Can't decide between these three rounds. They will be used for deer and antelope mainly and once a year elk hunting trip. Lets hear the good and the bad on these three.

You describe only 2 calibers you are looking at. Both 7mms are the same caliber, 7mm.

7mm STW would be the easy road for a cartridge choice.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3584822/1


DAVE

Just do a 7 Mag....

We don't need another [bleep]' mashburn thread.......

Hands down 7mm STW with a 26" tube....

Better yet.....

Pick the bullet/bullets you want to shoot.....

Pick the velocity you want to run them at....

Pick a cartridge that will let you do it w/o gut busting pressures.....

Pretty simple.......really........

+1, btw, I'd run a simple 7RM and be very content if I needed reach.

Not much you can't touch/kill w/one properly loaded and aimed.

A WSM will match, but the old RM has few flies inc. feeding.

Re: STW's...I just see little 'NEED' nor 'Want' for a barrel burning small bore for how I hunt.

Lastly, I like the 264 WM, but feel it's 'same/same' w/o running numbers head to head, as the 7RM will run high bc bullets at good speed, similar recoil/bore life/accuracy and a larger capacity round may well be more efficient due to expansion ratio. Yet if you like 6.5s as I do, a 264 WM will do fine work...just as the 7RM

Confused...don't be, K.I.S.S. IMHO.

The 2 7's you can do a rechamber of a factory offering if your on a budget. Otherwise for what you mentioned you could pretty much cover them all with a dime.

W

It's fun picking a cartridge or more and making it shoot.

To each his own on favorites. Those that you mention are not the most popular. Perhaps you want something special and of course handload?

As for my self I want to have rifles with reach. 7mm's are a favorite however I have an old .264, 30-06's and a 300 HH that are just about as good.

Since the rifle is as or more important to me than a specific cartridge I like the light weight, low felt recoil and operation of the Kimber 8400 WSM's and have them in 7mm and 270 WSM.

Those are what I am shooting most now. While I don't admire those belted cartridges some do.


http://www.winchesterguns.com/library/articles/detail.asp?id=45

Laker-any of the 3 will do you just fine. Though I've not worked with the 6.5/STW I gotta belive if twisted right it'd be a darn good one. Probably a bit tough on barrels if one's using it a lot...?

The STW's a good one if you wanna make life easy and or may wanna use factory ammo from time to time.

4 me, and this of course is no secret but I'd go with the Mashburn. Cases are easy to make and yet one gets to work with something a bit less than mainstream (of course it's popularity is growing... ;)). IMO it's the perfect round and does what it's paid to do quite well.

I find it interesting how many get their boxers in a bunch about the rounds growing popularity and yet most of those grund bunchers haven't done any work with a big 7 let alone fairly extensive work at long range. Go figure, people asserting opinions on the Fire about something they've no frickin experience with...!?

Laker if you wish, pm me your phone number and we can chat about this.

Shoot straight and hunt hard!

Dober

Laker one otha thing, I drive to Minne a few times a year, if you wish we could meet in Glendive one of these days and I could leave you with my old 700 while I was at the lake for a few days.

I could even leave you some brass and dies and you can load and FF some loads for me and see how easy it is...grin

Dober

As I do not have any axperience with the 6.5 STW or the 7mm Mashburn Super, I cannot give you real world feedback on them, other than either one would be super cool!

I do have quite a bit of experience with my 7mm STW on game with factory ammunition though.

Since I first stumbled across my rifle (LH Sako AV with MacLennan barrel and Fajen laminated stock) on the used rack in 1998, I have harvested about 30 head of big game with it...elk, moose, bighorn and stone sheep, mountain goat, pronghorn, whitetail and mule deer...ranging from 15 to 475 yards.

The rifle is very accurate (1" groups @ 300 yds), shoots flat and hits hard. It has never let me down, when I have done my part.

Because I have a good supply of the old Federal 160gr Sierra GK and Nosler AccuBond ammo for this rifle and it shoots both so well, I have only ever tried one handload (150gr Scirocco's and IMR 7828, but it did not shoot these loads well.

Brass is pretty much limited to Nosler in boxes of 25 pieces now, while the only ammo still available is the Remington 140gr Corelokt, Federal 160gr Trophy Bonded Tip and Nosler's 140gr Partition and 160gr AccuBond.

