Nosler 162 Gr Accubond Lr Sbt 7mm Review

In 1978, Remington unveiled the 8mm Remington Magnum—what it thought to exist an ideal cartridge for shooting big game at distance, as well every bit the equal to Winchester's popular .338 Winchester Magnum. What company doesn't desire to take market share from a rival, right? The company was correct in that the cartridge was, and still is, well-suited for downing large, distant animals, even so its appeal was misjudged. It truly was "a flash in the pan."

What led to the 8mm Rem. Magazine.'s demise? For many riflemen, bullet width was the sticking point. Well-nigh 0.323-inch (8-mm) diameter bullets had poor aerodynamic qualities and, at least in America, were insufficiently various in design and weight. That wasn't the case with its chief competitor, the .338 Win. Magazine. What'southward more than, the cartridge required a magnum-length action and generated stout recoil, particularly in lightweight rifles. Few hunters want to exist unnecessarily punished. Lastly, other manufacturers weren't equally smitten as Remington with 8mm Rem. Mag., and without widespread support, its fate was forthcoming. Merely a small-but-dedicated following keeps it alive today.

The story of the 8mm Rem. Mag. is relevant here because it's the parent for the 7mm Shooting Times Westerner (STW), the bailiwick of this article. And, as is often the case with cartridges, this child greatly outshone its parent.

From Conception to Adoption: The 7mm STW
Chances are, if you lot're a well-read rifleman, shotgunner or hunter, then you've seen the proper name Layne Simpson. An avid writer, shooter and hunter, amidst other things, Simpson has authored articles for various magazines—including, as you might have surmised, Shooting Times—as well as several books. He's also a wildcatter.

In true wildcatter fashion, presently subsequently the introduction of the 8mm Rem. Mag., Simpson began tinkering with information technology. Decreasing its bullet diameter by a seemingly trivial one millimeter resulted in a cartridge that would, in brusk order, take the shooting community by tempest. Involvement in the 7mm STW, which easily bested the timeless 7mm Rem. Mag., burgeoned with each piece he penned well-nigh it. This led to the cartridge being standardized past the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Found (SAAMI) in 1996. A year later, Remington began producing it. A-Foursquare, nevertheless, was the first company to produce ammunition for it, doing and so in 1994. Later on standardization, a host of firearm and ammunition companies joined "Large Green" in supporting the 7mm STW. Meanwhile, gunsmiths were kept busy re-chambering existing rifles in 7mm Rem. Mag. to the new cartridge.

What pb to its uncanny rise in popularity? Ane word: speed. Speed sells. And the 7mm STW had information technology in spades.

Specifications & Functioning
Exterior of the aforementioned change in bullet diameter, nigh all other case dimensions and specifications were kept unchanged. These include cartridge overall length (COL); case length; shoulder angle; and maximum average pressure (MAP). The large case, which Nosler Reloading Guide seven reports as holding 90 grains water (give or accept), and a 65,000 psi MAP, enabled it to frequently outpace the 7mm Rem. Magazine. past 200 fps or more. That gain might seem inconsequential, however all else beingness equal, a bullet that arrives on target faster is less affected by a breeze, has a less-pronounced trajectory and hits harder—all desirable for hunting. Extra velocity also increases the likelihood that the bullet will upset reliably, which is a real business at long-range hunting.

As an example of the 7mm STW's excellent external ballistics, when loaded with the 175-grain AccuBond LR at 2900 fps—as information technology is in Nosler's Trophy Grade Long Range armament—and zeroed at 200 yards, the bullet will driblet vi.58, 18.81 and 37.31 inches at 300, 400 and 500 yards, respectively, co-ordinate to shooterscalculator.com. At the latter altitude, the 0.326 G7 BC bullet has 1,932 ft.-lbs. of free energy remaining—more than the .thirty-30 Win. at the muzzle. Ponder that for a moment. Want something faster? How virtually Hornady'south Precision Hunter load, which propels a 162-grain ELD-10 to 3050 fps. With the aforementioned 200-chiliad cipher, the projectile volition touch v.91 inches low at 300 yards, and sixteen.94 inches at 400. At 500 yards it'll strike 33.66 inches below the point of aim, and it delivers 1,966 ft.-lbs. of energy. That is enough for even the biggest balderdash elk. Continue in mind that, through judicious handloading, the numbers to a higher place can be bettered—sometimes significantly so.

The 7mm STW's cavernous case is also advantageous in that the long, streamlined, heavy-for-caliber bullets ideal for distance work can utilized without sacrificing the invaluable propellant that sends them screaming downrange; there is ample space for powder, even when employing projectiles such equally the to a higher place-mentioned AccuBond LR, which measures ane.51 inches in length, and the one.648-inch Berger 195-grain Elite Hunter Hybrid. As the trend toward e'er-higher-BC bullets continues, the 7mm STW will be at the forefront of cartridges that can rightly propel them.

Of course, with the practiced—in some riflemen's minds—comes the bad. Yes, but similar its parent, the 7mm STW requires a magnum activity, and the cartridge has the antiquated belt. Like other high-performance cartridges, barrel life can be short if mistreated or overused, and a 26-inch barrel is necessary to accomplish peak velocities. It'due south worth information technology to me.

