Swift Scirroco bullets in the 30-06

ackertjosh

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Hey all.. so I just picked up a Winchester 70 Featherlight in 30-06. Im really contemplating on using them and wondering if anyone has had good luck with them or any experience with them on game.. My main quarry will be moose... and thats about it.. possibly the odd black bear if i decide to take the 30-06 over the 7mm-08.. IF i plan to use it for deer as well then I have some Game kings i can use that will work just fine.. ive always been a fan of the 165gr bullets but for some reason everyone is saying 180.. that being said... due to the heavy construction of the scrirrocos will they reliably open up at 30-06 velocites.. out to 250 300 yards??..

Thanks all
Josh
 
Hi Josh; I am a fan of and use the Scirocco II in several applications.

While the 180 is a great all-round weight, I believe that with a bullet as well constructed as the Scirocco II,
and with it's aerodynamic shape, that the 165 is a good choice in the 30-06 for anything except a big bear.

As for expansion, they are considerably more reliable to expand at reduced velocities than are the TSX from Barnes.
I have yet to see one fail to expand, even well out there [466 yards, 7mm SAUM], and have not seen one disintegrate, even close up. [54 yards, 308 Norma Magnum]

IMHO, You should have exactly zero problems with the Scirocco II, in either 165 or 180 grain persuasion. The 30-06 will kill those moose just fine.

Below is a picture of a S-II from a moose, with accompanying unfired bullet and loaded round. 308 Norma, 180 S-II, 100 yards. [MV 3125 fps]

Regards, Dave.

 
I agree with everything Eagleye said about the Scirocco II.

I will mention that I have found that you have to get any previous copper fouling out of the barrel before you start working up a load for them. If you don't you may find that you may get less than stellar accuracy.
 
Dave/Eagle eye. My go to for years has been the Nosler Partition, lately i have used Hornady SST as a budget bullet.

So my question to you is, have you found the swift to be better than partition?

I have been using the SST because with no draw, have not come to the north province for a number of years. Principal game in the south for me is Muleys. What other bullets do you use, as a budget use?
 
The Swift A-Frame, would be a proper competitor to the partition.

The Scirocco is a bonded projectile , which would compare to the accubond.

So, tough to compare objectively but IMO there would be few differences between a dead animal from bonded bullet to a partition type bullet.

The Scirocco is my far preferred game bullet in many applications.It is tough and dependable.

When developing hunting loads the Swift performed very well accuracy wise compared to others, but none were out of killing accuracy.

Dave/Eagle eye. My go to for years has been the Nosler Partition, lately i have used Hornady SST as a budget bullet.

So my question to you is, have you found the swift to be better than partition?

I have been using the SST because with no draw, have not come to the north province for a number of years. Principal game in the south for me is Muleys. What other bullets do you use, as a budget use?
 
Thanks All for the replies!!!! A couple years ago i loaded some Swifts up in my 7mm-08 with great success... but never used any on game lol.. but they kill water bottler really well at 285 yards lol.
Dave/Kelly. Whom do you reccomend buying from? Last time i got them is from CIDISTRIBUTIONS. Also im looking at ordering myself 100 Lapua brass from either Prophet river or Hirshprocission.
Im hoping with a combo like that with a velocity of 2900-3000fps(if possible) should be reliable, accurate and deadly on my quarry out to 300...

Thanks again with much respect!!
Josh
 
I typically get from CI as well.

I think RaynerShine in Sask, also carries them.

Hirsch for brass also, Lapua brass can last a lifetime for some shooters.

The dollar hasn't been helping pricing though. :(
 
I would say 165 grains in an A-Frame. No first-hand knowledge of the Scirocco.

I know a Barnes TSX 165 is all that is needed on all plains game type critters. At appropriate velocity.

Regards,
P.
 
what about the AMAXs from hornedy?

Completely different projectile/purpose. The Amax is a highly frangible target bullet that has been adapted to long range hunting. The other bullets are premium controlled expansion bullets that might have some trouble opening at slower speeds/longer range. The Amax will break into fragments at much slower speeds, taking out organs, vessels and CNS. Very similar to the VLD Bergers in this method of performance. Their weak point is the potential of shallow splat wounds with no penetration if major bones are encountered at high speed/close range.
 
