hey everyone I have some questions about my stw. I am loading for a ruger no.1 with 26" barrel. My load consists of 160gr accubond with 80gr of H-1000 and fed 215M primers , the bullet is seated .020" from the lands. My problem is i can't touch 3200fps like I want to with this load. I am already getting flattened primers. I don't know how to measure case head expansion so I don't know about that. My velocity was around 3090fps. I have bought some RL-22 but I don't know were to start with this powder. Should I try a different primer or what here. My brass is winchester brass also if that helps. help me out here people..

loads to get to max pressures are different in every rifle, and you do need to change something. Like you noticed flattened primers means youre done with H1000. Although not the same bullet, the swift manual shows a starting load of 73.0gr RL 22 with the 160gr A Frame. you could start 10% under 73.0 and work your way up. BTW the max for the swift was 78.5gr

http://www.reloadersnest.com/query_bl.asp?CaliberID=44&...et=Nosler%20AccuBond

http://www.reloadersnest.com/query_pw.asp?CaliberID=44&...iant%20Reloader%2022

http://www.reloadersnest.com/query_pw.asp?CaliberID=44&Powder=Hodgdon%20H1000

BTW I have never had the opportunity to try any of the loads in this site, so work up to a posted load(but you knew that already, right?).

I have found with a STW that with 140 gr Bullets 3400 is easy to obtain, but as the bullets get longer the increase in velocity over a 7mm Rem Mag shrinks. This was done by starting with a Remington ADl in 7 Mag loading 140 gr BT, 160 NPT, and 175 NPT. Then rechambering the barrel and working through the progression again. With 175 gr the difference was 100 fps, the slowest powder used was H-1000, maybe some of the 50MG powders might help the 160-175 gr bullets a bit though. One thing to note that in this experiment the barrel was 24 in., but I not covinced that 26 in would make that much difference in the trend.

I have 7mm Lilja barrel that is going to be installed on the rifle this spring and I will probably chamber it in STW, the only reason being that 90% of my big game hunting is for deer and the extra velocity over a 400 acre Oat Field or down a Pipeline rightaway may come in handy with 140 gr bullets. Also if you will read through the threads here, Stubblejumper and others are slaying Elk with the 140 gr TSX with STWs and see no reason for using any other bullet for Pronghorn to Elk.

Try the different 50MG powders and if you can't get the velocity you want, move down in bullet weight.

Suerte...Frank

H-1000 From 71.0 grains to 81.5 grains
Federal 215 Primer

RL-22 From 66.8 grains to 78.5 grains
Federal 215 Primer

And I preferred:
H-870 From 79.8 grains to 92.5 grains
Federal 215 Primer

Most people use 140 gr bullets. The thing is like any caliber is where you put the bullet.
Whats your Twist. Is it for the 160 may be all
around you might be better with a 140 or 150 gr.
Sometimes bigger is not better.

I know the conventional wisdom is to always use a mag primer, but they can & do cause pressure spiking. Try the Fed. 210M. I have found them to produce almost the same vel. w/ powders in my 7mm Dakota, but pressure signs seem to be lower. I easily reach 3250fps w/ RL22 or IMR7828 under a 160gr NP. My 7mmDakota is a rechambered #1S. If you want to try a slower powder, then give AA8700 a try. I don't think you could get enough powder in the case to get in trouble w/ the 160-175gr bullets.

thanks for all the replies here, I am definatly learning some things here. My twist rate I think is 1-9.5" but I am not 100% sure. Does that lend itself well to the 160 gr bullet? I am not having accuracy issues with the load so I would think it is fine but I don't know if its contributing to my pressure problems. I will definatly try using 210M primers, thanks for the suggestions. please keep them coming. I would really like to stick with the 160gr bullet because of the extended range that bullet offers for longrange shooting. but I will look at 140gr bullets if I have to.

If you insist on using the 160gr bullets you might try r-25 or retumbo as I do know of several people getting good results with those powders.For 140gr powders,I use imr-7828.I personally find that the 140gr bullets do a great job at longer ranges and see no reason to go to a heavier bullet.

I will try some retumbo or rl-25. Is retumbo more temperature resistant? I don't want things changing alot in hotter months

My rifle is 1-9.5 and it is for up to 150 gr.
But I am sticking with 140's. Check Reloaders Nest .Com there are several loads and Data .

