Sir Scotty,

I have a couple boxes of Swift A-Frame .458 -cal, old production from about turn of century.
One box each of 500-gr and 400-gr.
The bullet overall lengths of those old ones are 1.400" and 1.170" respectively, within +/- 0.005"
with their flat lead meplats topping off the semi-spitzer ogives.
The nose projections of those bullets are respectively 0.785" and 0.685" ahead of the cannelures.
The cannelures are about 0.070" broad in length of run on the shank, 0.445" diameter.

Looking at SWIFT BULLET COMPANY RELOADING MANUAL NUMBER TWO of 2014,
The A-Frame 500-grainer is 1.430" long with BC = .361
450-grainer is 1.310" long with BC = .325
and 400-grainer is 1.130" long with BC = .258 (bigger exposed lead flat for tubular magazine use).
That is a little different from my old ones which will be reserved for Bobbed Bullets, Ltd. R&D.

The manual does show a RL-7 load for the 500-gr A-Frame in the .458 WinMag.
That powder is a little on the fast side for top velocity at low pressure, but here it is,
for a 24" barrel, F-215 primer, and Federal brass, 3.340" COL or less, and 60,000 psi or less:

500-gr A-Frame:
RL-7
56.7 grains >>> 1910 fps (start)
61.0 grains >>> 2037 fps (maximum) with LR/net filling = 90%.

Six powders were shown for this bullet: H-335, H-4895, RL-7, RL-15, IMR-3031, IMR-4895.
I prefer the H4895 load:

500-gr A-Frame:
H-4895
66.0 grains >>> 1964 fps (start)
71.0 grains >>> 2112 fps (maximum) with LR/net filling = 104% (mildly compressed)

Or use the .458 Lott loads from the manual, always a safe starting place and easily surpassed, with the .458 WM+.
I don't expect high velocity at low pressure from Swift A-Frames, with their sticky-copper, full-bearing shanks,
I just expect boringly reliable terminal performance and good accuracy for one-shot kills.
Speaking of terminal bullet performance (TBP)
I gotta get back to crunching numbers for TBPI ... Terminal Ballistic Product Index. Yawn.
Real or phony, TBPI for soft point bullets is probably no worse than TKO for solid bullets.
Not all bad.


Ron aka "Rip" for Riflecrank Internationale Permanente
NRA Life Benefactor and Beneficiary
.458 Winchester Magnum, Magnanimous in Victory
THE WALKING DEAD does so remind me of Democrap voters. Donkeypox.