Since I prefer to use the 160gr bullets in this rifle, I have never tried the Remington load, and since we have never seen the Federal 160gr Trophy Bonded load here in Canada yet, I have not been able to try it yet. I do have the Nosler 160gr AccuBond load, but haven't had time to try it out yet. Too busy playing with my new 6.5 x 284 LOL!

To be honest, if this rifle had not been chambered to the STW, I would probably still be hunting with a 7mm Rem Mag, and been just as happy.

If I did not hunt in some areas where the shots can reach beyond 300 yards, I would be just as happy with my 280 Remington. But when some of those bigger, tougher critters (read elk) get out there beyond 300 yards, I do feel more comfortable with the extra reach and punch of the STW.

Of the other two, I would probably lean towards the 6.5 STW, just because I have the brass to neck down, and have some experience with the 6.5's (6.5 x 55, 6.5 Creedmoor and now the 6.5 x 284) and love the performance of the 140gr bullets on game.
I've taken moose, whitetail and stone sheep with the 6.5 x 55. A guy I know is absolutely loving his 6.5-300WSM.

I agree.........

About as much as we need another "[bleep]'" thread about uber velocities with 120 BT's from a 7/08

Amen to that or 6x42's with turrets....

Dober

Between the three rounds originally mentioned I doubt there is much practical difference in performance on game with proper bullet selection. The 7mm STW does have factory load status and that might be enough to tip the scales for me. I've got three STW's so I might be a little biased.

aalf: If you're gonna quote John....quote everything he said,including his followup comment..Not just what you "want" to prove a point.

You would think you'd be able to lug your own argument on a matter rather than depend on what John says...if you don't like to read something, put it on ignore.Surely, you can do better than that.....I think.

Last thing I'll do on here is consider being censored by you because you happen not to "approve" of a topic, or a cartridge that I happen to "like"............which, frankly, is none of your damn business...nor are your opinions on the matter of the slightest interest to me.

Have a great day and Happy Holiday Season to ya!

I would tend toward the MAshburn Super as I, too, am a 1) Velocity Whore and 2) Old cartridges / moldy wildcats nutball.

Then there is the fact that the round is a sound and solid performer on game

140gr TTSX's at 3200fps or so would kill stuff, and well.

Flight 150 TSX out of my Mashburn added this bull to the ark

Dober

C'mon that's BS. Everyone knows that elk was just well trained to lay down..

Yeah, I really got my bunz kicked when he decided it was time to beat feet...

Dober

Still can't believe you're getting people horned up over your pets that you "shot!"

Badazz bull though for real

The STW would be easiest for the OP...no forming and no wildcat "trouble",and will get the same vels.I guess brass can still be had for the STW....

SU 35 knows where to buy it. I have not looked.

If not,the STW can be formed from 8 Rem Mag or some others....but if you gotta form brass,then it is no longer as convenient as any other cartridge.

Nice thing about the Mashburn is you can form it from 300 Win Mag brass,which is easy to find everywhere.

Depending on the powders and bullets,sometimes charges will be a bit heavier than the Masburn...but really what one will do the other will do.

Have no clue on the 6.5 STW. never owned one....what it will do that the other two don't I have no idea.

Dober, if I had a trophy like that, whatever I killed it with I would have a plaque w/the empty case, and a dummy round.

Below it would say:

The 'BEST RIFLE Cartridge in the WORLD!!!'

So I can see your sentiment towards the Mash!

Nice Bull!

Like an angry black thunder cloud in the clear blue sky. LOL aalf!
Then the follow up rain of common sense.
Thanks for keeping this place interesting.
Not that I have anything against the three cartridges listed.

Bump^^^^^^^^4 Alf....

Dober

LMAO, we need some more Mashburn info... What was your favorite load under the 150 NBTs again?

7828 is what I've used

Dober

That is good stuff for many applications. Now that it is available in Super Short Cut variation I have used a couple gallons of it. Makes my 340 Tyrannosaur ROAR.

Yeah I've used 7828 a lot as well, it works in so many rounds and it does it's work very well. My 340 loved it, especially with the 250's.

Dober

I stoke the 300 Ackley with 7828, good stuff!

Man, 340s.....my shoulder is feeling it thinking about it! Lol.

For sure I'd choose a 7mm out of those three.

If factory labeled brass suits your fancy, then the STW.
If you like the slightly esoteric, then the MSM.
If you have less time but want good performance, then the RM.
If you need a shorter rifle, then the WSM.