New SOLID from Swift Bullets

[IdaRam]

I spoke with Brad from Swift Bullets at SHOT Show today and here is a pic of their new solid. Available any time now... IIRC he said 80 inches of very straight penetration in wet newspaper from the .375 dia.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Wow, now that's different.

 

[CAustin]

80 inches??!!!!! Wow

 

[BRICKBURN]

If they are available in time I might just have to give them a try.

 

[IdaRam]

It sounds like they had been building some inventory going into SHOT Show and are able to fill some orders now depending upon caliber and qty. Best bet was to contact Swift direct as it will be some time before they appear on anyones shelves or website. FYI, might not get anyone on the phone next week as chaos usually reigns the week following SHOT, but leave a message.

 

[Guépard]

Thank you for this interesting information!

 

[PeteG]

That looks interesting...
I presume the black cap is to ensure smooth feeding?
Looks like the cavity up front is similar to the Woodleigh hydrostatically stabilized solid?

 

[IdaRam]

Yes, according to Brad the traditional Swift black polymer tip is to ensure rounds move up and down freely in a box magazine and feed reliably.
He showed me a bullet (.50 cal I believe) that had been recovered from an elephant skull that looked like it could be reloaded again if it werent for the rifling marks. Also the concave tip was slightly mushroomed.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Looks like the back half of the bullet is slightly larger in diameter than the front. I would have to guess this is to reduce pressure.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Looks like the back half of the bullet is slightly larger in diameter than the front. I would have to guess this is to reduce pressure.

Now that you point it out.
The front half being smaller diameter must be designed to reduce bearing surface. Thus, pressure reduction?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Now that you point it out.
The front half being smaller diameter must be designed to reduce bearing surface. Thus, pressure reduction?

That was my thought. A different twist on the bore rider concept.

 

[enysse]

All depends on the price......though I like innovation.

 

[PaulT]

Very interesting.
80 inches is a big call.
Not saying it's not true,
but if it is then it will be the furthest penetrating solid in test media I am aware of.

On average, depending on a number of variables the C.E.B # 13 solids travel between 70" and 80" at best (in test media).
This is still an incredible amount of penetration, which in animal tissue, dependant on a number of different variables, translates in to quite a bit more than that, sometimes double or more.

Obviously impossible to judge from a picture, but I do see some of the requirements being addressed, to some degree. To what degree those requirements are addressed needs to be qualified.

Obvious from the pic is a fairly large semi-meplat.
An incredible volume of testing (10's of thousands of projectiles) a good friend of mine has done on numerous variations of %-of-caliber meplats showed a specific % of caliber to be the very best compromised for both penetration and feeding and function.
Greater meplats showed more difficult to function, lesser penetrated less.
What percentage meplat is displayed above ?

( I would guess, for those that asked, the purpose of the rounded plastic tips is to reduce the velocity loss over distance compared with no tips).

This above testing also showed that a specific radius shoulder transitioning from the meplat to the nose also increased penetration. In the best interests of maintaining the "intelligence-integrity" of other manufacturers designs i will not state here what that perfect radius turned out to be other than to suggest that there is a specific formulae to it all.

Another feature imperative to terminal performance was nose projection %.

I guess what i'm getting at is that there is a very definite "science" or "formulae" to the terminal performance of a solid, or soft for that matter.

The above picture of the new Swift certainly looks as though it has addressed a number of those requirements, if not all of them.

I, for one, certainly hope they have and kudos to Swift for moving in the right direction.
Having another quality solid available for hunters is awesome.

I will be trying to get some independent testing and examination in order to confirm.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Very interesting.
80 inches is a big call.
Not saying it's not true,
but if it is then it will be the furthest penetrating solid in test media I am aware of.

On average, depending on a number of variables the C.E.B # 13 solids travel between 70" and 80" at best (in test media).
This is still an incredible amount of penetration, which in animal tissue, dependant on a number of different variables, translates in to quite a bit more than that, sometimes double or more.

Obviously impossible to judge from a picture, but I do see some of the requirements being addressed, to some degree. To what degree those requirements are addressed needs to be qualified.

