I recently purchased a 7mm STW with a 26" barrel.I was curious what others are shooting in theirs and what kind of chronographed velocties ya'll are getting.I've tested H-1000 in mine @ 80,81,82,83,and 84grs. with a 150gr. bullet and they all shot very well.I didn't have my chrony set up so I don't know what my velocities where,but I'm going to try out 83.0grs. of H-1000 for my 140gr. bullets and 82.0grs. for my 150gr. bullets.

My 140 grn Accubond load 82 Grn H-1000 is running 3276 fps. I shoot in Houston in some hot weather so temperature affects my max loads.

I shoot 77.5 grns of IMR 7828 and 150 grn SMK and 75 grn H-4831SC with 168 grn SMK to nearly the same POI at 200 yards

When I had my 7mm stw I used RL25 behind 140 gr partitions. I don't have my notes handy and can't remember what the load was, but out of my 27" barrel I remember my deer load averaged around 3400 fps and it was a pretty mild load. I worked it up in increments to over 3500 fps with no pressure signs and decided to back it off to 3400 for a hunting load, that and it shot under 1/2". I didn't have good luck with H1000 in the stw, too fast burning for optimum results. There's really not much for loading data out there with this cartridge, and that that's out there is generally pretty poor. As a general rule the 7mm stw should be good for about 250 more fps than a 7mm rem mag at the same barrel lengths. It's really a cartridge where you just have to work up your own loads carefully with a chronograph, there's not a lot out there to go on with it.

Your right about using the chrony along with watching for pressure signs when working your loads up.That's the way I did it with my 7mag.The H-1000 worked really well,even though there was as much as five grains difference in powder charge,all my loads from 80-84grs.,all grouped @ 1/2" or less and impacted at the same area of the targets.I've never seen anything like it.I hate to even try another powder if I'm getting those kind of results,I really need to set up my chrony to see if I'm getting the velocities I want.The best I can guess I should be around in the 3300-3400fps range.

For a reference point, a Rem 700 7mmSTW I once had (was my sons actually), shot factory Remington 140 gr. Core-Lokts at 3400 fps out of a 24" bbl. And they would shoot 1/2" at 100 yds (after being bedded), which is why I never bothered to reload for that rifle.

I don't doubt that.Remington loaded the 7mm STW up hot when they first came out,then along came their 7mm Ultra Mag,so they loaded it down to make the RUM look a lot better.This is the usually the case with a lot of new calibers,hot when the first come out and cool way down later.That is just one reason to reload.

Alf has done some work with the STW. It is a while back and he used South African powder but it gives some idea of what is possible. The article from Magnum Magazine is here.