anyone got any good info on the 7mm STW in relation to killing power on deer and bigger game?loading info would be good too.does it leave a large wound channel on game and how large?i recently bought one with the thought it would kill game extremely quick with the thought with a proper hit it would drop the game at the shot.all loading info would be great as i know one guy that says he's getting over 3500 fps with a 150 gr. nosler ballistic tip.... thanks for all the info you give....

i have loaded the STW and the 7RUM and couldnt get 3500 with 150s with either.thats not saying the STW aint a real long range smoker as is teh RUM,but 3500 with 150s is hot.i topped out at 3540 with 140s in the RUM about 3375 in the STW and 3200 in the Rem. mag.
with 150s in the STW right at 3250 was it.that is still really flat and hard hitting at any range.you could get to 3500 with the RUM in 150 but it would be an overload.

You may find this intertesting. Whitetails that were shot with a Sierra 120gr bullet from my 7STW always dropped to the shot on the broadside hits that I would take. They never moved 1 inch.
Whitetails that were shot with a Barnes 140gr X bullet (broadside also) often ran after the shot. They didn't get far as the Barnes ALWAYS zipped right through and out the opposite side.
I wouldn't reccommend the Sierra 120 for this type of shooting but if your shot placement was right, the results were impressive.
All in all, the Nosler Partition bullet will probably give you the most reliable bang for the buck.

VH

I have a Mod 70 LRH with a 26". I've never been able to get a 140 to 3500. But, can't believe a deer would ever know the difference between 3400 and 3500.

My 7mm has a 27" barrel and although I usually load it to 3400 fps with a 140 gr partition, it will get 3500 easily without any pressure problems. I got 3630 using 85 gr. RL25 and a partition during load development but the primer pockets were getting loose so I backed off. The stw needs a long barrel to really work, 27" is a minimum in my opinion, the factory 26" tubes are just too short. Deer really drop in their tracks when hit with the stw but I'm of the opinion that larger critters call for larger bullet diameters. Speed is nice but it just extends your range a bit, I don't think it makes up for bullet diameter when it comes to larger game.

I shoot a 7mm STW using 160 gr barnes "X". I don't remember the exact load but I think it is 77 grain IMR 5010. I have taken two mule deer and two bull elk with that load. One elk was 75 yards away and the other was 375. Both elk went down within two steps of the shot. I have killed elk with guns ranging from a 243 win to a 338 mag and the STW killed as quick and efficently as any of them. For deer I think you could get away with just about any good bullet, however, if you are going after something bigger (elk, moose etc.) I think the better bullets (barnes, nosler) are the best bet.

I have a custom 7 STW built off of a Sendero. It now has a 27.5", 1-10 twist K&P barrel. Using standard bullets I can easily go over 3600fps with the 140's, and 3450 for a good accuracy load with the 150 grain ballistic tip. I moly coat all bullets which seems to help a lot. I can get 3 shot groups that hover in the high teens with the 150 ballistic tip at 3450. I have recently started using the 130 grain HV bullet from GS customs (Gerard). I can shoot these at over 4000 fps if I want to trash brass. I have finally settled on an average velocity of 3831 fps with good brass life. This bullet consistently turns in 3 shot groups in the high teens as well. It will behave just like a Barnes-X on game, and has a BC of .550. I will kill a mule deer with it this October. This bullet is very good about copper fowling as well. I would recommend starting with about 80 grains of IMR-7828. I worked up to 84 grains with Remington brass for a working load, and 86 grains with Winchester brass. These seem to be stout loads, but give great accuracy and decent brass life as well with a velocity of over 3800 fps. I also tried RL-22 but it was not as consistent in my gun. I am currently waiting for my next shipment of bullets to shoot at 300 to 700 yards for practice, and to hunt with this year. The bullets take a while to get but it is worth it. They end up costing about 45$ a box of 50 delivered.
Vince

With a good bullet the 7 STW will drive a bullet from one end to the other on the largest mule deer at ranges beyond what most hunters wouldn't shoot at. It fights wind well and by my experience is very accurate. My factory barrel shot several loads at the .5 MOA level. My primary use for the STW is open country Mule Deer and Antelope. I personally like more frontal area for bigger game. But it will certainly do the job on Elk and Moose with the proper bullet. I prefer to trade the sometimes less spectacular results of the monolithic bullet on broadside shots, with the ability to drive the bullet length wise through the animal if needed. I have found that the lightly constructed bullets will definitely break up if you hit bone up close. I have had a ballistic tip grenade on unexpected close shots. The Deer didn't know what hit him but meat damage at STW velocities can be amazing with these bullets. I made the mistake of trying them on a 150 pound Blacktail. I took a running shot at 30 yards and hit the shoulder. I did get an exit wound and the animal hit the ground hard, but you could stick your head through the wound channel, there where pieces of jacket in the stomach. I have seen Partitions shed there front half in the same manner, but of coarse the rear half keeps penetrating with a 1 caliber hole. For my money and my freezer I like the Monolithic bullets at STW velocities.
Vince

I've shot a fair number of african species, red stag and black tail deer over the years with the 7mmSTW. In fact, it was my favorite hunting rifle for the last 5 years. I use the 175gr partitions over IMR 7278 for about 3025fps. Everything up to Zebra properly hit went down with one shot, but it's not the Hammer of Thor ( at least in this loading). Unless the spine is hit, really big game and in particular African game just doesn't go down to the shot.They may go down, but then they get up! The little guys will go down quickly, but not the big guys! My son hit a wildebeest in the lungs with the 7mm STW in SA that went 2 miles before it dropped. I've also seen it fail on Hartebeest neck shots ( my PH) using a 140 Nosler. It's a real accurate round, and great on game up to 450 lbs or so. However, after that I want more gun. Recent experience suggests the 300 RUM hits much much harder with very similar accuracy and even higher velocities.