chance to purchasde a 7mm STW

[davebutler]

I have a chance to purchase a Sako 7mm STW to use as a long range hunting rifle. Anythought from experience or ownership about this caliber or rifle would be helpful. Thanks

 

[cabelas90]

Sorry for the stupid ? but I am still learning all the popular catridges, what exactly is th 7mm stw?

 

[davebutler]

The round was born by a writer for Shooting Times Magazine and was designed as a long range western rifle so it is the Shooting Times Westerner

 

[davebutler]

I belive it is originaly an 8MM mauser necked down to 7mm

 

[cabelas90]

Thanks I hope somebody has some answers for you.

 

[LewisH]

It's an 8mm Rem. Mag. necked down to 7mm. A full length belted H&H case. Very similar ballistics to the 7mm Dakota (a beautiful example of which Grit just posted above.)

IMO, it represents the best balance of a flat shooting, hard hitting, reasonable recoil, easily portable rifle available for American and African plains game.

 

[liltank]

From what I have read, it is a caliber that can't really be knocked around. Tons of people over the years have used it with great success in knocking down some of the biggest game in North America. If you are getting a good deal on the rifle, I would take advantage of it. IMHO

Tank

 

[canderson]

I have a Sako M995 and I really like the feel of the bolt and the action. The people at Sako did not waste any money on useless items on the action. It is a meat and potatoes gun. Hope this helps.

 

[HRstretch]

I got a 7mm StW about two years ago and absolutley love it. It is like shooting a lightening bolt and hits animals like the hammer of Thor. My hunting buddies have nicknamed this gun DOD, Deliver of Death, and that it does. I really cant say it kicks all that bad either. It is easy to load for too.

 

[shimoda]

I built a 7 STW as my first custom 1 year ago. I cought the Long Range Illness 1 1/2 years ago. I'm an experienced hunter but had rarely stretched a shot beyond maximumum point blank range.

My gun is a carry weight [700 action, Shilen barrel 26", Borden stock, brake etc] with 4.5-14 30mm Leupy w/M1 knobs.

I am a very basic hand loader. Fl sizing die, seater die that came in the set, accurate powder charges, OAL to manual specs, no case sorting or neck turning, etc. I decided to shoot 160 Accubonds. I made three loads with IMR7828, Rem brass, WLR Primers. Bought a chronograph, Exbal and a Harris bipod and went to the range.

What a gun and cartridge! .38 MOA @ 100 with one of those first loads. I shot quite a bit over the summer {600 yd range], built drop charts, bought a good rangefinder, loaded my truck, and headed west.

Wyoming - 3 DRT antelope 400 - 600+ yards one shot each. Many dead rocks to 900 yds.

Colorado- 1 DRT muley 500 yds, 1 elk 20 yds

I am an STW believer.

Unfortunately my above mentioned illness has taken a turn for the worse. I'm pursuing radical treatment which involves new builds, precision loading equipment, abandonment of prior hobbies, possible girlfriend abandonment, varmints, sale of no longer interesting guns and other toys, and sleep deprivation due to late night internet research.

The prognosis is good.

 

[davebutler]

As a fellow illness patient I am going through several of the same or similar symtoms. I just finished reworking my 300WSM Vangaurd and now this 7MM STW has put a rash on my rear left pocket that driving me nuts. One of my friends suggested a parscription that was having a 338 Lapua built but that might take hiring a lawyer to surgicaly remove my wifes shoe from my A--.

 

[mike33]

Layne Simpson of shooting times took some kind of claim but i had one 2 years before his article. Had a friend with a 1k yard bench gun same time he had a rem 700 7 mag factory barrel opened up. He didnt care for it so i bought the sporter barrel for $25.00 paid local gunsmith $30.00 to put on my regular 7 mag. For $55.00 i had a stw 2 years before his article except we called it a 7mm x 8mm magnum. I read the article and sent 2 cases to Simpson , surprising i received a nice letter back from him stating its hard to claim a wildcat because some one else has probably done it. However, i do give him a lot of credit with that article it became popular as hell and rcbs came out with a set of dies.
Mike

 

[rb85cj7]

I love my STW. the ballistics are great and as long as you are willing to reload ammo is readily available.