7 stw

[light rain]

Hey guys sorry for all the questions this week.
I have a 7 stw I just got. I think I figured out fireforming the brass. The load that was recommended to me was like 89 grains of imr 7828 and a 150 nosler ballistic tip. My only problem with the nosler is its bc is so low compared to today's bullets. But my barrel is a 1-10 twist. Can I shoot the 162 a max? Or the 168 smk ? Or should I shoot the ballistic tip at 3400 fps?

 

[Gary in MD]

I hope you mean 79 grains !!

Gary

 

[light rain]

I hope you mean 79 grains !!

Gary

Yes sorry 79 grains. It's hard to type this on a phone.

 

[Gary in MD]

I usually load the 140 grain Ballistic tips @ 3410+- with RL22 or 7828 for deer hunting. Not a super high BC but I don't think it matters unless you are planning on shooting past 500 yards (which I haven't) with this load. It smacks the deer pretty good! I have also shot the 150 grain Ballistic tip and the 150 grain Sierra BT @ 3350 fps. I used the 150 grain Scirroco (spelling?) on an elk and mule deer, it worked perfect.
IMR 7828 should work well for you in this bullet weight class but you may have to go to a slower powder for the heavier bullets.
Gary

 

[WSM01]

Berger book says 1:10" twist is good for their 168 VLD....hunting or target.
Hornady's match bullet shows a slightly less BC so should work as well...I don't see the Amax listed in Hornadys new catalog ??
May have been replaced by the new ELD X or ELD match

 

[light rain]

Berger book says 1:10" twist is good for their 168 VLD....hunting or target.
Hornady's match bullet shows a slightly less BC so should work as well...I don't see the Amax listed in Hornadys new catalog ??
May have been replaced by the new ELD X or ELD match

Yes I hear the new eld replaces the a max but I am not sure. I have 400 of the 162 a max but am not sure they will work in a 1-10.

 

[tclaunch]

They will work.

 

[dkhunt14]

It would help if we knew what your intentions are. Hunting? Longrange target and how far you wan to shoot. More info would really help. Matt

 

[light rain]

It would help if we knew what your intentions are. Hunting? Longrange target and how far you wan to shoot. More info would really help. Matt

Matt, thanks for replying. I want to shoot it long range hunting. It will be mainly my whitetail, antlope, and mule deer rifle, may dabble in an elk but I have a 30 hart and 338 rum for that. I have read a lot that the 162 a max will open and is a good hunting bullet.

 

[dkhunt14]

Matt, thanks for replying. I want to shoot it long range hunting. It will be mainly my whitetail, antlope, and mule deer rifle, may dabble in an elk but I have a 30 hart and 338 rum for that. I have read a lot that the 162 a max will open and is a good hunting bullet.

Yes that is supposed to be good. I wouldn't be afraid to shoot a 168 Berger VLD hunting bullet.

 

[AckleymanII]

Matt, thanks for replying. I want to shoot it long range hunting. It will be mainly my whitetail, antlope, and mule deer rifle, may dabble in an elk but I have a 30 hart and 338 rum for that. I have read a lot that the 162 a max will open and is a good hunting bullet.

I have had 4 custom 7 STW's, and two Remington Sendero's that I had the barrel set back with a zero freebore match reamer that I had PTG grind. The 7 STW has to be the most under loaded cartridge I have ever seen. From my experience, the 162g SST is magic with 7828 with a fed 215, velocity is around 3150 at the accuracy node. The 162g SST is an easy bullet to get to shoot very tiny groups with. Start off by touching the lands, then a .005 jam to see what works the best. 162g A max is touchy on seating depth, and why shoot it when the 162g SST was shooting 3/8" groups?

With R#22 and fed 215's and the 120g tipped triple shock or the Nolser Ballistic tip, 3800-3850 is the accuracy node, and the groups are very small often three shot groups are less than .250 if you have the scope. Accuracy node is wide with R#22 adn the 120g between 82-86g.

I have a 8-32x Black Diamond on my 7 STW.

 

[FeMan]

I shoot 150 TTSX's at 3400 with IMR 7828 and 168 hunting VLD's at 3150 with H1000 in mine. Accuracy is extremely good. Unless I was sure the target was long way out there, I would not select a ballistic tip at 3400 for fear of too much blood shot.

