Well, a fellow forum member recently sold me a Savage small shank SS Varmint barrel reamed from .25-06 to .257 STW.

I had been "hoarding" 7mm STW brass as well.

When this package of barrel, dies and some brass came along priced right ......... and my desire to try a .257 WBY already in place ........ well, the "jump" to the STW family came naturally!

So I took apart my .300 RUM project and set it aside and on went the .257 STW .......

I did a lot of web searching and the info is not plentiful but I keep digging. I found the reloader nest info and the Layne Simpson (Shooting Times articles) from a few years ago.

I also find some solace from judging powders by way of looking at 7mm STW published data and running up into heavier slug loads ............ I am running the 100 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip for now ........ a likely "coyote saw" ........... and from my limited work thus far am leaning towards 7mm STW 160 gr. bullet data to line up with a 100 gr. .257 bullet in the same case .....

It may sound overly cautious ........... and it may well in fact be too cautious ......... but thus far it seems to work ... if only for starting loads ...........

Now you could ask yourself ......... why so much difference?

I began this odessy by looking at the nearest reference that's available ......... to compare the 7mm WBY to the .257 WBY and how the same powder in each lines up with respect to different bullet weights in published data. A trend formed pretty quickly ....... and then I transfered that knowledge to the 7mm STW ........

It's no mystery that necking down a case of any given volume will back up pressure ........ not withstanding a much lighter bullet ........ charges will necessarily have to be reduced.

I am only begining this journey and am sure to learn much more .........

On paper thus far ......... I have been able to get a group with RL 22 that shot .390" @ 100 yds with that same 100 gr. Nos. Bal Tip

And just recently, I switched to US 869 and got a .750" result at 86 gr. with about .040" of jump.

I may be wrong but I think I am seeing a long relationship starting to form with this wildcat ............

BTW ....... I am still using the 'ole tuppeware stock ......... LOL!

Best regards

Three 44s