7mm STW barnes

well i have my STW now just need to figure out a load.

have any of you out there used any of the new barnes TSX bullets in your STW. have you tried diffrent bullet weights? diffrent powders.

i quess the new barnes manual isn't out till close to end of year and i need to get this rifle up and running. would prefer to be able to use new TSX otherwise need to find a couple hundred XBT before they are all gone. based on manual #3 using XBT i would use a 150gr. should be able to go almost as fast as the 140gr however with the higher BC and similar velocity it has better tragetory and more power down range.

your help is greatly appreciated

wthby

I use 140's in my STW and use 82 gr of RL 22. IT goes fast and I have shot a lot of criiters out past 500 yards with it. It shoots flat and wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything in North America with it.

I too shoot an STW and was just curious nube where you have yours sighted in at.

nube,

do you use the XBT or the TSX.

sheep hunter

i would think based roughly on 3300 fps that should zero to 250 yds which would put you 2 high at 100, 1.5 at 200, -3 at 300 and 12 low at 400

wthby

I actually sight mine 3" high at 100 but still don't feel comfortable at 500 yards except under the most ideal of shots and even then you are talking a lot of drop. That's why I was curious where nube sighted his...I was wondering if it was zeroed at 500 and he used it strictly as a long-range shooter.

Don't make this something it isn't. We all miss at one time or another.

(Close is not good enough for me. Either I know exactly where the bullet will hit or I don't take the shot)

Damn that must be nice,, I wish I could make that claim... I think we have all had bullets hit where we did not expect them to go,, and like said I think if you pack a gun long enough you will miss from time to time..

Not saying that I make every shot and that human error doesn't come into play but I think one of the dangers of these fast calibres is that people think they can take these extreme-range shots without knowing the ballistics and downrange performance.

If I miss it's because I screwed up but I'll guarantee that before I took the shot I knew exactly where that bullet was going to hit sans the human factor. I guess I was pointing out that unless zeroed for 500 yards, the 7STW is not really a 500 yards gun and when zeroed at 200-250 yards, it's definitely not a 500 yards gun.

Do you know exactly where that bullet will hit at over 500 yards with your 250 yard zero nube?

If you have yours at 3 inches high I would say you might shoot too high at 200. I shoot at 3487fps. I have mine hitting 2.5 high at 100. I have found that I miss a few coyotes now and then at ranges under 200 because it is shooting high. At 300 it is right on and at 400 it only drops around 10 inces if I remember correctly. If you know the range you are shooting at then it is easier to be able to make the long shots. At least if you miss you are very close. I use theTSX bullet and have great luck with it.

At least if you miss you are very close.

Unfortunately, this can result in many wounded animals which is what I was getting at when you said you shot many animals at over 500 yards. Close is not good enough for me. Either I know exactly where the bullet will hit or I don't take the shot. Do do otherwise is most certainly unethical.

7STW not a 500 yard gun??!!! T.J you need to get out more. For a hunting rifle and shooting long range it is a great gun. Kicks butt on my 300 win anyday. It has helped me a lot more at killing at long range than I did before. Anytime I miss it is human error and not the gun. I do know where It shoots up to 600 yards and it is taped to the stock of my gun. With my new BRF rangefinder binoculars that will tell me the exact range of something it is a deadly thing. I have no problems taking a 500 yard shot at something. I know my ballistics and downrange performance. I haven't lost an animal yet at that range.
Anyways we a highjacking someones post here and there is no reason to play Mr tuff guy and put down eachothers ways of doing things. If you want to sneak up to something and shoot it at 50 yards hae at her. I like my long shots, feel comfortable doing it and have a blast when I know I can do it because it gives me a lot more opportunity to harvest some good critters. Like my last antelope that was ranged at 507 yards. It was nice when I didn't have to hold much over the back to nock him on his arse.
Back to the main topic here. I have seen people load an 7mmSTW up to 3550fps and a 140 gr bullet and think that is a fast flat gun. I think Stubblejumper and maybe it was Prairie Boy on this site shoot this round and have a lot of knowledge about it.

