7MM STW vs 7MM Rem Mag

[firstshot]

I don't hardly ever see anyone talking about the 7MM STW, yet it seems to have better ballistics than the 7MM Rem Mag.

What is the 7MM STW?  How does is compare to the 7MM Rem Mag & 7MM Rem Ultra Mag?  And why don't you ever see anyone talking about it?

Thanks
firstshot
--------------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

[Yukon Jack]

The STW is the 8mm Rem Mag case (a blown out and "improved" 300 H&H or 375 H&H case) necked down to 7mm.

Faster than the 7mm Rem Mag, probably very close the RUM.

[Lawdog]

firstshot,

I don't hardly ever see anyone talking about the 7MM STW, yet it seems to have better ballistics than the 7MM Rem Mag.

Why do you believe the ballistics are better?  More velocity or what?  Lawdog
 

[Magnanova1]

I would think it would have better ballistics, it was originally built for long range shooting, I believe it was for silhouettes. I may have spelled that incorrectly, anyway, I believe that the sharper shoulders help with the accuracy, while the extra powder capacity would help with range and velocity. Doesn't STW stand for Shooting Times West(erner), or something like that?

[Rogue Ram]

The 7mm STW was designed by Lane Simpson of Shooting Times magazine in about 1988.  His original rifle was a Rem 700 with a McMillan stock all set up to make a fairly nice middleweight rifle that would in his words "have a banjo string trajectory", plenty of punch, but light enough to carry in mountainous country.  I don't own a 7 STW but followed it quite a bit over the years.  The round is loaded way down and the reloading books don't load it near its true potential, I assume for liability purposes.  When loaded to its true potential if memory serves correctly it outclasses the 7 mag and the 7 Weatherby.

RR

[firstshot]

firstshot,

I don't hardly ever see anyone talking about the 7MM STW, yet it seems to have better ballistics than the 7MM Rem Mag.

Why do you believe the ballistics are better?  More velocity or what?  Lawdog
 

Basically "all of the above".  I was just checking out the ballistic comparisons of the factory Remington ammo at their "Ballistics Comparison" site.  (see URL below) and comparing the 140Grn Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokts for the STW & Rem Mag, the STW was faster, had more energy, and was flatter than the Rem Mag.

Just wondering why you don't hear much about this round in the forums.

http://www.remington.com/NR/exeres/000014d2dhzaqbajqdgkipen/RemArms+Product+Group.asp?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fammo%2fballistics%2fballistics%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7b4F84126C-5E11-4B1F-89E6-95AB18499B6A%7d&NRQUERYTERMINATOR=1&cookie%5Ftest=1


firstshot
---------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

[tbmaker]

I have one in a Savage 116 Weather Warrior. It was the last time Savage offered this cartridge, they switched to the 7 RUM.
The 7 STW is a specialty round. It's not a common chambering, Remington and Winchester are the only ones left.
It's expensive to shoot factory loads, but it does carry a nice variety of loads.
It's borderline over bore, alot of powder for a small hole. Kicks like a mule in a lighter rifle, put a Decelarator pad on mine.
Better than the 7 Rem Mag is up to the shooter. For me it is.
2" high at 100 puts it 12" low at 400, thats flat.
It fits a specific niche for me. If I was looking for more of utalitarian rifle it would of been the Rem mag.

[Florida Jim]

I've got a "Beanfield" rifle in 7mmSTW with a 26" Hart barrel, Left hand 700 action, and McMillan stock. I think Rogue ram is right about the manuals. I've worked up some loads that are slightly above "Noslers" recommendations. I use a 160 accubond, with H1000 powder. I think Layne Simpson created a winner with this round.
I haven't had a chance to hunt with this rifle yet, but at the range it's a tack driver at 300, or 400 yards.

[leverfan]

The round is loaded way down and the reloading books don't load it near its true potential, I assume for liability purposes.  When loaded to its true potential if memory serves correctly it outclasses the 7 mag and the 7 Weatherby.

RR

By "true potential," I'm guessing that you mean the velocities that Simpson claimed with his early development loads.  Once those loads were tested in pressure guns, it was found that the top loads exceeded what SAAMI considers safe in a rifle.  We're talking well over 65,000 psi, in some loads.  

Like most wildcats, careful pressure testing tames it down from the original claims.  I'm sure that Simpson's handloads were safe in the rifle(s) that he tested them in, but they would be hard on brass and overpressure in most production guns.  Good luck to you fellows that are exceeding the loads in the manuals for a few extra fps.

[tbmaker]

Yes, I think the factory stuff moves along just fine in my gun.

[riddleofsteel]

Several problems exist with the 7mm STW. One is that in some rifles the velocities Layne Simpson was able to obtain are not reachable at a sane pressure level. Two is that factory ammo for this cartridge is loaded down considerably to avoid pressure spikes in these rifles.
In one rifle I had in STW I was unable to reach anywhere near the posted speeds before I started getting brass failures. In the second STW rifle I tried it shot factory ammo fine, abeit somewhat down loaded. When I started reloading for it I found it reached what I considered max pressure signs a pretty good while before I was beyond what my 7mm Weatherby Mag was producing with the same bullet weights. Of course the Weatherby is free bored some so I guess that made the difference.

[Varmint Hunter]

My 7STW will easily shoot 140gr bullets @ 3,400 ft/sec. Show me a 7mm mag that can (safely) do that.

Using RE25 I have fired the 140's @ 3,577 ft/sec but the load was HOT.

Basically, whatever the 7mm mag can do, the 7STW can do at 100 yards farther. It's a great cartridge in an accurate rifle.

VH