Before anyone chimes in that I need to utilize the search function on this site with respect to this topic, please understand that I've already done this with many questions still left unanswered.

Ok, on to the questions. I recently purchased a 7mm STW and I've been working up some loads for various things. South Texas Whitetails are on my list of animals to find a load for and I'd like to find a couple of bullets that suit my needs. First a little background on where and how I hunt. For those not familiar with the size of these deer, we killed three bucks last year that averaged about 195 lbs live weight depending on the time of the season, e.g. pre-rut or post-rut. Most of the shots are well under 200 yards with an average shot of probably about 125 yards. I'm only concerned with finding a bullet for a trophy buck as I generally shoot does in the head or neck and the bullets are irrelevant for that shot.

I've read quite a bit of good and bad about ballistic tips and really don't know how they'd hold up in the STW velocities on shoulder shots. Don't know that 160 gr or 140 gr makes much of a difference. The good is that a whitetail is a fairly thin skinned and boned animal that should prove easy to kill with a ballistic tip hit in the right place. Anyone have experiences at these close ranges out of a high velocity STW?

Something like partitions seem like they would just zip right through a whitetail at 150 yards...but maybe that's OK if you take out both shoulders. I've used partitions before but generally not on whitetails.

Anyone have any experience with the accubonds relative to the other two nosler bullets previously mentioned in a high velocity rifle?

I also bought some 140 gr Barnes X bullets that I've read a lot about although I've personally never used. Anyone have any thoughts on these for what I'm wanting to hunt.

Another other general thoughts or recommendations on bullets or specific loads for my STW for whitetail hunting? As you can tell I'm kind of partial to Nosler products but I'm open to any compelling reasons to try something different.

quote:

Originally posted by Rattlesnaker:
I've read quite a bit of good and bad about ballistic tips and really don't know how they'd hold up in the STW velocities on shoulder shots.

I have not tried them but at those velocities I would use a more strongly-constructed bullet, especially if you might be shooting for the shoulder rather than behind it.

quote:

Something like partitions seem like they would just zip right through a whitetail at 150 yards...but maybe that's OK if you take out both shoulders. I've used partitions before but generally not on whitetails.

I have used the partition at high velocities from a .270 Weatherby. They do a good job, but I think the front is shed at those speeds and you get a caliber-sized exit wound from the base with little or no blood trail. Usually there is a dead deeer within 25-100 yards but no trail.

quote:

I also bought some 140 gr Barnes X bullets that I've read a lot about although I've personally never used. Anyone have any thoughts on these for what I'm wanting to hunt.

This is the bullet I am using now as I think it will hold together better than the Partition. Two hogs so far, but no data on better blood trails as one ran in a circle and died where he started. The bullet went through both shoulders and left only on petal, inside the skin on the off-side. The other dropped where he was from a head shot. I used the same rifle and load in Namibia and it went competely though a Mountain Zebra (twice) and did fairly good work on a Gemsbok, although the bullet shed all but one petal when going though the shoulders/spine of the Gemsbok.

I shoot a 7mm Dakota, pretty close in vel. I have settled on the 160gr NP @ 3250fps as my go to load for antelope to elk. I took a nice antelope a few seasons back w/ a shot thru both shoulders @ 120yds. It was a bang/flop w/ very little meat damage. I will try some 160gr NABs when I can, they shoot well out of my #1. I just don't trust the hyper vel. 140gr unless it might be something like a Swift or TBBC. You might just get that 100yd/3300fps impact vel. shot & ????? Others have diff. opinions, but for me, the reason to have a big 7mag is to use the heavier bullets @ good vel. Nothing wrong w/ Barnes 'X', I just can't seem to get them to shoot the way I like.

Left -- 140 grain Barnes X fired from .270 Weatherby into riverbank in Namibia at about 100 yards.

Right -- 140 grain Barnes X recovered from Gemsbok bull. I believe that this is the one that went through the upper shoulders and spine at about 250 yards or so.

Try the 160gr accubonds ,awesome accuarcy and
great performance I am using IMR7828 in my
sendero STW
Charlie

I have killed approximately 20 of our large bodied canadian deer using the 140gr ballistic tip launched out of my 7mmstw's at 3500fps.Most bullets exited and not a single deer covered 50 yards after being hit.Most dropped on the spot or within a few yards.

I've used 140 BT on West TX Mule Deer. Never had a problem but ranges were usually 150yds and higher.

I have a 7mm STW and I have used 140 Ballistic Tips on deer. They suck. I would suggest some sort of controlled expansion bullet due to the high velocity of the 7mm STW.

All of you guys shooting BTs, where are you shooting the deer? Is there a difference between shooting them through the shoulder versus behind the shoulder? Could that partially account for the differences in people's opinions on them?

What speeds can the 7mm stw drive the 120 gr Nosler BT ??

My loads are 3400fps with a 140BT and 3600fps with the 120. I use RL22 with the 120 and 7828 with the 140. Max loads are a little faster.