Obvious from the pic is a fairly large semi-meplat.
An incredible volume of testing (10's of thousands of projectiles) a good friend of mine has done on numerous variations of %-of-caliber meplats showed a specific % of caliber to be the very best compromised for both penetration and feeding and function.
Greater meplats showed more difficult to function, lesser penetrated less.
What percentage meplat is displayed above ?

( I would guess, for those that asked, the purpose of the rounded plastic tips is to reduce the velocity loss over distance compared with no tips).

This above testing also showed that a specific radius shoulder transitioning from the meplat to the nose also increased penetration. In the best interests of maintaining the "intelligence-integrity" of other manufacturers designs i will not state here what that perfect radius turned out to be other than to suggest that there is a specific formulae to it all.

Another feature imperative to terminal performance was nose projection %.

I guess what i'm getting at is that there is a very definite "science" or "formulae" to the terminal performance of a solid, or soft for that matter.

The above picture of the new Swift certainly looks as though it has addressed a number of those requirements, if not all of them.

I, for one, certainly hope they have and kudos to Swift for moving in the right direction.
Having another quality solid available for hunters is awesome.

I will be trying to get some independent testing and examination in order to confirm.

I was wondering too if the rounded plastic tip was an aid to feeding properly. The mad scientist in South Carolina has a new project now!

 

[PaulT]

Phil, obviously I could be wrong, but I doubt that those tips would have much benefit towards feeding.
I would suggest their purpose would be more for retarding velocity loss over distance.

Doc M has shown that in the BBW# 13's the tips reduce velocity loss of between 100-150fps over the first 100yds depending, of-course, on a number of variables, load, bullet weight, velocity, etc etc.

Like I said, I could be wrong !

For those with an interest in Terminal Performance let me list the requirements according to the McCourry Institute of Advanced Ballistics and Terminal Performance ;
1.....Nose Profile
2.....Meplat Size in Percentage of Caliber
3.....Radius Edge Of Meplat
4.....Nose Projection in Front of First band.
5.....Construction & Material
6.....Velocity
7.....Twist Rate
8.....Sectional Density

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil, obviously I could be wrong, but I doubt that those tips would have much benefit towards feeding.
I would suggest their purpose would be more for retarding velocity loss over distance.

Doc M has shown that in the BBW# 13's the tips reduce velocity loss of between 100-150fps over the first 100yds depending, of-course, on a number of variables, load, bullet weight, velocity, etc etc.

Like I said, I could be wrong !

For those with an interest in Terminal Performance let me list the requirements according to the McCourry Institute of Advanced Ballistics and Terminal Performance ;
1.....Nose Profile
2.....Meplat Size in Percentage of Caliber
3.....Radius Edge Of Meplat
4.....Nose Projection in Front of First band.
5.....Construction & Material
6.....Velocity
7.....Twist Rate
8.....Sectional Density

Oh I defer to yours and Michael's infinitely deeper experience. The only solids I've fired are the CEB's out of the .458B&M. So long as they continue to have virtually the same POI as the Raptors, that will be my combo in that rifle. Agreed about the velocity savings, I was just wondering out loud regarding feeding.

 

[matt85]

and i was just wishing Swift would make a solid to match the POI with their softs!

now i need to buy a double rifle and have it regulated for Swift bullets... dang this forum is expensive!

-matt

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

and i was just wishing Swift would make a solid to match the POI with their softs!

now i need to buy a double rifle and have it regulated for Swift bullets... dang this forum is expensive!

-matt

I'd be surprised if the CEB Raptor/Solid combo doesn't do that for you. Granted they're expensive, but load dev't was quick and easy for me.

 

[IdaRam]

Hi guys,
Just a little more info and clarification from my previous post above. When I asked Brad about the polymer tip he specifically mentioned that it's primary purpose was to ensure that the rounds "moved up freely" in a box magazine as the follower pushes them up. If the tip of the bullet is in contact with the front wall of the box, as it is likely to be after recoil, the large radius polymer tip is less likely to bind or grab than copper or brass which can cause the round to try to get "nose down". Secondarily, it improves retention of velocity by increasing b.c. a little bit and has little or no effect on how the round feeds into the chamber.
And that's about all I know about that! I also know I am glad to be home and I hate Las Vegas!!!

 

[PaulT]

Interesting to note that Swift have elected to omit a seating/crimping groove.