My advice get rid of the stw, nothing but a problem, just like an ackley its such an overbore you are not gonna get but maybe a thousand or so rounds if you're lucky before the throat is shot out of it, also the animal or target your shootin at isn't gonna know how fast the bullet was goin when you missed it, shot placement, and knowin how your rifle load performs is the key to everything,not speed.

quote:

My advice get rid of the stw, nothing but a problem, just like an ackley its such an overbore you are not gonna get but maybe a thousand or so rounds if you're lucky before the throat is shot out of it

So just how many 7mmstws have you owned to come to this conclusion?

quote:

Originally posted by hammerthe2506:
My advice get rid of the stw, nothing but a problem, just like an ackley its such an overbore you are not gonna get but maybe a thousand or so rounds if you're lucky before the throat is shot out of it, also the animal or target your shootin at isn't gonna know how fast the bullet was goin when you missed it, shot placement, and knowin how your rifle load performs is the key to everything,not speed.

thanks for the advice but when your standing there wondering why that elk you tried to shoot at 500 yards ran off even though you put a decent shot on it with your trusty old 30-06. I'll drop it at 600 for ya. its not a problem knowing my rifle. and I know you should try to get closer but sometimes thats not an option..

Reply to STUBBLE JUMPER:

IT ONLY TOOK "ONE" to prove this to me. The further the shot the better I like it its more of a challenge dart freak, i don't use a trust worthy 30-06, for me its the 7 Rem Mag with a Nightforce 5-22x56 mil-dot, and a 25-06 with Nikon 6.5-20 md, distance isn't a problem with either one, besides there is no real advantage of the 7 STW over the 7 Rem. other than a money issue for the gun companies.

quote:

IT ONLY TOOK "ONE" to prove this to me

Well then perhaps you owned a bad rifle.I have owned three 7mmstw's and still own two.The first one that I owned has over 1500 rounds through it and still averages right around 1/2MOA.

quote:

Well then perhaps you owned a bad rifle.I have owned three 7mmstw's and still own two.The first one that I owned has over 1500 rounds through it and still averages right around 1/2MOA.

It was a Remington 700, there are alot of factors to contribute to that theory, hotter loads, but I always ran mine max by the book, so I don't know, you can only push so much powder through a .284 opening, mine was still fairly accurate but not up to my specs, It just wasn't worth it to me, only about 200fps over the 7mag, so I traded it off on a new Sendero, then had a Shilen stainless barrel fitted to it.

quote:

Originally posted by hammerthe2506:
My advice get rid of the stw, nothing but a problem, just like an ackley its such an overbore you are not gonna get but maybe a thousand or so rounds if you're lucky before the throat is shot out of it, also the animal or target your shootin at isn't gonna know how fast the bullet was goin when you missed it, shot placement, and knowin how your rifle load performs is the key to everything,not speed.

Even if he shot out the barrel at a thousand rounds, then he gets to rebarrel for something kickass like a 375H&H, 548 Lott, Winmag, AR, 416 Rem, AR, 470 Capstick...

Dont sell it!!

Are you sure the flattened primers arent coming from too much headspace? Being a belted case and a ruger #1 i'd have the headspace checked with a set of gauges. And necksize if you can. Its hard to guess pressure by the looks of a primer. Ive only shot 120's and 150's in mine. i couldnt tell you much about anything else. i use 7828 for both and it works very well. I heard theyve come out with a short cut version. Should be easier to load.

I would also make sure that there are no headspace issues. I use imr7828 in my STW and stick with premium 120 or 140's. It's uses soley for whitetails and they don't require a 160 around my parts. Load up some 140 TSX or accubonds and you will be pleased. The 120 X bullets also hit like lightning but cause a little blood shot meat, 140 accubonds shoot better out of my sendero anyway.

thanks guys,
say if there were headspace issues what would my options be to correct it? I would liek to stick with the 160gr bullets just so I sleep better at knight, this is almost exclusively an elk rifle so I would like the added smack if you know what I mean.

Headspace issues can require either setting up the dies properly (i.e. just bumping the shoulder back a hair) or a rechamber (when the chamer is too tight. It can also require a shaving of the barrel and/or a rechamber if the chamber is way too loose.

The other option is to switch primers and see if that helps things. Perhaps you have a soft lot.

N

I dunno why I didnt think of this before. you want 3200FPS??

http://www.northforkbullets.com/284-160.htm

They are designed to give you 100-200 fps gain with a given load compared to regular shanked bullets. A bit pricey, but the bullet has teh design to handle business with your elk. Bonded core with a solid base.

http://www.northforkbullets.com/bulletcutout.htm

the grooves are more or less the same concept as the grooves in a Barnes TSX.

Use the Accubonds for practice at the range...

quote:

They are designed to give you 100-200 fps gain with a given load compared to regular shanked bullets.

I would like to see someone take a maximum load with a bullet like the ballistic tip and load the same weight northfork up to provide 200fps more while developing the same pressure.I use the tsx and find that it allows 50fps or possibly slightly more than the ballistic tip,but certainly not 200fps.