy stock set up for long range. This particular barrel was only shot about 200 g.

 

[zeeman]

Pre 64. 200 rounds

 

[zeeman]

Pre 64. 200 rounds

Hart Sorry about the misspelling!

 

[MagnumManiac]

ADG is Often available for 28 Noz atleast now it is. 28 noz is a hell of a cartridge

I have to import that brass, no one brings it in or has it on the shelves in Australia, need import permits and other BS and can't be bothered…

Cheers.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Anyone of you guys played with or used on Game the 7mm Nosler 160 Ballistic Tip? Has a pretty heavy jacket/solid base.

I've only ever run the 160g Accubond, but have used plenty 180g Ballistic Tip out of a 300WM, great bullet if used out there a ways.
My experience with most Ballistic Tips is that they expand very well and penetrate quite deeply, but the core is often separated from the jacket, which has done it's job by then anyway.

Cheers.

 

[RevJim]

Thanks Mr Oz! My father served with McArthur's Army in WW2. My Father had the highest respect for the Aussies who fought the Japanese with him from New Guinea up through Holandia, or something like that! I "suspect" he liked the "Sheila's" too! ha I asked about that new 160 NBT as it is supposed to be toughened up a bit. So far I'll just try them in my 7x57 so they shouldn't get strained at all.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The 160g Accubond is one tough bullet, so are the 150g Ballistic Tips I've used on pigs both from 7-08 and 7STW, knocks 'em flat!

Cheers.

 

[fmajor]

Thanks for chiming in guys, I am enjoying it all. I got almost 3150 with the 175 Hammer from my std 338/06. I am having it reamed out to the Ackley, but its in a Mark V Ultra Lwt, making it more of a Mountain Rifle. Same with my backup, a Kimber 300WSM. Both great where and how I hunt elk. However, I learned years ago that if I hunt out on the prairies/sage flats, that Wind blows me and my rifle around terribly. My 7x57 is a rebarreled Md 70 Fwt and at 8 pds its pretty steady, but "still" a bit light in the Britches for elk, for my tastes. So even though I limit myself to 400, all the shots I've made that far were with 9 pd rifles, much easier to hold still. Shooting off cross sticks or field positions. That's where I see me using a Big 7. Last outfitter I hunted with used the 6.5/300Wby and he loved it! Now that seems like a barrel burner for sure to me, ha.

Brother, given that you're "reloading friendly", that certainly opens up the whole world of cartridges!

The other well-experienced posters here have mentioned the 7mm-300____'s and I gotta say that's where I ended up. Even my GS, who is also a Guide, used to shoot a 7mm-Weatherby (when he can obviously shoot anything under the sun, moon, and stars). I believe he shoots either a 338-06 or his fav a 300 Weatherby nowadays.

That ^ said, when I asked if he would chamber a 7mm-300 Winchester for me he mentioned he didn't actually have a reamer for it but had heard of it and was intrigued (in spite of his experience with the 7mm-Weatherby). He even paid for the reamer himself!

Initially, I chose the 7mm-300 Win b/c I had ~300-350 pieces of same-lot, 30-year-old, brand spanking new Winchester brass left over from when I began reloading but had to stop to pay for school. Also, I wanted to try a 7mm hot-rod that would hammer Elk at long-ish distance, but not quite a barrel-burning monster like the 7RUM or to a lesser degree the 7STW/7 Nozler.

For me (and even in today's volatile market), my decision was supported with the facts that new brass is everywhere, the cartridge is strangely efficient, is not terribly over-bore, and yet reaches some very respectable velocities with high BC bullets. I'm cautiously optimistic it's going to be perfect for my hunting - Elk, Antelope, and possibly Mule Deer (I strongly prefer Whitetail deer meat over Mule Deer).

So, I'm currently working on barrel break-in and looking for pressure boundaries with it. Not that I need it (I'm not recoil shy), with a muzzle break, it's very pleasant to shoot (hopefully to lure my daughter to want to shoot it!!!). For my needs, the 7mm-300 Win is a win-win!!!!

 

[dogz]

The 7/300 WM is quite close to my 7 Mashburn Super, for a all around rig for the west IMO it's extremely tough to beat!

And, yeah I have my own reamer as well

 

[dogz]

Anyone of you guys played with or used on Game the 7mm Nosler 160 Ballistic Tip? Has a pretty heavy jacket/solid base.

Not the 160, but the 150 NBT in my Mashburn has been a incredible killer for 3 decades or so for me. I tend to be pretty much a one bullet guy with my guns so I've not tried it yet. The 150 Scenar is another wonderful Big 7 bullet!

 

[fmajor]

In honor of the 7STW and not to de-rail.. I remember when Layne S proclaimed the birth of the STW and I was immediately intrigued with it!!! I believe it really deserves recognition and accolades in spite the market leaving it by the wayside...

@dogz - there is another site where a generous, very experienced fella has shared immense info about his 7 Mashburn SuperMag and, iirc, by all accounts it seems to be a ballistic twin to the 7STW. I followed his posts closely for a very long time and was tempted to go that route myself, but the 7mm-300 Win won out.

@RevJim - i hope you're able to come to a satisfying decision and report back your successes!!!

 

[dogz]

I've only ever run the 160g Accubond, but have used plenty 180g Ballistic Tip out of a 300WM, great bullet if used out there a ways.
My experience with most Ballistic Tips is that they expand very well and penetrate quite deeply, but the core is often separated from the jacket, which has done it's job by then anyway.

Cheers.

MagnumMania in what game have you run the 150 NBT out of a Big 7 into game where you had the separation? Only reason I ask is that in 3 decades of using that combo I've yet to have one stay in any game from elk on down. I'd love to find one