I am looking for some suggestions on a good deer/black bear hunting load for the 7MM STW. A friend has just purchased one in a Sako hunter and I have been nominated to reload for it. Any suggetions will be a great help! Thank you!

Because a black bear might be close up where the extreme velocity of the cartridge could cause bullet blow up I would carry the 175 Nosler Partitions.

There may be more details about the hunt that I don't know. If all the shots are at long range or the bears are only in season for a short time and deer is the game most of the time then another load could be carried for deer.

Where I hunt in the forest I might load that round down. I don't see the average hunter doing that however.

This rifle is going to be a "bean field" gun that will mostly be used for medium to long range deer hunting, 300 to 500 yards. What I am looking for in a load for this gun is long range stoping power and accuracy.

Long range means 140 to 150gr bullet weights with the quarry mentioned, powder choice with this bullet weight would be IMR7828, max w/140`s is 81.5 in my Sendero, super good groups.

I have two 7mmstw's and have taken deer,elk,moose and black bear using 140gr partitions.Even with muzzle velocities in excess of 3500fps I have never had a bullet come apart or fail to penetrate.

Dibble40
I have been shooting the Hornady 162 gr Spitzer Boat tail in my Ruger #1 with a 26 inch barrel. I have been able to reach 3200 fps in this 7mm STW using H1000 and RL25. The H1000 loads have been shooting less tha moa at 100 yds, but I have not really proved the load beyond 300 yd yet.
I sight my rifles to shoot dead on at 300 yd. With this bullet at 3200 fps, the trajectory is fairly flat to 450 yd.
I would be quite confident shooting deer or black bear with the 162 gr Hornady. I am also quite excited to see how the new Accubond bullets perform in this rifle.

Idaho Shooter

I like to shoot 120 gr Barnes x-bullets on top of a hot load of IMR7828 out of my STW, but I live in the South where deer are a little smaller. The sizzling 120 out of my STW hits them like a truck, plus it has an amazing flat tragectory. I have also had some luck with 140gr. Nosler B-tips, but I was afraid of bullet failure at STW velocities at close ranges. I can't remember the exact loads, but I can post later if interested.

I would be interested in any and all information about load data and the 7MM STW in general. I have heard very little about it, but what I have heard is very good.

I am open to debate over this. Is this a good round? I would like to hear some of the bad things that you all have experinced with the STW so I am not suprised when they happen to me.

How fast is too fast? Has anyone shot the Barnes X out of it?

Any information would be helpful. Thank you to all that have posted, and to all that will post in the future.

D40

71.7 grains of 4831 pushing a 139 Hornady SST. Throttled my big SD buck this year. Took 15 steps and fell dead at 200 yards. Broadside shot entered, went through, and exited the other side, went right though the shoulder blade. I shoot a Savage 116 Stainless/synthetic.

GET THE BARNES RELOADING MANUAL #3 AND LOOK AT THE 7STW LOADS, MY CHOICE THE XLC BULLETS.LOOK AT THE LOADS FOR THE NEW RELOADER 25 POWDER.

I SHOOT A 140 XLC BARNES X BULLET, FOR ELK, APPROACHING 3600 FPS. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LOAD XLC BULLET LOADS WITH THE NON COATED BULLETS!

THE BARNES X BULLET, IN SEVERAL WEIGHTS WOULD BE GREAT FOR BEAR.

THAT NEW BARNES MANUAL HAS SONE EXCELLENT DATA FOR YOUR STW.