Real world results and experiences with Swift Break-Away solid ?

[roklok]

I bought two boxes of 300 grain Break-Away solids to develop a load for my .375 H&H. I have searched, but it seems there is not a whole lot of data out there yet on these solids from actual use. They look like a great option, definitely pricy, but I would be interested in hearing more about how these are actually performing in the field. I have been using the CEB Safari Solids but am experiencing bullet setback in the magazine under recoil. If I seat the CEB solid out to crimp between first two driving bands to eliminate setback, the OAL is too long for my magazine. Thinking the Swift solid will eliminate this issue and pair well with the A-Frames in this rifle.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The Swift Break Away solid is a damn fine specimen of what a good FMJ solid should be like. As an added bonus, they are perfectly safe to employ in all vintage double rifles (that are within proof, of course).

The only downside to them, is that Swift never seems to have them in stock ! Yes, a dear friend of mine uses them on elephant and hippopotamus on land quite extensively. If you would like any load data, I would be more than happy to get you in touch with him. He just returned from a tuskless cow elephant hunt recently.

 

[roklok]

Thanks ! I did a fair bit of searching and wasn't coming up with much on the way of field reports. Probably a factor of their relative newness and high price, as well as limited availability has limited information on these. I will use them with confidence !

 

[Beefeater]

Hi Roklok.400 gr @ 2400 fps from. 416 remmag - elephant cow frontal brain

 

[Skshyk]

500 NE elephant bull heart shoot.

 

[intj]

I don't have a bullet pic, but after a hard hit with a 416/400 cal A-Frame from my M-70 in 416 Rem, the buffalo kept moving. A 400 grain Swift Break Away solid that entered just in front of his right ham and went toward the opposite shoulder stopped him from moving. The solid didn't exit, the stomach caught it. Then again, buffalo stomachs are know as bullet catchers, even king-of-penetration 416/400 grainers.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Used a 505 Gibbs with a 570 grain break a way solid on this bull with no issues at all.

HH

 

[Longwalker]

I used a 300 gr. .375 break away solid to put a follow up shot into a wounded eland. Shot was from the rear, through the rumen into the vitals. Deep penetration, almost no bullet distortion, good wound effect. Perfect! I wrote a report with pictures in bullet performance database.

 

[Luvthunt]

Nice Bull.

 

[roklok]

Thanks guys ! Just what I was looking for. I wish Swift would put a cannelure for crimping on these, but I doubt they will have the same problem the CEB bullets did. With the minimal contact with case neck because of the driving bands, the CEB solids were getting driven into the case by recoil. I will shortly do some testing of this, putting a solid in magazine and firing a half dozen rounds or so.

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

Sorry for being late to this post, but in the spirit of contributing, I'll share some recent experiences I had with this excellent bullet. White rhino, caliber 416 Rigby Break Away, 400 grains at 2,400 fps. One shot, the animal was slightly angled, entered head-on above the left shoulder, exited behind the last rib on the port side, and was gone. I followed a completely straight line and showed me a hole in the lung at least three times larger than the diameter of the bullet, meaning the front cup worked! The animal ran 150 meters and died in a perfect position for totography (what luck!)

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

case 02, an old and smart African buffalo bull, once again 416 rigby, entered low behind the left leg, ate the entire upper part of the deer and came out straight, through the base of the neck on the opposite side...

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

Case 3, double 470 NE, Break Away 500 grains, a huge male black giraffe! Shot from 40 meters, right in the chest! Just one shot, entered the chest and didn't exit! The male ran for 50 meters as if nothing had happened, stopped, changed legs, and collapsed. When we reached him, he was already dead; from his position, I knew he hit his heart. I couldn't check the internal damage because the giraffe was taken to a large animal butcher shop 150 km away. The butcher shop owner told me he would look for the bullet, but unfortunately, he never showed up!

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

NOTE: Although the box says 416, the two bullets recovered here are 300-grain 375 HH bullets.

Two other cases were recorded by a fellow PH, both involving buffalo, both with 300-grain 375 HH. The first was a frontal head shot above the eye, passing through the entire head and stopping at the base of the neck, low, very close to the skin. The bullet suffered a crushing effect as it passed through the heavy bones of the skull. The lead inside seized it, and the bullet flattened, but it did its job; the buffalo fell where it was. In the second buffalo, the bullet entered laterally in front of the shoulder, broke the cervical spine, and turned right, lodging in the stomach grass. I believe that because it bent in the cervical spine, it changed direction. The buffalo also stayed in place! I only recovered these two 375s, and that's insufficient for conclusions, but I personally believe that in larger calibers, the bullet diameter won't allow the lead to bend as easily. Only by recovering more of them in larger calibers will I learn more about this! The problem is that it is very difficult to recover them, they usually go through everything and are gone!

 

[RockSlinger404]

NOTE: Although the box says 416, the two bullets recovered here are 300-grain 375 HH bullets.

