Swift bullets
- Thread starter stew
- Start date
The Scirocco II is one of the better bonded bullets out there, IMHO.
Performance in everything from the 6mm to the 308 Norma Magnum has been flawless.
They can be a bit tricky to get to shoot in some rifles, but when they do, they are great!
My experience has shown they prefer to be seated off the lands a bit. The Jackets are soft copper,
so they can foul rough bores a bit, but a good solvent is all one needs to remove that.
I have no manual, but work loads up, starting a couple of grains lower than conventional bullet recommendations.
Regards, Dave.
Performance in everything from the 6mm to the 308 Norma Magnum has been flawless.
They can be a bit tricky to get to shoot in some rifles, but when they do, they are great!
My experience has shown they prefer to be seated off the lands a bit. The Jackets are soft copper,
so they can foul rough bores a bit, but a good solvent is all one needs to remove that.
I have no manual, but work loads up, starting a couple of grains lower than conventional bullet recommendations.
Regards, Dave.
I completely agree with Dave. I have used them in the .300 Win Mag, 264 Win Mag and .260 AI all with good results. I don't know why the Scirocco II isn't a more popular bullet(price maybe?). They fly great and their terminal performance is great as well. I usually hunt with Matchkings which is obviously a target bullet but if I was looking to use a dedicated hunting bullet, the Scirocco II would be the one.
The A-Frames are my current favorite bullet for buffalo in the .375 and .458, but I've picked up enough small stuff along the way to know that they will open up on them too. They hit hard, penetrate as well as anything, have a boringly predictable 2X expansion, and if you wanted to tear one up you'd probably have to go into the pasture and shoot rocks. If your hunting is strictly for smaller lightly constructed animals you might be happier/just as happy with a softer bullet.
I have used 275 grain A-frames in the .338 RUM on both elk and moose. They leave a distinct impression. I think they may be one of the best hunting bullets I have ever used. Not the most streamlined for long-range, but they certainly will open up and hold together at close range at high velocities. Not cheap.
Here is one of my experiences with the Swift from a few years ago: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/665018-Swift-Scirocco
I have been loading scirocco II's (150 grain the only 7mm offering) and A-Frames (140 grain) in my 7.08 which is my (new) moose rifle.
My Swift data for the Scirocco's is:
H414/W760 - 41.4 - 44.5
Varget - 37.2 -40.0 (so far 38.8 has been most accurate for me and this is my "go to" powder since I also load 243, just keeps it simple)
IMR 4064 - 37.2 - 40.0
IMR 4350 - 42.8 - 46.0
(all of these powders were "in stock" at Cabela's a couple weeks back)
With the 140 A-Frames I have only loaded Varget so far (38.0 - 42.0) with best accuracy at 38.4
I don't load hot and don't mess with COAL (load according to spec data).
The A-Frame is a like a "tougher" partition. I have used it for moose (in my 30.06) since they hit the market back in the mid 80's - you don't get a nose separation like you do with a partition.
Likewise the Scirocco's are probably the "toughest" of the bonded bullets and have awesome co-efficient's - I just don't shoot long enough distance to really take advantage.
I (personally) consider both to be "too much" for medium game and would not "waste them" on anything smaller than Elk/Moose.
The only downside to the Swifts is the cost ($70/50 A-Frames, $80/100 Scirocco's) but I guess it's all perspective - I feed them into a $1300 rifle so figure I shouldn't "cheap out" on the part that counts the most.
My Swift data for the Scirocco's is:
H414/W760 - 41.4 - 44.5
Varget - 37.2 -40.0 (so far 38.8 has been most accurate for me and this is my "go to" powder since I also load 243, just keeps it simple)
IMR 4064 - 37.2 - 40.0
IMR 4350 - 42.8 - 46.0
(all of these powders were "in stock" at Cabela's a couple weeks back)
With the 140 A-Frames I have only loaded Varget so far (38.0 - 42.0) with best accuracy at 38.4
I don't load hot and don't mess with COAL (load according to spec data).
The A-Frame is a like a "tougher" partition. I have used it for moose (in my 30.06) since they hit the market back in the mid 80's - you don't get a nose separation like you do with a partition.
Likewise the Scirocco's are probably the "toughest" of the bonded bullets and have awesome co-efficient's - I just don't shoot long enough distance to really take advantage.
I (personally) consider both to be "too much" for medium game and would not "waste them" on anything smaller than Elk/Moose.
The only downside to the Swifts is the cost ($70/50 A-Frames, $80/100 Scirocco's) but I guess it's all perspective - I feed them into a $1300 rifle so figure I shouldn't "cheap out" on the part that counts the most.
My son put a 200gr A-Frame @ 3200fps muzzle velocity from my 300RUM stem to stern thru a 8' + grizzly I now also load 300gr A-Frames for my 375RUM.
Very extreme example I shot a 4X4 coastal blacktail in the chest facing me at 40 yards with a 180gr Scirroco @ 3380fps obviously it killed it instantly but the bullet didn't exit hit the spine between the shoulders and disintegrated without an exit hole.
Not dissing the Scirroco's not many bullets would have been able to stay together at that impact velocity.
Very extreme example I shot a 4X4 coastal blacktail in the chest facing me at 40 yards with a 180gr Scirroco @ 3380fps obviously it killed it instantly but the bullet didn't exit hit the spine between the shoulders and disintegrated without an exit hole.
Not dissing the Scirroco's not many bullets would have been able to stay together at that impact velocity.
Couldn't ask for better accuracy it was awesome but I decided to take advantage of the 300RUM's larger case and switched up to 200gr Accubonds @ 3200fps to shoot with the 200gr A-Frames both shoot to the same point of aim = I haven't shot the Scirroco's for a while now and I've now purchased a couple of boxes of 210gr .730 BC Accubond long range bullets to try out in this rifle.
I don't think any bonded core bullets would stand up to the 40 yard impact velocity of that shot just remembered I also shot an appr 300lbs black bear with the 180gr Scirroco's @ appr 150 yards dropped it DRT had both an entrance and exit hole with very little meat damage.
I don't think any bonded core bullets would stand up to the 40 yard impact velocity of that shot just remembered I also shot an appr 300lbs black bear with the 180gr Scirroco's @ appr 150 yards dropped it DRT had both an entrance and exit hole with very little meat damage.