 

[AckleymanII]

We have killed 50+ deer with the 140g Nosler Win Combined technology bullet at 3550, never a runner, never lost a deer, just dead right there kills. Killed one in Kansas at 550 yards that weighed 360 lbs, which is no where near a state record for Kansas. That deer flopped at the bullet impact with the 140g Nosler combined technology bullet. We used the same load with the Barnes Tipped triple shock, with massive internal damage on the deer but they ran 50% of the time for 50-70 yards.

The 120g Barnes tipped triple shock with R#22 at 3800 shoots groups in the .300 area or less for three shot groups, multiple rifles. If you can find any of the old Nosler lead tip Solid base, they drop deer like an anvil and are just as accurate with no surface detonations. This speed helps a lot on the leade of running deer, not to mention as flat shooting as a 220 Swift. Our reamer has zero freebore that we shoot the 120-140g bullets. Brother's 11 twist Pac Nor super match three groove barrel shoots the 140g Nosler C/T bullet at 3700 into very very tiny groups. Hard to believe just how much this 11Twist three groove lowers the pressure from the 9 Twist, 6 Grooove barrels, comparing a Hart 27" six groove vs a Pac Nor 27" three groove.

This is an amazing cartridge.

 

[XTR]

You may want to read some more accounts on the 162 Amax before you try to use it as a hunting round in that cannon. Everything I've seen on the amax is that it will do great at low velocities, but it will detonate like a varmint round if you hit with it still running 2800FPS.

I'd look at the 140 or 150 accubonds, esp with a 1:10, they will give good results and hold together and not grenade if you hit something at 3000FPS.

 

[drags]

We have killed 50+ deer with the 140g Nosler Win Combined technology bullet at 3550, never a runner, never lost a deer, just dead right there kills. Killed one in Kansas at 550 yards that weighed 360 lbs, which is no where near a state record for Kansas. That deer flopped at the bullet impact with the 140g Nosler combined technology bullet. We used the same load with the Barnes Tipped triple shock, with massive internal damage on the deer but they ran 50% of the time for 50-70 yards.

The 120g Barnes tipped triple shock with R#22 at 3800 shoots groups in the .300 area or less for three shot groups, multiple rifles. If you can find any of the old Nosler lead tip Solid base, they drop deer like an anvil and are just as accurate with no surface detonations. This speed helps a lot on the leade of running deer, not to mention as flat shooting as a 220 Swift. Our reamer has zero freebore that we shoot the 120-140g bullets. Brother's 11 twist Pac Nor super match three groove barrel shoots the 140g Nosler C/T bullet at 3700 into very very tiny groups. Hard to believe just how much this 11Twist three groove lowers the pressure from the 9 Twist, 6 Grooove barrels, comparing a Hart 27" six groove vs a Pac Nor 27" three groove.

This is an amazing cartridge.

Hi Ackleyman II what is your farthest kill using the 140 and 120 gr. bullets on deer? Have you tried the Nosler 120 gr BT on deer in the STW?
Joe

 

[tclaunch]

I just recieved a Bartlein special order in the newer "magnum" contour, I had them make me a 7mm 4 groove with a 1 in 11" twist. This blank will finish 26". I have access to a friends 7 STW reamer, I ordered it for him with zero freebore from JGS. I also have a Henriksen 7mm/300WM reamer, which is a very good round as well, and I happen to have a LOT of once fired brass. The load for my 7mm/300WM is 75 grains RL25 with 160 Nosler Accubond, it chronographs 3225 fps and is very magazine friendly in the 3.7" Remington box. I also have 3 or 4 bags virgin Winchester STW brass hoarded.

Love the STW, have had 3 Senderos and built my buddys custom on a BRUX, trying to decide which way to go!!!

Years ago, I had Jim Borden build me 2 280 AI first was a #4 Hart and 2nd was a #5 Hart with 1 in 12" twist, sold #1 and loved shooting 140`s in that 12 twist. Killed my first antelope with that rifle. 63.5 grains N165 with 140 Nosler BT chronoed 3206 and gave extremely long case life. Shot multiple 1/2" 5 shot groups @ 100