What is the future of the STW? I own one and love it. Do you think the 7MM Rem Ultra Mag will kill the future of it; like the 7mm Rem Mag kind of killed the beginning of the 264 Win Mag? Or do you guys believe the popularity of the STW will remain strong? I'm just curious on other opinions.
I own a 7STW also. I would go with the new Ultra if doing it all over. It gives a little more hot-rod performance in a beltless case. I believe the 7STW is headed for the graveyard, it did help spur on the supermag race though. sure-shot
I think the STW will outlast the ultra mag as the Stw will fit into any magnum action. Where is you want to go to the ultra mag I believe you have to start opening bolt faces to make it work. Once you have done that you are limited to 404 jeffery case wildcats only.
Posts: 182 | Location: Okotoks, Alberta | Registered: 23 September 2001
I haven't actually seen the specs on the case dimensions yet, but I believe all the Rem Ultra Mags have rebated rims so they fit the standard mag (.532) bolt face.
The RUM will fit into any action the STW will. The case dimensions are basically identical except the RUM has a 30 degree shoulder instead of a 25 and the body of the case is fatter. Rim diameter/boltface basically the same. Max OAL is the same.
While I think it's a great round, I do think the STW's 15 minutes are up.
Posts: 920 | Location: Mukilteo, WA | Registered: 29 November 2001
I own a 7mm STW. I can get one hole groups with a 160 gr. Barnes XLC bullet all day if I do my part. I am not interested in getting the same speed with less accuracy and put 10 grains more powder in the case as is a buddy shooting the 7mm RUM. That is words out of his mouth, not mine. Good shooting.
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[This message has been edited by phurley (edited 12-31-2001).]
I like the STW better than the rest. I think if Winchester were to put the round into a standard grade rifle it would be far more popular than the RUM version. The problems with new cartridges, especially specialized ones is that thy are dead before Walmart gets around to selling ammo for them. I think the new short mags are far more likely to hurt the popularity of the super mags.
1894 -- I always qualify my statements about my shooting with the " If I do my part ", statement. I cannot shoot a one hole group every day, then I may do it for days on end for a week. I need to watch the caffiene consumption on shooting days and relegate the alchol to celebrating afterwards instead of before shooting. That particular rifle I have been shooting for three years and it took me a very short session of shooting to find the 160 grain group. It took me two more years to find that one hole group with the 140 gr. bullet. The rifle has a Boss Barrel. I concluded that either it didn't like the 140 grainers as much as the 160 grainers or the shooter was just too slow in finding the right 140 grain setting and combo with powder and bullet. By the way, on those bad shooting days I just talk about the good days. Good shooting.
I agree with rickt300. I really don't even see a big need for the 7mm STW in the first place when there is the 7 mm Rem Mag.
All this cartridge marketing is getting old fast.
It's a short mag in 7mm that I would look at. But my old and gone 7mm Mags were just fine. I have a .300 Win Mag now and I think I can hit and kill out to 400 yards. That's far enough.
Without an extremely long barrel (28 inches or more) there's really very little difference in the two in terms of velocity. The big advantage that the STW has is that most magazines will hold one more cartridge. In my Sako, that means 4 instead of 3, for whatever that's worth. Also, STW brass will always be cheaper than RUM brass, and the STW can be loaded with inexpensive 7mm Remington dies.
In reality, I don't think rifles in either chambering will ever make it to the Walmart shelves.
Posts: 13263 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
If I were a fan of the fast 7mm, I would choose the STW. Cheaper cases, more magazine capacity and velocity that is good enough for anything. It will perform as well as most RUMs in a 26" barrel, and that's as long a barrel as I care to use. That said, the 7mmWSM will outsell them 100x1 once it arrives. Better balanced, less recoil and blast plus it will achieve good ballistics in a shorter rifle, what most hunters would call a good "hunting" cartridge.
Posts: 1148 | Location: The Hunting Fields | Registered: 22 May 2002
