220 swift load data

[Mfitz717]

In the midst of working up loads on several guns I just realized I’m down to 1/2 lb of IMR 4064. This is all I’ve ever used in my swifts with good results. What are some good replacements? I mainly shoot 52-55gr bullets. Not looking for speed, accuracy is the most important to me.
Thanks.

 

[Charliemac]

Varget works well in my 220 Swift.

 

[Jason D Hostetter]

Many decent alternatives to Imr4064, as well as some slower burning options. Imr4895 works well, 4320, AA4064, AA2495, RL15, RL15.5, Norma 203b basically RL15 as well, Varget, SW Precision, SW Longrifle, N140, N540, then on the slower burning side there's a few that work well in the swift size case, RL17, Hybrid 100v, AA2520, AA2700/H414/W760, Alliant Power Pro 2000mr, Ramshot Biggame, H380, N150, N550.

 

[Gary in MD]

I’ve used a lot of 4064 in Swifts in the past.
I’ve also had good results with ww760/h414, great for speed and accuracy but they can be temperamental in hot weather. Hunter works very well too. I almost always have shot 55 grain bullets in my Swifts. But right now, I’m using VV160 now with 64 grain Bergers in one Swift and aa2700 with custom 53 grainers in another. I’ve tried Varget and staball6.5 and velocity was disappointing with both.
I won’t operate my Swifts at pedestrian speeds

 

[357Mag]

In the midst of working up loads on several guns I just realized I’m down to 1/2 lb of IMR 4064. This is all I’ve ever used in my swifts with good results. What are some good replacements? I mainly shoot 52-55gr bullets. Not looking for speed, accuracy is the most important to me.
Thanks.

MFitz -

Howdy ,

+1 on what Gary in MD said.

WW760 worked superbly under Hornady 55SX in my “ .22-35 Remington “ wildcat
( 49.4gr H2O capacity ). I also used FED Large Magnum Rifle Match ( GM215M ).

These days…. it seems as though Hodgdon is tapering off on WW760, and ( at least local area here ) 6.5 StaBal has more or less replaced it. I don’t see the former powder on the shelves, but do see 6.5 StaBal available in-depth; frequently.

I currently have a new .224” cal gain-twist barrel on order from Bartlein. This will make it my 3rd barrel to be chambered in my .22-35 wildcat.

Since I already knew the max charge of WW760 that I could shoot in my .224” cal wildcat, I recently performed range work to find max charge wt for Hydbrid 100V: and for
6.5 StaBal…. using my original “24 Hart SS 1-14 take off barrel. These 3 powders are aligned shoulder to shoulder on burn rate, and I threw in H100V testing mostly to see how far it’s max charge weights varied from those for 6.5 StaBal.

After deliberate, cautious, detailed range testing, I found out ( to my suprise ) that the max charge for 6.5 StaBal under 55SX and using GM215Ms was only .1gr more than the max charge I had already well established for WW760. In actuality, if I would reduce the max charge of 6.5 StaBal by .1gr to adjust for shooting in higher ambient temps, my max charges for WW760 and 6.5 Stabal would be the same in grain wt ! I talked to Hodgdon about this closeness of these two powders, and speculated whether 6.5StaBal
is basically WW760 w/ the addition of some special coating ? Hodgdon firmly asserted this was not the case… and that 6.5StaBal is a new, stand-alone formulation.

I have great confidence that I will be able to supplant use of WW760 with 6.5StaBal,
for my impending application.

I myself have not been a reloading components “ hoarder “.
Notwithstanding…. I have already provisioned myself w/ 4,000 GM215Ms, and to start out with… 1,000 55SX bullets; and 5 1lb containers of 6.5 StaBal.

Best of luck in your endeavors !


With regards,
357Mag

 

[danny]

Is 4064 the "classic" Swift powder, or is it something else?

Danny

 

[DJSBRS]

AC 2700 is the best I ever used . Longer barrel life! Around 43 grains and every barrel I shot loved them.

DJ

 

[lotech]

I've had a Ruger 77V in .220 Swift for many years. It's on its second barrel. I only use Sierra 50 gr. Blitz and to a lesser extent, Sierra 55 gr. bullets. The Swift is the only cartridge I've found where Varget takes the #1 place from an accuracy perspective over H4895. However, H4895 is a very close second in my .220 Swift.

H414 and IMR4064 are also very good Swift powders. The 4350s are worth trying even if they are a little slow for the cartridge.

 

[358WCF]

Back when I had a 77V Swift, H4895 was IMO the best all around powder with either 50 Sierra Blitz or 50 Hornady SX. Then RL15 was released. It ran a good bit faster with the same accuracy as H4895. Longest groundhog kill was c.450 paces. Was supposed to be a head shot but got him in the throat. Neither powder is easy to find these days. At about the same time, I settled on the same 2 powders for 22-250 for 50 to 53gr bullets & have recently found N140 & N150 to be outstanding in that cartridge. If'n it was me, would probably start with N150 in the Swift.

The Model 54 Winchester I had liked a near max charge of 3031 under the same bullets. From reading old literature this was the original powder WW used in the Swift cuz it's all there was at the time. The speed wasn't quite as fast as other powders, but it was a pre-war Super Grade & I never pushed it too hard.

 

[3Ackleys]

I'm with DJ, A2700 is the best I have ever used in several Swift's.

 

[WyleWD]

In the midst of working up loads on several guns I just realized I’m down to 1/2 lb of IMR 4064. This is all I’ve ever used in my swifts with good results. What are some good replacements? I mainly shoot 52-55gr bullets. Not looking for speed, accuracy is the most important to me.
Thanks.

It might be a thought to buy another container of 4064 if you and your rifles like it. As far as the Swifts, I've owned 3 in my lifetime. The first 2 loved 4064, the one I have now is the most accurate of the 3. It likes WW760, AA 2700, & R-17. All of them have been 14tw barrels. WD