I normally deer hunt on private land. I have never seen the need to shoot a deer in the shoulder so I shoot for the lungs. With a lung shot from the 140 I would guess longest trail was about 60yds. Most 20yds or less.

The problem with this post and all the others like it is that there is no objective standard. Some people want two holes and no meat loss, anything else sucks. Others want one hole and exploded tissues the size of a watermelon; all else sucks. Both work for me as long as the deer dies quickly but I lean toward the two holes camp when hunting horns just for the blood trail. That obviously has more to do with shot placement because if that is right a trail isn't so necessary on white tail.

I hunt S. Texas too with a 30 cal equivalent to the 7 STW (300/8 Mag) and just about every bullet type and brand I ever used killed the deer shot with it. Esoterics aside, get the one that shoots well enough to maintain your confidence level.

Personally, I like the Ballistic Tip for deer. Today's version is much tougher than the first ones that turned a lot of people off, especially the meat distruction issue. But even the early ones killed like lightning bolts, despite the fact there is certainly one guy out there who'll tell you they fail evey time.

Having said all that, I think the Accubond kind of eclipses the BT just because its bonded.

I've only had one ballistic tip blowup, but that was enough for me. I used 150gr Hornady SST's with great success in a .308win. After that I tried them in my .270win. The 130gr bullets were chrono'ed at around 3100FPS and would shot less than MOA. I thought I'd found paradise with this bullet and rifle combo. When I went into the field with this setup and shot a deer is when I knew I'd messed up. I flubbed the shot, I know that. The bullet hit in the back ham and blow his A$$ clean off. The animal in distress was darting in and out of the bushes and the second shot on the running deer was no better than the first, it hit forward on the front shoulder with the same results. now the deer had slowed down enough I could make a humane kill and finish off this poor animal. The third and last shot went into the vitals and the deer went down. I've never felt so bad. Hardly any savable meat, a horrible death for this animal and the realization I'd made a poor choice in hunting bullets. If I'd been using a regular bullet, not even a premium. The first shot although bad would have gone through and broke the hip making a second clean shot possible. Later that day I shot a cottontail rabbit with the same rifle. there was nothing left but feet and hide. Confirmation, These are just a big bore varmint bullets IMO. They work great as long as you hit the bread basket, but when things go wrong, they really go wrong. I went back to the lead tips and will never use ballistic tip's again for large game.

If it was me I'd pick a Nosler Partition or some type of bonded bullet.

Terry

BT's will probably be ok for lung shots, but they may be marginal for shoulder shots. It's all relative to what you want. If you shoot a deer in the shoulder at close range you may not get the pentration you want. With a deer this is usually not a problem. With anything bigger it can be an issue. In my mind the uncertainty is not worth it. I'd shoot the Accubond or maybe Hornady's Interbond.

Since nobody else asked, I will. Since most shots are within 125-200 yards why would anyone use a 7 STW when a 7mm-08 will do the same thing?

quote:

Originally posted by Rattlesnaker:
. South Texas Whitetails are on my list of animals to find a load for and I'd like to find a couple of bullets that suit my needs.

USE TSX

I knew that question would come up. I don't have a 7mm-08 and I didn't buy this STW just for this type of hunting. If I'm not comfortable with this rifle I can always shoot something I've killed many deer with but what's the fun in gettting a new rifle if you aren't going to use it. I bought this rifle specifically for a mule deer hunt I'm going to take next year where shots could be well beyond 200 yds.

Well I shoot my 7STW because it is a nice heavy sendero and works great for my type of hunting in W Texas. While most ranges are 150-250 I have used it over 400.

Plus when I built mine it was the new wildcat on the block. Yep fell into that trap. I might not drop to a 7-08 but my 280 worked just fine for years.

If you use NBTs, I'd go the 150 grn route and load em' at about 3300.

I personally love the NBTs but, I do realize they are not meant for Extreme speed however, I've had great luck w/ them when impacts were 3100 and less.

Oh, I almost forgot, Out of dozens of deer I've taken and witnessed taken w/ the NBTs, None ever "Bounced" off the hide .

The Accubond would probably give you the best of both worlds.

Good Luck!


Reloader

My STW will kick and scream if I shoot anything but a 160 grain North Fork bullet through it's barrel. Therefore it will not shoot those one holers with anything else. H-1000 powder and a Fed 215M primer and the speed will be 3170 fps or there abouts. Good shooting

Used to use the Sierra 140 Game Kings in my 7mm. Rem Mag, switched to the 140 gr, TSX, great accuracy, took four deer and a coyote with them last season, no tracking, was able to see each fall within steps of being shot, (hit the coyote under the chin head on, man what a blow up!) Load my dad's 280 with the TSX as well, really like the way they punch through and get the job done.

I have killed 2 Texas bucks with 165 grain boat tail soft points out of my 7mm Rem Mag. Both were like tiggertate said, 2 holes, no meat loss and lots of blood. I just recieved a 7mm STW as a gift and plan to use 160 BTSP and I assume I will get the same results. Hope to get the chance soon, but deer season is still 4 months away.