Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Really want one

Whats everyone's opinions on a 7mmstw for elk / mule and whitetail and antelope

Had two of them, but could never comr close to matching the published velocities so sold them both

Won't do anything my 7RM won't do. A whole lot of fuss and bother for limited gains IMO, especially for deer and antelope. Criminy, I can't remember the last time I used anything bigger than a .243 for those. Well, I've used a 45/70 but thats just for fun.

I played around with one about 13 or 14 years ago. Like Tuchodi, I never got the velocities that Layne Simpson apparently did. Essentially, I was using a lot more powder for very little significant gain.

Mine was originally a S/S Ruger No.1 with a 26" barrel, and I did load it to the gills--kicked like the proverbial mule! With some of the newer, slow-burning powders around today, your experience might be different...

I'd stick to something that is a little easier to get brass for.

If deer an antelope is more in the offering, I'd recomend a 25-06. Then load with the heaviest bullet and good construction ( Like Partition)you can buy for elk.

If elk are more the offering and you are set on a 7mm. Then go with a 7x57 or a.280. Both have enough ump for elk and then you can load lighter bullets for deer and antelope that will fly a bit flatter than a 30 cal if you are shooting longer distances.

If you have to have a magnum,then go with 7mm mag

Keep in mind that Layne was running his in 'wildcat' mode--add powder till you see pressure signs and drop a grain. Once the cartridge was SAAMI'ed and got put under the pressure gauge the mystique faded since the fabled velocities couldn't be reached within 65KPSI.

If you want one, get one!

I think I'd go with the 7mm RUM instead, though:

7mm STW vs 7mm RUM

Thumbs down as far as I'm concerned. Someone suggested a 7mm RUM instead and if I had to have a super-mag 7 that would be my choice as well.

But I don't need one as I have a 7mm RM and .280 instead. The .280 hasn't taken any elk or deer but I shot my 7mm RM for 20+ years with a load that was at or just a hair above .280 Rem levels and it killed elk just fine.

My advice would be to get a .264WM, .270, .280 or 7mm RM.

If you want an oddball, get a 6.5-06AI like I did and use necked up .25-06 brass. Then you can push 130g Scirocco II's (B.C. .571) past 3160fps with mild. Makes for a flat shooter that delivers over 2200fps/1460fpe at 600 yards.

I had a 7STW about 15 years ago. Shot fine, and great rifle, but hell on the shoulder and wallet both. it ate H1000 by the shovelful. Brass is pricey too. that said, it'll do the job if given the opportunity.

after drifting from caliber to caliber over my life, I now find myself hunting with the most boring danged caliber ever invented: 308 Win.

lots of chamberings will do the job. pick one you'll practice with a lot, and proceed.

Want and need are different. I'd go .270WCF, .280 or a 7 Rem. Mag.. I'd really look hard at the first two..................
Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

My #1 elk rife is a semi-custom 700 in 7STW. If you can locate some brass and you reload, its a hell of a hunting round. I've taken 3 elk with mine. I honestly don't notice the recoil over a 7RM or -06, maybe my stock just fits me well. I've got a nice cache of brass, hopefully the barrel lasts til they're used up.

It'll kill them for sure I had one and loaded for it,for about a year.

Picking nits here. It delivers the velocity but IME not much if any more than 7mm magnums a notch down in capacity like the Dakota, or Mashburn,(LRM,and Weatherby too but I never loaded for those) ,and seems to swallow more powder to do the same things.Seems as you go up in capacity in 7mm above those cases, you get less efficiency and burn more powder for little, if any, gain. This is something that was known a long time before Layne Simpson necked down the 8 Rem Mag case.


The STW seems to need a 26" barrel to do its stuff and I prefer a 24" barrel in a hunting rifle.With the brass issue being what it is, I'd pick something else. Admittedly this is looney stuff. No doubt the STW is a potent BG cartridge.

I really love the 7mm family and it caught my eye recently Ithat was between that 7rm or a 7rum

Surprised no one has mentioned the 28 Nosler. Available in factory rifles, factory ammo, responds well to reloading. I have two friends with custom STW's. I had to tune each of them over the summer for an upcoming elk hunt (a couple of years ago). I was warned by the gunsmith that built them that the STW has a rep for being finiky.. He was right. It took me most of the summer to dial em in, but after that they behaved well. Accuracy was 1/2" or better consistently and velocities were right where advertised. One got a 341 bull, the other tagged a 343 bull.

It's a fine round, but now if you want that kind of performance, I'd probably lean towards a 28.

If you get a 28, be sure to get a lifetime supply of brass too.

I agree. I also agree.....buy lots of brass.

I also had an STW.. Like Bob I had it for about a year.. Have a Weatherby now on a 700 action, and a 7 Rem. on a 700.. With the 140 Accubond, the leave the .270 and .280 in the dust. If you are shooting less than 300 yards it really doesn't matter.. My pick would be a custom barrel 7 Wea. on a 700 action.. Shilen makes one with a shorter freebore I believe.. It will accept factory ammo, but it is not as long as the std. free bore.. It is a simple task to run Rem. brass through a Wea. die and have a Wea. case formed.. I really think the Wea. 7 is a highly under rated rifle.

