The 7mm STW came out with a fanfare of trumpets, but it soon faded away, and today sees only limited use. However, I recently read an article by Layne Simpson in the American Rifleman which rekindled my interest in this 7mm Super Magnum. In fact, I’m thinking about having my Remington Model 700 rebarreled for it. I know you had a 7mm STW a few years ago, so I’d appreciate your honest opinion of it. Are the published velocities really attainable? What barrel length? What rifling twist? Your honest evaluation of the cartridge? Is it really the ultimate 7mm Magnum?
Rick Hanson
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A: Back when I had a 7mm STW I took it to the Gulf country where I used it on pigs, scrub bulls and rusa deer at some very long ranges. I must say that it did impress me as being superior to the 7mm Rem. Mag., but I eventually sold it. I already knew of a number of other rifles in 7mm STW that had burned their barrels out in about 600 rounds and concluded that it was no cartridge for the man who does a lot of shooting. When loaded with a ballistically efficient 160gn bullet of stout construction, it would be an ideal choice for the trophy hunter who would be unlikely to fire that many shots in his lifetime. The velocities listed by Layne Simpson in his recent article for a 610mm barrel coincide very closely with what I got from my rifle using Re-22, but we didn’t have Re-25 back then and that is the powder I’d be trying today. I find 650mm barrels a trifle unwieldy and so I was content to settle for a 610mm barrel with a 1:10″ twist. All things considered,if you want the ultimate 7mm Magnum than I suggest you consider the 7mm Remington Ultra Mag.
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