I am thinking about the 150 Scirocco for white tail deer this fall. I have been told that since the jacket is copper, they build up pressure faster and require special reloading data. I would appreciate any information anyone would have regarding this load.

Thanks in advance,

Swift 308 Win Data 150 Gr Scirocco
Max cartridge OAL-2.810
Primer-CCI200
*
H-414*46.5 gr-2666 fps*50 gr-2898fps
H-4895*42.3 gr-2759 fps*45.5 gr-2927 fps
Varget*43.7 gr-2729fps*47 gr-2888fps
RL-15*42.8 gr-2704 fps*46 gr-2923 fps
IMR-3031*39.5 gr-2668 fps*42.5 gr-2842 fps
IMR-4064*41.9 gr-2694 fps*45 gr-2881 fps
IMR-4895*41.4 gr-2689 fps*44.5 gr-2863 fps
*
I'v never heard that about the Sciroccos,you may be thinking of the "all copper" bullets? I'v ran em kissing the lands and usually settled between 15-30 off.
Jeff

[ 06-24-2003, 23:07: Message edited by: jsr ]

I have used the 150grn in my 300 WSM. Loaded about .020 off the lands. In the Swift manual there is no precaution to load them to any minimum gap.
I will say that the one deer that I shot with one last year was a little disappointing. I hit the deer high in the shoulder and pretty much removed a huge hunk of his back bone. There were also two smaller holes exciting below the back bone. This tells me the bullet must have come apart. So much for being bonded. I know one deer is no test of a bullet and I pretty much made a bad shot, but I sure thought a bonded bullet would hold together better than that.
Not to say I have given up on the Scirocco. I will try them again next year.
For the record the deer was about one hundred yards and he dropped in his tracks. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on the performance of one "bad" shot. It does make me wonder what would happen on a very large elk if shot square in the shoulder though.

JSR, thanks for the data.

BlueTick, I wonder if the two small exit hole's could have been from bone shrapnel? The reason I'm going to try the scirocco's is because of my experience with nosler BT's last year. I shot a nice buck in the heart but didn't think I hit him which is not uncommon with heart shots. I was able to get off another shot and hit him in the spine. The bullet did not exit. I like to have bullets go all the way through and let some day lilght in! On another shot on a doe, it was a hurried shot and it was too late to be shooting but I hit her and could not find a drop of blood anywhere. Apparently she didn't get too far because my mother's dog kept dragging up deer parts to the front yard.

PS: I am hunting with a 15" 308 Encore

JSR, thanks for the data.

BlueTick, I wonder if the two small exit hole's could have been from bone shrapnel? The reason I'm going to try the scirocco's is because of my experience with nosler BT's last year. I shot a nice buck in the heart but didn't think I hit him which is not uncommon with heart shots. I was able to get off another shot and hit him in the spine. The bullet did not exit. I like to have bullets go all the way through and let some day light in! On another shot on a doe, it was a hurried shot and it was too late to be shooting but I hit her and could not find a drop of blood anywhere. Apparently she didn't get too far because my mother's dog kept dragging up deer parts to the front yard.

PS: I am hunting with a 15" 308 Encore

bluetick,
It's hard to get any 150gr bullet to hold together under magnum velocities. Try going to a little heavier bullet, 165 or 180. I've had trouble keeping the bullets together in my 06 and finally went to the 180's. Just a thought.

Robert

quote:

---

bluetick,
It's hard to get any 150gr bullet to hold together under magnum velocities. Try going to a little heavier bullet, 165 or 180. I've had trouble keeping the bullets together in my 06 and finally went to the 180's. Just a thought.

---

I absolutely agree.
As far as bone fragments go I am sure that is possible, but the size of the gapping hole in the deer's back also suggested that the bullet had come apart. Believe me I am not giving up on the Scirocco, it shoots better than a Nosler BT in my rifle, about 3/4" and I know it has to be tougher.
The real test is still a few deer away.
Shawn

If of the proper construction a 150 gr.308" bullet will hold together in almost any cartridge.I have seen 150gr partitions (and 140gr-7mm partitions and failsafes)driven at 3500fps and hold together just fine on game animals.On the other hand lightly constructed .308" 150gr bullets often do not hold together well on big game when driven at very high velocities.

bluetick,due to an argument,oops meant to say conversation at another forum,I called Swift to enquire if they recommended the Scirocco for elk sized game. CEO Bill Hober told me that the 30 cal 180 gr Scirocco was designed specifically with elk in mind and he has used it and the 165 many times.He did add that if you think that a bone bustin' shoulder shot is in the works,by all means go with an... A-Frame,what else? Somebody,I think it was Dave King had some Pics of sectioned Sciroccos BTs,partitions and a couple others floating around a while back,a real eye opener.Scirocco looks something like a BT on steroids.
Jeff

[ 06-25-2003, 11:38: Message edited by: jsr ]