I had one and liked it but when I built it I built it a little heavy. Never could get the velocities out of it that everyone else did but I'm not into redlining things anyways. Now built a lightweight 7mm mashburn and basically get the same velocities that I got with the STW

I have one, a Win 70 classic stainless. I bought it about 2004 or so. I'd say it kicks about like a 300 Win Mag.

I use a 160 Nosler AB at about 3200.

If I were to build today, I'd go 7mm Weatherby. Similar velocity, available brass, and burns less powder.

Seriously, try to find brass before you do anything. Might change your mind.

I had and used one for a few years effective round but it really doesn't offer much more than a properly loaded 7MM Mag.
Heavier rifle, longer barrel, more recoil and blast.

Just not worth it IMOP.

Lefty C

I never really understood this argument. Unless you build the rifle with a heavier contour, longer barrel, or heavier stock, a rifle in 7mmSTW does not equate to a heavier rig than one built in 7mm Rem Mag / 7mm Weatherby.

I see this tossed around usually by the people that eschew "magnum" cartridges and among the myriad of reasons they claim the rifles are heavier. A sporter chambered in .280 Rem will weigh the same as an identically outfitted sporter in 7mm Rem Mag (identical stock and barrel length/contour). The only difference in the same sporter chambered in 7mmSTW is the magazine doesn't have a block and the follower is full length to allow for the 3.6" COL vs 3.34"

Yep. My dad has an identical 70 classic stainless 7mm Rem Mag to my STW. Technically, mine is lighter because more of the barrel is cut out for the chamber. If we want to get really gacky about it.

Definitely not heavier though.

Quite often rifle manufacturers use a heavier and longer barrel contour on their magnum rifles. For instance, a Ruger 7mm Rem Mag will use their magnum barrel contour, whereas a 280 will have their sporter contour. The mag contour is 2" longer and something like a half pound heavier.

Isn't Ruger's action too short to chamber the STW? The only rifle I am aware that Ruger has chambered the STW for is the Number 1...and that was in a 1B (or 1V), in either case, the 1B uses the same contour for ALL of its chamberings whether .22 Hornet or a .338WM.

It is. I was just using the Ruger as an example of the difference in barrel contours. Winchester and Remington often do the same sort of thing - buy a "standard" chambered rifle such as a 270, 280, or '06, and you are likely to get a different barrel contour than when buying a magnum rifle. This certainly isn't a hard and fast rule, as models differ, but is often the case.

My STW started life as a WalMart variety 7RM black Shadow version. 26 in tube and a tupperware stock.
Had it reamed to STW and bedded it in a Boyd's classic.
I'm limited to 3.590 to get it to feed from the mag.
Launches 160 partitions at 3320 on top of 88 grs of WC872.
Never shot any other bullets through it.

I would look at the .28 Nosler. Shorter case length so you can seat the bullets out, plus same or better performance as the RUM with less powder...

Tony.

I hear a lot of brass worries. A few years back when I had one brass was easily available. I used factory made 7STW and 8mm Mag brass. Always seemed like the 8mm brass shot better, not sure why.

Mine was an impulse buy and when boredom took over and I found I really didn't need it I went back to a 7mm remmy and a 280rem.

I do have a good friend who has made some amazingly long shots with his. He dedicates much time and effort to get to this level, I didn't. I do however spend enough practice time with my .284 bores to feel very confident on any critter within 500 yards, my buddy can pretty much double that.

Just having the gun doesn't make you a long range killer of beasts.

the simple truth is that we have old calibers, 50 years old or more, that will nicely handle anything we want to shoot. If just hunting is your goal, there's no need at all for the newer calibers.
However, Americans are innovators and there's always a desire for something new. While the 7mm STW won't kill anything any deader than an old caliber, there's nothing wrong with it at all. If you want one, get it and enjoy.

Well I have three 7stw . I have had one before it was a production rifle or ammo. I have never had problems reaching published data . I have exceeded it with ease . Trick is to match bullet with twist and then the right powder and primer . Yes you can load the 7rm to match factory STW velocity but you can far exceed the 7 Rm with hand loads
Just like the 300 wsm can match 300 win mag but the 300 win can be hand loaded hotter. Barrel length does play a big part. With that said two of my stw have 26" barrels but I have a win with a 24" barrel that will launch a 140 gn nosler bt at 3400 fps in a .420 group and no pressure signs.
I own all the calibers mentioned and handload for all of them . Get what you want you will never be happy if you don't .

true dat....

I also thought Ruger used a "standard magnum" contour for the 7mm Rem Mag, as the same as the 300 Win & 338 Win Mags.
But, I have newer versions of their Hawyeye SS rifles in 7mm Rem, 300 Win, and 338 Win; and the 7mm Rem Mag has a significantly slimmer contour than the 300 & 338.
Long ago, I once owned a blued/walnut M77 tang safety and it too had a slimmer contour, but thought at that time it was some type of "special run". At that time, I do not recall seeing another with a "non-standard' Contour. And recall others remarking on the slender barrel of this rifle.




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