7 rem mag to 7 STW

[Pathfinder]

Im wondering what is the easiest way to get this conversion done , Ive heard that its easiest path is with a Remington 700 . How about reaming out a Stevens 200 ? not sure if the action is long enought.

What kind of cost would be involved ? (in any case)

 

[sunray]

Should be an easy ream job. Same case head. If your Stevens is a 'long action' you should be ok. However, the STW case is 350 thou longer than the Rem Mag. So you'll have to do some mag well work too. That will be the make or break cost issue. Think in terms of $60 plus per hour.
You'll want to look into the cost and availability of STW ammo and brass before you do anything. Epp's is listing ammo. No mention of what brand though.

 

[chappy]

go with a rem 700. have the camber reamed to 7stw and shoot it. no other mods required. i did a sps and it was a very accurate rifle.

 

[guntech]

If you don't have a 28 inch barrel to start with you don't gain much...

Correct chambering usually requires setting the barrel back a couple or three turns so the headspace can be made to a minimum tolerance and the old chamber neck/shoulder area clean up with the new reamer. Often the factory chambers are larger than a gunsmiths STW chambering reamer. If there are sights involved it is more work than chambering a new barrel blank.

I would expect charges anywhere from $125 to $250 depending on just what all has to be done.

 

[dan belisle]

That's how I got my first STW, back when it was a wildcat. Just be careful of the chambering, sometimes you can end up with a very slight ring from the original chamber that shows up on the brass. - dan

 

[Rembo]

listen to guntech..........chambering and installing new blanks is a whole lot easier than setting back factory barrels and lining up sight holes...and time is money...

What action do you have? I have a new PacNor 7mm CM blank here I'll sell you. Your gunsmith will be happy if you show up with a new blank...

 

[Pathfinder]

Yes, ideally one would have a new blank but that adds 300-500$ of material cost to the project ? just wondering about the straight up conversion . Dont' think there would be any sights involved. I think the m 700 sps would be a better choice since the barrel is 26" not 24" like the Stevens 200 . Still would be interesting to convert the 200 since its already so bloody cheap.

 

[MTM]

My current one is on a Mod.70 Classic with 24" barrel. Still does 3300 fps with 160 TSXs. Use the gun you like best.

 

[dan belisle]

You need magwell and box work on the 200 that you don't need on the 700, as it is already set up for full length magnums (and the 200 is not). - dan

 

[Why not?]

River Rat had a 200 rechambered and mag box lengthened for 7STW by Bill Leeper. It works great, and got more than 150 fps increase in velocity with the 24" barrel.

Ted

 

[Pathfinder]

interesting, just what I wanted to hear, I think Ill contact mr Leeper.

 

[Algonquin]

What-up??

Interesting topic,

Sorry to divert the momentum but could I ask if this conversion is a bench gun or a hunting rifle?

Thanks,



FM

 

[Pathfinder]

Hunting Rifle.

 

[stubblejumper]

Having owned three 7mmstw rifles with 26" barrels,and having chrongraphed two others with 24" barrels,I would not bother making a 7mmstw with a 24" barrel.

 

[Algonquin]

7mm STW

Pathfinder,

My OPINION is that if you hunt for the freezer less velocity than the STW is going to result in less meat damage unless you are shooting deer at 300 yds.

For ordinary folk like me a more versatile caliber does the best job of filling the freezer. Look at how well 6.5x55 does knocking down deer with minimal damage, for one example.

I agree 7mm STW is an awesome performer and I have it in mind to try one someday, just not as my main hunting rifle.

Better to have lots to choose from!

FM

 

[Pathfinder]

This would not be a main rifle, but who knows what it could become. Make no mistake, I dont' need an STW...I just want one , just not a lot of options out there right now in this chambering.


By the way I plan on taking deer with 6.5x55 this november.

 

[7 STW]

Having owned three 7mmstw rifles with 26" barrels,and having chrongraphed two others with 24" barrels,I would not bother making a 7mmstw with a 24" barrel.

Yup and you need a good barrel for a good STW..Most reamer jobs I've seen have shot like crap..

 

[Eagleye]

I started out with the STW by having a couple of 7mm Rem Magnums rechambered [both had no sights] They both did gain a bit of velocity over the standard 7 mag chambering, but not enough to get really excited about. Only when I wised up and had a 27" Pac-Nor barrel chambered and fitted did I realize what I was really looking for. This was a superb, accurate, and hard hitting Magnum that was very easy to hit with right out past 500 yards. I got just a hair over 3300 with the 160 Partition, and sighted in 3" high at 100, actual drop at 500 [real shooting, not a program] was right at 19" That is plenty flat! The STW is a very specialized chambering, and is definitely not necessary for 99.5% of all North American hunting situations. But it is fun to shoot, and anything that arrives at 500 with a ton of residual energy is plenty effective on edible game. Regards, Eagleye.

 

[stubblejumper]

The 7mmstw was actually my only big game cartridge for several years.I have used it to take pronghorn,bighorn,whitetails,elk,mule deer and moose.With the 140gr tsx or mrx.it does a great job on all of theses species.I had my own minimum spec reamer made up which was used to chamber all three of my 7mmstw rifles,and I still have it.

 

[MTM]

Just for the record, this is my third STW. I've used the same load in all three. Two were 26" barrels, one 24 the difference in velocity between 26" and 24" is the same as a slow barrel vs. a fast barrel. The 26"ers went slightly over 3300 fps and the 24 goes right at or slightly less than 3300. I chronoed this barrel before rechambering. The best I could get as a 7 Mag was 3050-3075 fps with H4831. After rechambering and 11 grs. more of 7828 it goes 3275-3300. Oh ya, and it shoots under 2" at 300 meters.