I killed two white tails with 150gr 7mm Sciroccos two seasons ago. The first was a quartering away shot as the buck was getting out of his bed. The distance was around 50 meters, and I hit the animal in the spine. The bullet completely destroyed a 10" section of spine, coming to rest under the hide on the off side of the animal. The recovered bullet looks like it came out of a swift bullet ad. It is a perfect mushroom with about 75% weight retention. The second deer was one that I had to clean up for my hunting partener. We walked to within 50meters of a dugout, I tossed a rock in, and out flushed a nice little 4 point with after burners on. My friend led him to far, and made a marginal hit in the brisket. As I squeezed on the broadside running animal, he decided to turn and run directly away, causing the bullet to split the pelvis. This bullet was recovered just inside the brisket looking absolutely identical to the first one, perfect expansion and excellent weight retention.
A third 150gr swift scirocco was recovered this past hunting season from a bull elk. The bullet entered the onside shoulder penetrated both lungs and came to rest under the hide on the off side. This bullet looks identical to the first two, infact all three bullets look so similar that I had to label them to be able to keep them seperate.

Blue tick, Inlight of my experiances with sciroccos, I would strongly believe that the the excessive damage and two wounds were caused by secondary fragments of bone, and not bullet fragments.

Grey eagle, I obtained the best accuracy from these bullets with a charge slightly over max, and with the bullet seated 15thou off the lands.

Thomas
You my very well be right. Like I say I hit the deer in the top of the shoulder/backbone and it left him with a huge hole in the top of his back.
Like I say I have not give up on the Scirocco. Its just that with the massive hole left in his back and the two smaller holes lower in his ribs it makes me wonder what happened.
I'm at work right now but when I get home I will post a picture if you promise not to laugh at my little Louisiana spike. Like I say the hole was so impressive I had to take a picture.

Ok here is the picture. I hope axcel or some of the other girls don't take offence.
The shot was made from the opposite direction of the picture. All I can say is that is a lot of damage for a bullet that stayed together.
One more thing, I was about 20 feet high in a tree and the deer was in a deep bottom below me. Like I said before, the little buck hit the ground like he was slammed with the hammer of Thor.
By the way I don�t usually take pictures of all the carnage I have invoked but when I walked up to the deer I was kind�a startled. I thought he had some kind of cancer or something for a split second.
Shawn

Bluetick, I'm not a scientist, but was wondering if the size of the wound could have been contributed to the fact that forward penetration of the bullet was thwarted by the spine thus sending a shock wave in a circular direction? I can imagine the surprise you had.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bluetick:
[QB]I will say that the one deer that I shot with one last year was a little disappointing. I hit the deer high in the shoulder and pretty much removed a huge hunk of his back bone. There were also two smaller holes exciting below the back bone. This tells me the bullet must have come apart. So much for being bonded. I know one deer is no test of a bullet and I pretty much made a bad shot, but I sure thought a bonded bullet would hold together better than that.
Not to say I have given up on the Scirocco. I will try them again next year.

Bluetick-
Frist let me ask if you think this could have been caused by the shot angle??? I had the almost the same thing happen with a Nosler Partition out of a 7x57mm a few years ago but feel it was due to the angle of the shot,similar to skipping rocks off of water.

Don't take this the Wrong Way as I'am not wishing to get into another long "Conversation" that turns into a "Mud Slinging Argument". I'am Happy to see that I'am not the only one Questioning the Scircco Bullet.

Last Nov on this Forum in another topic " Swift Scirocco Opinions" (Do a site serch to find it)as I don't wish to have to type everything back in again.

I posted that I had not 1 but 2 Scirocco "Blow Ups" and I do mean "Blow Ups"on 2 Ga Whitetails.These where Remington Factory Loads in 3006 and 150gr.I wrote both Swift Bullets(still haven't heard a word from them) and Remington which did respond ASP giving them all the FACTS I posted in the other topic above.

Remington ask that I return the Ammo in Question for testing,which I did along with the Details .They tested these loads and sent me the Bullets from the test,they did as they should have no promblems found with theseBullets.
However when I called and talked to guy from Remington [which refuned my $ for one box and I asked for another box to try again which they sent me at no charge.My Hat is off to them for their Timely and Professional Manner in which they handled this.A whole lot better than Swift] that did the testing.In talking with Him he told me "That they have had more compliants about thier ammo with the Swift Scirocco than any other Bullet and did not now why" Makes you wonder don't it,it does me.

I won't say I will never use the Scirocco on game again,but I won't do so untill I do my own Bullet Test.

Based on my Limited use on Deer in the same bullet weight and form the same 3006 rifle,with both the Swift Scirocco and the Nosler Ballsitic Tip.The Ballsitic Tip is by far the better of the 2.

Dag gone it! I had my heart set on trying the scirroco's this fall on deer, but I stopped by an Orchlein's farm store near where I hunt last weekend and they had a close out on Barnes 30/30 308 165 grn. bullets for $13.00 a box. I bought 2 boxes and my wife stopped by there the next day and bought 3 more boxes. I am using a 15" barrel on my T/C Encore and figure the 30/30 bullet should work great!

Thanks for all the response's