Swift A-frames in low velocity cartridges?

[Von S.]

Matt,

A guy gets a box of bullets that are labeled as expanding. He shoots a cape and the bullet expands too much and now theres all that running, sweating and shooting . The next animal that gets hit is a kudu who dies instantly. The next is a leopard which is hit right, but the bullet whistles through him like crap through a goose and now you have a psychopath cat who is now hunting you before he stiffens up.

This is why I machine all my own dg bullets for both velocity and body disruption.

 

[IvW]

Matt,

A guy gets a box of bullets that are labeled as expanding. He shoots a cape and the bullet expands too much and now theres all that running, sweating and shooting . The next animal that gets hit is a kudu who dies instantly. The next is a leopard which is hit right, but the bullet whistles through him like crap through a goose and now you have a psychopath cat who is now hunting you before he stiffens up.

This is why I machine all my own dg bullets for both velocity and body disruption.

Are you referring to Swift A frames or some other expanding bullet?

 

[Von S.]

Hi Matt,

I am talking about expanding bullet from every company that ever made them.

I am not badmouthing any of them do what they say they will do. I am just attempting to explain that if someone shoots something like a cape with a jacket and core hardness designed for a very thin and more delicate animal that bullet will perform correctly and a bone strike could cause complete desintagration and vice versa on a thin skinned animal shot with too hard and top thick bullet material.

I exclusively use Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets on deer sized and smaller thin skinned targets knowing damned well that at the speed and distance that I am hitting them with the bullet is going to come apart, yet I still swear by them because I pick my shots and will not attempt a Texas Heart Shot even at a world record. I take head and neck shots and they drop on the spot. The NBT kills like lightening behind the shoulder with a 30 caliber 180 great out of an 06 as it turns into a grenade out to about 150 yards and after that it calms down.

All of the companies make good bullets....the problem is that no one makes one that works correctly with a wide swing of velocity or if it's too thick or too thin.

Choose wisely Sir Knight.

 

[Papabear55]

ive used Swift bullets with great success in cartridges such as the 7x57, 375 H&H, and 416 RM. but i havent tried them yet in low velocity cartridges such as nitro express cartridges. im considering them for the 450 NE 3.25" (assuming they will regulate) and the 505 Gibbs cartridge. but i wonder if the very low velocities these cartridges produce will properly expand the tough A-frame bullet before it hits the vitals on a typical broad side shot on a buffalo?

the velocities in question are:
- 500gr .458" at 2050fps (impact velocity will likely be around 1900fps)
- 570gr .505" at 2150fps (impact velocity will likely be around 2000fps)

im concerned the A-frame will actually be too sturdy assuming it doesnt hit a major bone. im sure the bullet would fully expand by the time it reaches the off side of the animal but that doesnt mean much if it wasnt expanded when it passed threw the lungs/heart. in all of Swift's pictures it shows almost no expansion on the low end of the velocity spectrum which isnt promising.

thoughts?

-matt

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I saw this while searching for other info and thought I'd share something somewhat related.

I have tested some of the 350gr a frames in my 45-70 and have had decent expansion down to around 1500fps in testing. Granted it was water jugs and snow

 

[Nevada Mike]

I used 400 grain Swift A Frames in my 404 Jeffery at 2250 fps. This was from a one shot kill on a bull cape buffalo... high shoulder shot. The shot shattered both shoulders and was found in the marrow of the upper leg bone. It did terrific damage. Similar results on another buff and an eland, though the eland was shot at over 200 yards and required followup after the bullet broke the shoulder just above the leg bone.

 

[Papabear55]

This was at 100yds out of my 45-70, muzzle vel was about 1950fps, so I'm assuming impact vel was around 1550fps

 

[Tucketed]

404J with 400 grain AFrame at 2250. Two buffalo one at 60 yards and 12 yards the flat one that snaked down the spine, the other at 30 yards

 

[Tucketed]

Sorry forget this in above message

 

[colorado]

Velo i would be more then happy to make another trip up to that fine state of yours! we oughta set up some kind of fishing or hunting trip in the future.

i posted this thread because i havent seen any A-frame reviews using heavy slow cartridges. id be very interested to hear detailed reports on the damage done using A-frames in cartridges such as the 450/400 NE 3", 450 NE 3.25",458 WM, 470 NE, and 500 NE 3".

-matt

You might want to go with Woodleigh soft points. They're bonded and at those lower velocities might perform better than A-Frames (which i love)

 

[sgt_zim]

You might want to go with Woodleigh soft points. They're bonded and at those lower velocities might perform better than A-Frames (which i love)

Geoff and Co. are still rebuilding from their fire a couple years ago. I emailed him about a month or so ago, he said they should start shipping new bullets by December of this year.

Fingers crossed.

 

[sgt_zim]

404J with 400 grain AFrame at 2250. Two buffalo one at 60 yards and 12 yards the flat one that snaked down the spine, the other at 30 yards

When I start doing LD for my 404, it's going to probably come down to what's available. Been waiting for months for Swift, Reloading International has quite a selection of North Forks, and Hammer bullets seem to always be available as well.