Easy buddy. Please read my posts again. I never said it wasn't a 500 yard gun and I wasn't hijacking anything. I was just pointing out that because it has the speed to shoot long range doesn't mean it's a long range gun in all hands. And I never said it wasn't in your hands. I was just asking a question and making a generalization about most shooters. I wasn't trying to be tough at all. Personally, I'd consider 30 inches a lot of hold over but that's just me. In my books that is not a shot I'd take, at least not without some kind of a bullet drop compensator reticle.

I like my long-range shots too. That's why I own a 7STW and a .264 mag.

Sheesh, everyone is touchy on this board this week.

I am only neck sizing. Be carefull if someone else is shooting your loads this way. They might not be able to take your shells. Mine are loaded hot. I shoot a Blaser rifle so it can take it. I only have a 25.5 inch barrel so if you have longer it may help a little. With the Barnes tsx it says you can load 2 grains over max and still have the same pressures so look at your book first and figure out where to start an work up to a load. Try different powders as well to see what works. It will also take a bit of tuning to find the sweet spot on seating the bullet. Mine shoots half inch groups at 100 yards which I think is great. I use RL22 for powder and I think they are at 82 grs but the max in my book calls for 80 grs. Like I said start off lower and work up watching for pressure signs and then back it off some. Good luck and I hope that you find what works best for you.
You can do a search at here as well. Lots of info.
forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/ubb.x

looks like another storm has come over the mountains... :lol

I heard that the STW does really well with H1000 powder. I've known a few poeple that shoot the 1000 ys targets and swear by that propellant.

On another note, I see what TJ is saying here. I myself shoot the longer ranges and only do so because i have set up my equipement to do so.A custom rifle and and scope with target knobs on it with all of the ranges marked on it. When shooting these ranges out in the field it takes only seconds to adjust the turrets for the exact drop. It is tried and tested throughout the summer before ever getting in the field. The hold over is very hard to do because of all the variables. (Is every animal exactly the same size; deer... i've shot big bodied and small bodied but at long range it's hard to tell what 6 inches is.)

I also feel that unless a rifle shoots sub moa groups, it should not be shot for long range hunting.

Each to their own though... right.

Shooter

it's definitely not a 500 yards gun.

Well if you didn't say it I must not be able to read because I thought that is what it said at the last sentence of the second paragraph.
At 500 yards I think my shot is holding 16 inches over the back (for a deer) but I would have to look at my gun again to see if that is what it is or not.
This is a hunting rifle.I do not expect to dial in like a target shooter and hit a 3inch square at 500- 600 yards everytime but for me and what I do it works. I don't hit everything I shoot at for sure but so far I haven't wounded anything and I have been able to shoot more critters because I have more confidence at longer distance.

nube, don't grab a small portion of a sentence and use it out of context to fit your needs. I never said that a 7STW was not a 500 yard gun. It is indeed a 500 yard gun but only when zeroed at 500 yards. I think you can read but you skipped over a very important part of what I was saying. Read the entire paragraph.

So where does a 16 inch hold over put your bullet in the deer?

I can't tell you right now but you can use this to help you out and giveyou a rough Idea
www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

everything else aside thank-you for the info. i think unless of course someone else has something else i will replicate your load nube and see how my sako digests them. other than that i believe it should be kicking out ME of about 3800 ft/lbs with well over 2000 ft/lbs at 500 yds. basically its gonna shoot fast, and hit hard, even at a distance.

what type of groupings are you getting. when i build mine i will probably build about four diffrent loads with 1 grain between to find the sweet spot.

wthby

nube, I know where mine hits! I don't think that link will tell me where yours hits. Anyhow, sorry wthby....the 7STW is an awesome caliber that I'm certain you will thoroughly enjoy it. In the right hands, with the right knowledge and equipment, it is indeed a very adept long-rang range caliber. Look at putting one of the bullet drop type scopes on it and I have no doubt 500 yard shots are more than possible.

nube,

one other thing. are you neck sizing or full length sizing your casings. are you using rcbs or some thing else. sorry for all the questions but no room for error here.

wthby

Hey nube, sorry if you took this as an attack against you as it wasn't but it always concerns me when people have a seemingly cavalier attitude about long range shots. They are anything but routine and in fact should be attempted by very few. Not to say they can't be ethically taken but from what I've seen and heard about most long range, ethical is not a word I'd use to describe them.