I'm a Swift fan and have been shooting them since they first put out the A-Frame in the 1980's.

First off, the 165 Scirocco is more than enough for Moose. The Scirocco is possibly the toughest bonded bullet on the market and has a wicked BC.

If you are shooting long range and need something with great penetration when it get there, it's tough to beat the Scirocco. Some might argue that one of the mono's are either just as good or better, and I would agree if you still have an impact velocity somewhat above 2500 fps.

In a non-mag caliber @ 300 or 400 yards you are probably no where near 2500 fps @ impact and the TSX, GMX, E-Tip etc will just not expand - the Scirocco (or accubond) will.

I have loaded/shot Scirocco's from my 243 and 7.08 but have never loaded them for 30 cal.

Also, when I moose hunt I only load A-Frames now. Ontario moose will let you get pretty close, there is zero need to make a 150 yard shot, much less a 300 or more which negates the need for an uber high-BC, boat tailed bullet.

The A-Frame is tougher then the Scirocco (and tougher than the Partition which I used until the A-Frames came on the market) - in my opinion, it's just the ultimate moose bullet.
 
Dave/Eagle eye. My go to for years has been the Nosler Partition, lately i have used Hornady SST as a budget bullet.

So my question to you is, have you found the swift to be better than partition?

In my opinion, the Partition rules when it comes to performance at decent cost. The Scirocco is a very good bullet, but if I was forced to make a choice
between it and the NP, the NP will be the winner. A closer comparison to the Scirocco II is the Nosler Accubond, which is a favorable one.

As far as "budget" bullets, I do not use them except to punch paper.

My feeling is that the cost of a premium bullet is such a little part of the overall hunt cost, I may as well use a bullet that is totally trustworthy under any
and all circumstances. Another reason for me to use the better bullet is the variety of game I can see/hunt in a given area. [Moose, Elk, WT & Mule deer, Black Bear, etc]

Regards, Dave
 
How far are you guys seating off the lands with the s2's? I've read there hard and like a jump like Barnes, which is good as I can't seem to get close to em with the profile of this bullet. This is the first time I'm using them have used the a-frames in factory loads and really liked them.
 
I can't tell you anything about 30-06. I use a lazz 7.82 (308) warbird, and usually always used 180 accubonds but always wanted to try the swifts, so found the 165gr sciroccos. I haven't had much experience with it yet but I shot a buck last week at about 200 yards and it just left pretty much a hole the size of the bullet in and out but sawed his lungs in half. There wasn't really any waste on the front quarters at all. I know with the accubonds 75% of the time it'll make waste on the 2 front quarters. I'm real satisfied with the sciroccos so far. Gonna see how they perform on elk soon
 
A 160 gr Accubond from a 7 Rem mag penetrated 40" of moose and retained just under 60% of it's weight a couple years back..................Harold
 
Thanks for the replies Dave and Kelly. Never having used Swift, it is good to know the projectiles.

I have to agree that projectiles are one of the smallest costs. Like i said, i use, by default, partitions. My beef with them is three fold. Firstly the exposed tip easily deforms, there is only so many uses for coup de graise shots. Secondly, at the 30 cal level they are $1/, in my bigger cals they are closer to $1.50/. Thirdly, they are not always available, even in the Lower mainland. So as a plinking round, and in the South province i have been loading the SST, which is basically a tipped interlock. All that is needed for Mule deer, cheaper, and more aerodynamic than a deformed tip partition. When i spend real money, and go Moose hunting up north again, then partitions would be my go to.
 
Thanks again for all the info. With the fine knowledge on this site you all talked me into buying more Swifts Sciroccos. 165gr. They are on route as well as 100 Lapua brass.. Its pretty much all i use now for brass form my 222,22-250,6.5x55,7mm-08, 308 and now 30-06 lol.. yeah i like lapua brass..

Thanks again for all the replies and info and one i hope to have a story to tell that ends with meat in the freezer and not just blowen water bottles lol.

You all have a good day!!!
Josh Ackert
 
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