Barrel Advise 7mm STW Build

[TX COWDOC]

I've been enjoying a Weatherby Accumark 7mm STW lefty for several years. I use a NF 5.5-22-50 scope. Rifle is simply too heavy to pack around anymore. I'm not interested in lighter glass as I love my scope. Therefore, I'm building a new rifle and want it to be lighter. Here's what I have thus far:
REM 700 Stainless Mag Action (Lefty)
McMillan Stock with edge fill

What barrel contour / length / twist would you use?
Anyone used a Proof Research carbon barrel on an STW?

Thank you for the info -

TX COWDOC

 

[MudRunner2005]

28" Proof Research Sendero contour 1:8" twist. That would let you shoot any bullet currently offered in the 7mm caliber.

 

[Jerry M]

Remington varmint is good but if you want even lighter look at the light palma profile. It heavy enough for long shots, without excess weight.

Good luck

Jerry

 

[rkcolt45]

I have a #5 contour Krieger on my Mark V action. Extremely accurate and not to heavy.

 

[adam32]

What's your McMillan inletted for? A carbon barrel may be too big...

 

[MudRunner2005]

What's your McMillan inletted for? A carbon barrel may be too big...

They used to use those same diameter carbon barrels on factory 700's with HS Precision stocks and factory Browning A-Bolt's with the factory black synthetic Browning stocks. I'm sure the McMillan will be ok.

 

[Rkelley]

My smith really likes the krieger barrels, talked me into it over a shiling. He said that a krieger barrel is cryogenically frozen. He said that between a blank and their smallest conture one will shoot just as well as the other? That said I have a #5 finished at 28" + 1 5/8 break. With the scope it weighs out at a little over 10#. Too long to get out of the window and too heavy to carry lol.

 

[okierifleman]

I just had a new Bartlein 2B put on my Sako STW. It is my 3rd 2B, one on a 25-06 and a 280AI. I have grown very fond of that profile

 

[jjmp]

If you can swing that carbon bbl go for it , other then that the smaller contures are going to heat up quicker ,if it was my build that #5 conture or the lite Palma would get the vote, yes it's all a compromise lol ,twist 1/8 if you want to shoot the heavier bullets, 1/9 for all others will work fine. Barrel length no shorter then 26 inchs. rkelly betcha she's a shooting dream ,regards jjmp

 

[sterlingsc1]

I got to shoot a proof research last week at a long range class. It was chambered in 300 win mag.
and was shooting the 190 vld. SWEET!! It will be the next barrel on my stw.

 

[WildRose]

My smith really likes the krieger barrels, talked me into it over a shiling. He said that a krieger barrel is cryogenically frozen. He said that between a blank and their smallest conture one will shoot just as well as the other? That said I have a #5 finished at 28" + 1 5/8 break. With the scope it weighs out at a little over 10#. Too long to get out of the window and too heavy to carry lol.

That simply isn't possible. Smaller diameter barrels will have much more whip than larger diameter barrels.

Krieger makes a great quality barrel but you can't get around the physics.

 

[WildRose]

I've been enjoying a Weatherby Accumark 7mm STW lefty for several years. I use a NF 5.5-22-50 scope. Rifle is simply too heavy to pack around anymore. I'm not interested in lighter glass as I love my scope. Therefore, I'm building a new rifle and want it to be lighter. Here's what I have thus far:
REM 700 Stainless Mag Action (Lefty)
McMillan Stock with edge fill

What barrel contour / length / twist would you use?
Anyone used a Proof Research carbon barrel on an STW?

Thank you for the info -

TX COWDOC

If you like steel it's hard to beat the #5 "bull magnum sporter contour, or #16 light palma.

At 28" fluted it will finish out at about .75" at the muzzle weighing about 4.5lbs, It will give you enough weight to help with steadiness and muzzle flip and enough length to take full advantage of the case capacity and slower burning powders like H-1000 without being too heavy.

Personally I'm not sold on the carbon fiber barrels. The lighter the barrel is the more flip it's going to have and those polymers are going to break down at some point. I definitely would not put one on a rifle I intended to shoot a lot. I could maybe see doing it some day on a dedicated sheep rifle that wouldn't get a whole lot of shooting but that's about it.

 

[TX COWDOC]

In April 2016 I started this thread looking for advise for building a light weight 7mmSTW.

Here's the finished product:

24" Proof Sendero Light
Remington LH Magnum Action
McMillan HTG/TEX Stock (Edge Fill)
Hawkins Bottom Metal
Near Titanium Base
Gunsmith: John Powers (Powers Metal Works, Magnolia, Texas)
Fluting / Engraving: Kampfeld

Weight as shown: 7 Lbs.

No time for a load development so I bought Nosler 160 Accubonds.
5 Shot group ~3200 fps

 

[WildRose]

Nice job Doc. I'd have gone with a longer barrel but you should still be able to get very good velocities with powders like H1000 RL23 and RL26. RL33 and the BMG powders will probably be a bit slow for that length but we have lots and lots of good options.

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