Two other cases were recorded by a fellow PH, both involving buffalo, both with 300-grain 375 HH. The first was a frontal head shot above the eye, passing through the entire head and stopping at the base of the neck, low, very close to the skin. The bullet suffered a crushing effect as it passed through the heavy bones of the skull. The lead inside seized it, and the bullet flattened, but it did its job; the buffalo fell where it was. In the second buffalo, the bullet entered laterally in front of the shoulder, broke the cervical spine, and turned right, lodging in the stomach grass. I believe that because it bent in the cervical spine, it changed direction. The buffalo also stayed in place! I only recovered these two 375s, and that's insufficient for conclusions, but I personally believe that in larger calibers, the bullet diameter won't allow the lead to bend as easily. Only by recovering more of them in larger calibers will I learn more about this! The problem is that it is very difficult to recover them, they usually go through everything and are gone!View attachment 704773

This would really worry me with the bullet deforming so much in a buff skull...

 

[Monski]

Thanks guys ! Just what I was looking for. I wish Swift would put a cannelure for crimping on these, but I doubt they will have the same problem the CEB bullets did. With the minimal contact with case neck because of the driving bands, the CEB solids were getting driven into the case by recoil. I will shortly do some testing of this, putting a solid in magazine and firing a half dozen rounds or so.

I had bullet set back with the breakaway solid during recoil with rounds in the magazine in my 505 Gibbs because there is no crimping groove.

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

I had bullet set back with the breakaway solid during recoil with rounds in the magazine in my 505 Gibbs because there is no crimping groove.

This is also a problem we should be aware of!

 

[Russ16]

I had bullet set back with the breakaway solid during recoil with rounds in the magazine in my 505 Gibbs because there is no crimping groove.

Did you use a crimping die? I would think a factory crimp die like the Lee would help with that.

 

[Monski]

NOTE: Although the box says 416, the two bullets recovered here are 300-grain 375 HH bullets.

Two other cases were recorded by a fellow PH, both involving buffalo, both with 300-grain 375 HH. The first was a frontal head shot above the eye, passing through the entire head and stopping at the base of the neck, low, very close to the skin. The bullet suffered a crushing effect as it passed through the heavy bones of the skull. The lead inside seized it, and the bullet flattened, but it did its job; the buffalo fell where it was. In the second buffalo, the bullet entered laterally in front of the shoulder, broke the cervical spine, and turned right, lodging in the stomach grass. I believe that because it bent in the cervical spine, it changed direction. The buffalo also stayed in place! I only recovered these two 375s, and that's insufficient for conclusions, but I personally believe that in larger calibers, the bullet diameter won't allow the lead to bend as easily. Only by recovering more of them in larger calibers will I learn more about this! The problem is that it is very difficult to recover them, they usually go through everything and are gone!View attachment 704773

I think this shows that buffalo are tough on bullets and any bullet can fail sometimes. Chrishuntbrasil's previous post of occasional TSX not performing perfecfly also shows this. I used a TSX on a buff that expanded like an advertisement, did it's job and yet didn't penetrate all that well, it only went through ribs, lungs and was stuck in the opposite set of ribs. It was 525 grains out of a 505, so slightly light for caliber, but still. I wrote before about my bullet failures of the vaunted Woodleigh heavy for caliber protected points and it upset those who've had great success with them. A heavy 600 grain North Fork Cup Point Solid failed on an insurance/test shot on a buffalo where I put it in the shoulder, neck joint at a slight angle. It was found veered about 120 degrees into the upper hump muscle. The 1st, actual insurance shot of the similar 600 grain NF FPS whistled right through, as expected. I've also had a 500 grain 458 Lott Barnes FPS not exit a buffalo on the broadside shoulder shot much to my surprise. You just never know.

All that being said, I would still use the TSX and maybe the NF CPS for a 1st shot on a buffalo (I prefer Aframes for that). I have to think my experiences are exceptions to the norm but I will always have solids along for buff, unlike many (see need for solids thread).

The buff shot with the TSX presented the Texas heart shot for follow up shots. It took solids to to drop him. No expanding bullet, except maybe a CPS, could be counted on to penetrate enough in that case without a lot of luck.

Pic of Aframe that killed a Buffalo and the NF CPS that veered off course after hitting bone at a slight angle.

 

[Monski]

Did you use a crimping die? I would think a factory crimp die like the Lee would help with that.

Yes I did with a Lee Crimp Die. That being said, the 505 has that problem with all solid bullets for me in my GMA actioned rifle. I haven't had that issue with smaller calibers. I load NF FPS and Woodleigh round nose solids with as much neck tension as possible and crimp heavily. They are fine when shooting in the magazine for 3 shots in the mag but if left in for a 4th shot, it will set it back. The breakaway would set back under recoil on the 1st or 2nd. Soft point Aframes and my sp practise rounds don't set back but the exposed lead flattens a little.
I may get a different magazine box made in the future with built in shoulders like a Heym has. That would keep the rounds in the mag from hitting the front of mag under recoil.