No hard feelings at all. I totaly agree with you on most peoples Idea of shooting long range. For most a 300 yard shot is far. For those that have had the practice and hunting time in a 400-500 yard shot is not all that bad if you know what you are doing. I am not an average hunter I don't think and have been around even in my young age to know what I am doing. I don't shoot a Blaser and have expensive gear to go hunting on the weekends. I hunt with some very very good hunters who I would consider elite and have been taught from a people with a lot of knowledge. We all have different standards. I sometimes come across the wrong way and I wasn't trying to stir things up.
Have a good day. It's going to be a cold one tonight from what I hear.

hey nube i wonder if i fit the bill for the elite hunter??? lol i would say 120-150 gr barnes would work extremely good out if any STW

With that 553 yard coyote you smoked last time we werer out I would say you are on board.

lol sounds good

Hey Nube
Just not sure if you have your facts strait. Your quote" Kicks butt on my 300 win anyday. If your shooting a 140 gr or what ever and it coming out of that gun at even if you say 3500 how can you make the claims, that you have . I loaded just about all cals and over 25 years. You lay claim to a statement that your STW kicks butt anyday well maybe your using different loading data then everyone else. At 400 yard your bullet drop is 13.9" not 10" and at 500 it drops 28.1" For years my main shooter was the 300win with 81gr of IMR 7828 with the 180gr Nozler Partition velcity was 3180 through the graph. At 400 yards it dropped 16.3" and 35.3 at 500 wow your STW sounds like it's winning but anyone that knows loading knows it the energy that counts at 400 yards your STW again at 3500 it down to 2234 ft-lbs and at 500 yard down to 1940 ft-lbs my old 300win at 400 2377 and at 500 its 2055 I think before you say something you better check out your facts. No problem you love your gun just have your facts strait. Food for thought it your gun do what ever you want and who cares what everyone else thinks.

Happy Hunting.

From the loading manual I have it says that a 300 win can push a 180gr bullet at3019 fps with the max load of Imr 7828 76 grs. If you are shooting 81 grs of powder instead you might be getting the speeds you quoted but I would think it is a little tough on a gun at 5 grs of powder over the max load.
Lets compare apple to apples in bullet weights and powders.

7mm stw 300win
140gr 140gr
Imr 7828 IMR 7828
3473 fps 3340fps

SIGHTED IN AT O AT 250yards for 400, 500, 600 yards

-10.59 -12.99
-23.69 -29.38
-42.52 -53.43
Energy at 500 and 600 yards
1888 1415
1622 1167

Now with all that info which is right out of the book I see a big difference. All info is comparing equally and from that I can see why I prefer my STW over a 300 win. Either way it doesn't matter what others think. It's my gun and I think it does a better job than my 300 and see a huge difference. Have a good day

Hey Nube that's great. Have you ever worked up a load on any of your guns. Just a question. Do you know why most loading books have a max load. If not it is to protect them and you from blowing off. Even the max load in a book is well under the factory spects foryour rifle. Long ago I picked up a Serria loading book that stated this fact. They also gave the max load and then their max factory load. If you know how to work up a load and know what to look for in the pressure department you maybe surprised on just what a rifle can do.
Happy hunting.

Ok. you fellows seem to know what you are talking about.
(I dont)

What would you charge a fellow to work up a load, test it and continue to load? I have 2-4 guys that have the same gun and are interested in getting someone to load shells for them.
They all are 300RUM. (If this is to many to do, we could just do mine and forgett them:b :b :b )

Thanks
Jamie

Highbackpacker-That is exactly why I quoted it from the book so the two guns were on the same playing field. I know all about pressure signs and length of barrell to get more velocity and different bun rates and yada yada yada. The fact is when the playing field is the same the STW shoots flatter and to me seems like it is a better rifle to shoot at those long distances than a 300 win.
Jamie, the thing is with working up loads is that most guns are different and handle certain loads better than others. You could have handloads for one rifle that shoot good groups and can handle the pressures given to it just fine and then use the same shells in another gun and it wouldn't be able to get as good results.

Here is a forum that may interest some as well
longrangehunting.com/ubbt....php?Cat=0