Rifles and Loads
Large-calibration riflemakers that have chambered the 7mm STW include: Remington Arms (Model 700); Winchester (Model 70); Sako (TRG-South, 75); Savage Arms (Model 114, 116); and Weatherby (Marking 5). Occasionally, these rifles, which were manufactured during a short stretch after SAAMI standardization, materialize on gun store shelves. If priced right, they deliquesce just every bit quickly; don't 2nd-guess a purchase or yous'll miss out.

It'due south a rarity nowadays that a new-production rifle is offered in 7mm STW, but it does happen. For example, the 26-inch-barreled Remington Model 700 SPS in the accompanying photographs was among a run for firearms wholesaler Davidson's. I recently purchased information technology secondhand for a little more than than four Benjamins.

If you desire a new burglarize chambered in 7mm STW, the best bet is to go the custom or semi-custom route. E.R. Shaw, for example, offers it as an selection in the company'southward semi-custom Marking VII Gen 2 rifle. Depending on the features selected, Mark VIIs range betwixt $990 and $i,600. About custom rifle builders can chamber the cartridge, though this is the priciest route. A third option is, should you have a burglarize with a suitably sized action that yous're willing to sacrifice, take it re-barreled to 7mm STW by a company such as SSK Firearms, Hart Burglarize Barrels, McGowen Precision Barrels, etc. The benefits in following this path are firearm familiarity, affordability (when compared to the toll of a new semi-custom or custom rifle), and meridian-tier performance.

Concerning ammunition, you lot'll chop-chop realize that, unlike the ubiquitous 7mm Rem. Mag., there are limited options in 7mm STW from the large manufacturers, and they're all costly. Look to pay $2.00 to $4.50 per circular. Fortunately, those that are available are typically loaded with premium, controlled-expansion bullets, which are a must with this cartridge. A quick net search revealed the following loads: Nosler Trophy Course Long Range 175-grain AccuBond LR, Bays Course 160-grain AccuBond and 140-grain Sectionalization, and Custom 140-grain AccuBond; Hornady Precision Hunter 162-grain ELD-X; Federal 160-grain Trophy Bonded Tip; and HSM Game King 160-grain SBT and Bays Gold 168- and 180-grain Berger VLD Hunting. With these, you're prepared for nearly all huntable game.

Reloading will save you money and help diversify your options. Dies are readily available and inexpensive, and contumely can exist had from Nosler, Bertram, Quality Cartridge and Hornady, with the latter typically being the cheapest—relatively speaking, of course. Remington brass tin be found on an inconsistent basis, as well. In a compression, you lot can neck down 8mm Rem. Mag. brass, though it's often more hard to locate than 7mm STW.

As mentioned elsewhere, y'all'll want to use premium, controlled-expansion projectiles in the 7mm STW; lesser bullets will cause excessive damage to edible meat, equally well as take a chance failing to reach terminal depths. Some of the best bullets are: Nosler Partition, E-Tip, AccuBond and AccuBond LR; Hornady InterBond and GMX; Barnes TSX and TTSX; Federal Bays Bonded Tip; Swift Scirocco II and A-Frame; Woodleigh Weldcore; and Speer Thousand Slam.

For the 7mm STW, I adopt bullets in the 150-grain-plus weights. When propelled by large doses of extra-slow-called-for propellant, these projectiles will achieve far, hitting hard and penetrate deep. Large rifle magnum primers are a must; almost ofttimes, reloading manuals suggest the hot-burning Federal 215. I concur. As for the reloading process, information technology's uncomplicated; all the same, the life of the difficult-to-find and costly cases can exist extended through neck sizing only.

I've endemic two rifles chambered in 7mm STW: a sorely missed bull-barrel Remington Model 700 with a laminated stock, and the previously mentioned 700 SPS. In full general, accuracy is excellent and, surprisingly, recoil is balmy given the cartridge's phenomenal ballistics. Moving forward, I won't be without one. I enjoy the cartridge that much.

Time hasn't been kind to the 7mm STW. Whereas it once dominated the realm of 7mms, such is no longer the case. Not long after its adoption, information technology was eclipsed by Remington'southward own 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum—a behemoth of a cartridge that epitomizes the term "overbore" and outpaces the STW. Moreover, with the appearance of technologically avant-garde propellants, such as those employed in Hornady'due south Superformance armament, the 7mm Rem. Mag. nearly matches the ballistics of the 7mm STW. No game animal would know the difference. Topping the 7mm Rem. Magazine. was the cartridge's primary selling point. And so at that place'southward the newest, high-capacity 7mm cartridge, the .28 Nosler, which can easily top the STW from a standard-length action and a chugalug-less case. It would appear that vii mm STW is following its parent into oblivion.

Still, for the hunter who hunts big game in wide-open spaces, or loves ringing distant steel, the 7mm STW gets it washed. And it will continue to practise then because it'south a well-designed cartridge.

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Source: https://www.americanhunter.org/content/an-ode-to-the-7mm-stw/

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