Long range hunting 7STW build question.

[mikea5232]

I have owned this rem 700 7stw for a few years now. Im not 100%sure of or if any work has been done to the action but it's got a factory barrel with custom rechamber in it. It shot sub 1/2 moa but it's starting to open up. Im thinking of rebarrel or maybe just go custom with an extended mag well for the longer bullets. What would u guys do. Redo/ rebarrel or just go with a custom action for?

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

take it apart true threads, bolt and abutments set cam timing install wyatts CFE9 have it chambered for the 195 and rock on!! its sleeper cartridge and moved them out a high rate of speed!

 

[koginam]

I would go for the complete rebuild. You can get longer bullets in the extended mag, do the truing of the bolt face, threads etc... Maybe install a different extractor.

 

[mikea5232]

I put a mini m16 extractor in it already and the bolt is timed. So i was leaning towards a rebuild, just was looking for assurance as that was the right route to go.

 

[jweigel]

I redid my Rem700 STW a couple years ago. Still an amazing gun...only more with faster twist and better bullets.

https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/7stw-refresh.191205/#post-1343198

jjw
ND

 

[HARPERC]

I'd bore scope it to see if that's why groups are opening. If so do the whole rebuild.

 

[mikea5232]

I'd bore scope it to see if that's why groups are opening. If so do the whole rebuild.

I have a borescope. The throat is getting pretty long and the fire cracking is getting pretty bad. I think the barrel is just getting too the end, and i don't want it to completely go just before a hunt.

 

[WildRose]

take it apart true threads, bolt and abutments set cam timing install wyatts CFE9 have it chambered for the 195 and rock on!! its sleeper cartridge and moved them out a high rate of speed!

All good but it's also well worth considering seeing if it can just be set back and rechambered.

Whole lot less expensive and leaves less to chance vs starting over with a new barrel.

 

[mikea5232]

All good but it's also well worth considering seeing if it can just be set back and rechambered.

Whole lot less expensive and leaves less to chance vs starting over with a new barrel.

It's a factory sendaro that was set back and rechambered when it was new. I don't know if there is enough shank left to do it again. I bought the gun from a friend and that's what he had done to it right when it was new.

 

[IanCo]

A new barrel with a 7.5 or 8 twist would be good for some of the newer heavy bullets that have came out.

 

[Mram10us]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Don't think I'd recut threads or do much to the action if it already shoots 1/2moa. That is hard to do in the real world.

 

[J E Custom]

I would recommend re barreling it with a quality barrel, and at the same time blueprint the action based on the work you already have done and the rounds fired.

Depending on the weight class of bullets you intend to use I would pick a twist rate that would cover a bullet with a 20 grain spread both sides of that weight (140 to 160 if 150 was the wanted weight) this will allow for a wide range of bullet weights and stiles.

Be careful of the very fast twist on a 7 STW because they will push a Bullet to its limit quickly. I built a 31" barreled STW that could exceed 3800 ft/sec with a 140 and it was very hard on bullets over 3700 ft/sec so I had to go up to a 160 for the 1 in 9 twist to work. Smaller 7mm cartridges will work with fast twist if shooting heavy bullets (160+)
because of the obtainable velocity, but the 7 STW and the RUM don't have any problem
exceeding many bullets maximum velocities. For the STW I would recomend a 1 in 8 for the heaviest bullets and a 1 in 9 for medium weights.

Just My experances with the STW and the RUM in 7 mm.

J E CUSTOM

 

[mikea5232]

I would recommend re barreling it with a quality barrel, and at the same time blueprint the action based on the work you already have done and the rounds fired.

Depending on the weight class of bullets you intend to use I would pick a twist rate that would cover a bullet with a 20 grain spread both sides of that weight (140 to 160 if 150 was the wanted weight) this will allow for a wide range of bullet weights and stiles.

Be careful of the very fast twist on a 7 STW because they will push a Bullet to its limit quickly. I built a 31" barreled STW that could exceed 3800 ft/sec with a 140 and it was very hard on bullets over 3700 ft/sec so I had to go up to a 160 for the 1 in 9 twist to work. Smaller 7mm cartridges will work with fast twist if shooting heavy bullets (160+)
because of the obtainable velocity, but the 7 STW and the RUM don't have any problem
exceeding many bullets maximum velocities. For the STW I would recomend a 1 in 8 for the heaviest bullets and a 1 in 9 for medium weights.

Just My experances with the STW and the RUM in 7 mm.

J E CUSTOM

Thanks for sharing. Steve Hendry did the chambering. Don't know what is reputation was. But i couldn't tell you what blueprint work had been done or if any, but i would definitely have it checked out.

Im shooting 165s right now, and would probably say that's the lighter end of what I'd be shooting. I have a 7mag for lighter stuff.

And i hear you on the velocity of the case with bullets. I shot some 120s into some tiny tiny groups at 3950. But it wasn't worth the brass life.

 

[dougduey]

I put a new barrel on my 7STW about 2 years ago. Went with a carbon wrapped barrel by Carbon Six. 26" + brake and 1:8 twist. I replaced the hinged floorplate with a Wyatts Mag box that didn't require any inlettting (3.700" max COAL). I've been very happy with it. The rifle is a tack driver and I shoot an assortment 140-177 gr bullets. The only thing I would possibly do differently is go up in size on the Wyallts Mag box and have the stock inletted for it so I could seat the heavy bullets out longer. But, it's really not an issue. I still get 3500 fps with 140 gr bullets and a little under 3100 fps with the 177 gr bullets. It's a laser beam of death to any animal in its flight path