Anybody use this bullet ? Is it accurate and will it put game down as well as a Nosler Partition ?

I have used Swift A-Frames on three safaris and locally in a 25-06 for deer. I am not a real fan of the partitions. On my first trip to Africa, the hunter in camp before us had wounded a zebra with a partition from a 338WM and had wasted several days tracking it but never found it. The PH's and Alaskan guides I talked to recommended Swift A-Frames over partitions for Africa and big bears in Alaska. I never got the partitions to shoot well except for my 308 Warbird.

I prefer the partitions because they seem to be easier to develop an accurate load with and work well for just about anything in NA. The Swift A-frame handgun rounds also seem to lack the quality control their rifle bullets have as they seem to have malformed lead around the tips which isn't what one would expect at their price point...

I use A-Frames in my .300 H&H, my .280 Rem, and my .270 and loaded sixty rounds in a .325 WSM recently.

IMO they are as good a bullet as you can get.

I find accuracy to be better than partitions but the increment is of marginal value.

The only reason I don't use partitions more often is due to their propensity to shed the front core of the bullet.

A-Frames are for times when velocities are high, when the game is large and/or when the cost of the hunt warrants the insurance.

That said, the partition has withstood the test of time and won't be going away soon.....for darn good reason....they work!

I use the 180gr Swifts in my 30-378Wby and they will group 1.25" on average at 200yds. I have used that rifle/load for a number of plains game in Africa. I also used the 250gr Swifts in my 375H&H in Africa. I used the 250gr Swifts in my 338-378Wby for my brown bear in Alaska. We have used the 100gr Swifts for hunting mature bucks in thickets here in North Carolina to insure penetration from any angle.

I have used Nosler partitions in all of my hunting rifles from 243 WSSM to 375 h&h and never looked back. While they are not quite as accurate as some, the difference is negligible. As has been stated, they sometimes shed the front half of the bullet, which is not all bad. Costwise, the NP's are a bit less expensive than the A Frames, especially when able to get desired caliber in 2nds.

Used 300 gr. A Frames in my 375 h&h on an eland hunt with excellent accuracy and performance. First shot was complete passthrough on broadside shot which completely took out top of heart w/all connecting plumbing. Second shot was not necessary, but caught him just behind last rib as he ran into the scrub, lodging just unter the hide, penetrating approximately 38". Bullet retained over 96% of original weight (289 gr.).

What's not to like, other than perhaps the cost?


Regards,
hm

I shot a "mulligan" moose in 2008 with a 150 gr. A-frame out of my .270 wcf. The bullet looks much like what HM posted above.

The shot was about 240+ yards, and performance was excellent. Bullet broke both shoulders & perhaps the spine too. Obviously, the moose dropped at the shot.

Going through that much bone, most of the lead was smeared-off the front core (much like a Partition, I suspect! ). Also, having impacted that much bone, the expanded frontal diameter was relatively small. Penetration was fantastic, with the bullet coming to rest under the far-side hide.

Accuracy was quite good in my rifle, and if I kept the barrel cool, I could shoot at an inch or less.

Best wishes and good luck!

friar

They are expensive, and I am a cheap bastard. That being said, I,ve got a CZ in 9.3 that does,nt seem to,like partitions. Does just fine with accubonds, 250 grain Barnes, or the Hornady bullets.. For plinkin, sighting in, etc, I use the same load of Varget for 286 grain A-frames, and 285 grain Privis. Point of impact seems to be about the same for both, and I,d love to tell you about the quarter inch groups with boring regularity at 100 yards, but I,m using iron sights and I,m just not that good a shot.. 150 grain A-frames in a .270.. Mostly a creature of habit, when I find something that works for me, I tend to stay with it. Performance on critters, could,nt say. Just getting back into hunting after about 20 years away from it, which I reckon puts me on newbie status. Ah well. Last couple years, been rounding up equipment, learnin how to use it, lot less cocky than I was a couple years ago, eyes are a lot worse than what I remember..

Sheesh.. Guess I oughta stop rambling and cut to the chase. My limited experince has been that they are quite accurate, the guns I have seem to like em.. Coud take a while ( a long while..) before the nut behind the bolt is a good enough shot to blame any fliers on the ammo.. When putting hunting rounds together, I get the a-frames.

Most of my experience with A-Frames has been on African hunts. To me, they are about the best there is for such hunts where solids are not called for. I find them similar to a Partition, but with a much more durable front section. They often don't group as well as some other bullets, but in Africa, the ranges at which large game is generally taken makes that largely irrelevant. Performance on game is the key, and that's their strong point.

I used 225 gr. Swift A Frames in a plainsgame safari in a 338 Wim Mag. Worked great on everything up to Eland.

I used 300 gr. Nosler Partitiions in a 375 H&H for Cape Buff and Kudu three weeks ago in Zambia. On the Kudu the shot was a complete pass through taking out the most of the heart and associated plumbing from about 100 yds. On the buff from about 70 yds the buff was quartering slightly to me. The shot on the point of the shoulder took him down. He staggered to his feet and went maybe 20 yds and was down for the count, death bellow and all. Still paid the insurance for good measure. The skinner found the bullet ont the far side just under the skin after destroying the heart and most of the lungs. The front portion of the partition had sheared off, just as designed, the back 2 3rds was a perfect mushroom just like all the pictures you have seen.

Both bullets work as advertized, take your pick.

Both are great bullets. If you're shooting at long range on thinner skinned game (deer, elk) I would use the Partitions since they will expand nicely out to 600 yards yet the rear half will stay intact even at 15 feet and still penetrate. If you're after giraffe, cape buffalo, etc, I would use the A-Frames. They will give you perfect expansion and great weight retention (90% plus) at any reasonable velocity, not sure how they do out at 500 or 600 yards where velocity may drop below 2000 fps.