The Magnificent 220 Swift

[nmkid]

John, you need to quit putting up my targets,,

The devil made me do it!

 

[AckleymanII]

I just got 100 Norma cases I'm going to load up with 37.5gr. of IMR 4350 with a 60gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip,,please don't tell me I'm wrong, but go ahead if I am.

I suggest that you try AA2700 or Win 760 with a 9 1/2 primer for longer barrel life! ONLY if you have a 12 Twist for that 60g Nosler!

 

[msinc]

Has anyone tried any of the newer powders that are noted to be more resistant to temperature change in the Swift? I usually don’t get too worried about this, just wondering how the newer powders do with respect to velocity and accuracy?
Gary

Yes sir, I have tried some of the IMR powders. I don't have a swift, but I did have good luck with IMR4166 in several of my rifles. I mean, it wasn't any "spectacular" improvement, but it worked good and it also has something in it to help stop copper fouling. I think 4166 is the "enduron" version of 4064. Doesn't use the same loads, but it is very similar. I cant say if it is hard on barrels or not, again, not shooting a swift. I haven't really noticed 4064 being all that bad, but then again I used it for typical loads in my 308's and 270's.
I didn't see any velocities much if any higher, accuracy was great, the velocities I shot over my chrono were more consistent then the older powders. I would say it this way...if you have a pet load that shoots very tight groups with one of the older powders I would not go looking for "better" out of the newer ones. I tried them all in my 280AI and none beat H4831 or N160.
Hogdons line is called "extreme" {???} and if I remember right wasn't Varget the first of the new "wonder" powders. I have never been able to get that to work in anything to the point I would buy more of it.

 

[msinc]

“The .220 Swift is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935...”

Wasn't the 6mm Lee-Navy the base cartridge for the Swift and wasn't it the first cartridge to crack the 4000 fps mark???
if I remember right, in an effort to prevent or slow down throat erosion, Winchester had stainless barrels on some of the Model 70 swifts. Back then no one wanted {or at least they had a hard time getting people to accept} a bare silver colored stainless barrel, so they copper plated and blued the copper???
I have seen one or two of these over the years. They might have looked okay when they were new, but they didn't stay very "blue".

 

[1911nut]

Wasn't the 6mm Lee-Navy the base cartridge for the Swift and wasn't it the first cartridge to crack the 4000 fps mark???
if I remember right, in an effort to prevent or slow down throat erosion, Winchester had stainless barrels on some of the Model 70 swifts. Back then no one wanted {or at least they had a hard time getting people to accept} a bare silver colored stainless barrel, so they copper plated and blued the copper???
I have seen one or two of these over the years. They might have looked okay when they were new, but they didn't stay very "blue".

I think that’s right. The Swift got the rep as a “barrel burner” early on.
I’m more into small groups than velocity and I only shoot paper so I’m usually in the lower charges and slow shooting.

About the time the Swift was introduced there were a slew of wildcat 22’s shooting groundhogs at very high velocities, a few probably in the range of the Swift. It’s been written that Harvey Donaldson was penetrating thicker steel plates with his 219 Wasp than a Swift could. Before chronographs, they used steel plates to compare loads and different cartridges.

A great book on the history of varmint rifles is “Twenty two caliber varmint rifles” by Landis.

 

[Barossa_222]

Wasn't the 6mm Lee-Navy the base cartridge for the Swift and wasn't it the first cartridge to crack the 4000 fps mark???
if I remember right, in an effort to prevent or slow down throat erosion, Winchester had stainless barrels on some of the Model 70 swifts. Back then no one wanted {or at least they had a hard time getting people to accept} a bare silver colored stainless barrel, so they copper plated and blued the copper???
I have seen one or two of these over the years. They might have looked okay when they were new, but they didn't stay very "blue".

Was listed as the fastest factory cartridge until the 17 rem popped up as a legitimate factory round in the 70's.

 

[Barossa_222]

Yeah the 22 Creedmoor isn't accurate at all


Yeah, the 22 Creedmoor isn't accurate at all...

Never said it wasn't accurate, just very similar to the 22-243. I like the idea of the creedmoor because you can buy that sexy Peterson brass for it now. The Creedmoor has really taken off over here is Australia, 6.5 and 6mm mainly. Components are not as readily available as they are over there for anything other than the 6.5.

 

[Hammer]

to really enjoy the Swift,

you need to have unlimited prairie dog towns, lots of brass, and a few different rifles to swap as they take time to cool down.

Doesn't hurt to have a special-made shellplate for your Dillon 1050 too.

 

[Stormbringer]

I used a Swift for many years (Savage 112 Single Shot Heavy Barrel) for longer range rock chucks. Shot a few other varmints along the way. Had two loads going early, 40 grain Nosler Ballistic tip with H380 and a 50 Sierra Blitzking with IMR 4064. Both shot well and got me addicted to zero holdover out to 300 yards. My Swift was a 12 twist so when the 53 grain Hornady Vmax came out I found a really good load with Varget.

One of my favorite calibers for chuck hunting for sure. I don't find anything magical about it though. Several calibers both factory and wildcat have more of my attention now.

I have been out 4 times this spring for rock chucks. Killed 82 so far. Most with a custom AR in 22 Nosler and several with a Christensen Arms 22-250. No real practical difference in the field between the swift and 22-250 IMHO. My next trip this weekend the 20 BR will be up in the rotation with a good old 223 as backup.

They are all fun!

 

[Western220swift]

The 220 swift is still the king over nosler and will always be.

 

[Barlow]

Does anyone run .004 neck tension on their Swifts? Barlow

 

[Stormbringer]

The 220 swift is still the king over nosler and will always be.

Two different performance levels entirely. The Nosler fills the gap between the 223 and the Swift/22-250 but is closer to the 223 in practical terms of velocity and performance. It is a neat little case though and pretty efficient compared to the Swift.

Mike

 

[Ironworker]

My 1885 chambered in the "Magnificent 220 swift 43grs of AA-2700 pushes a 55gr Nosler BT 4,000 +

 

[Barlow]

View attachment 1097590 My 1885 chambered in the "Magnificent 220 swift 43grs of AA-2700 pushes a 55gr Nosler BT 4,000 +

What length barrel on your rifle? That's a fine rifle! Barlow

 

[Ironworker]

It was my first falling block rifle,its different animal than a bolt action . Once I free floated the forearm and had the trigger worked on,it became a tack driver . It has a 28" bbl.

 

[redrockranger]

Was the 4000 FPS muzzle velocity with a 46 gr bullet ? I never drank the Kool Aid tho. 22-250 for me.

 

[scope eye]

It is not that hard to get 4000 fps from a 55gr bullet in a swift chamber,
the primers are a little on the flat side but nothing to be alarmed about.
A full case of H380 Win 760 or CFE223 will get you there every time.

Dean

 

[Barlow]

Was the 4000 FPS muzzle velocity with a 46 gr bullet ? I never drank the Kool Aid tho. 22-250 for me.

Original load iirc 48gr bullet at 4110 mv. I have a box of Winchester and Remington originals. Barlow

 

[Barlow]

It was my first falling block rifle,its different animal than a bolt action . Once I free floated the forearm and had the trigger worked on,it became a tack driver . It has a 28" bbl.

I thought you had some extra length on that barrel. I tried that load with a 50gr Hornady a couple years ago and got 3850 with a 24" tube, and I just loaded the same load yesterday. I asked the question about .004 neck tension because after I turned the necks to .015, I ran one thru my sizer without the expander and came up with .220 ID. I loaded 4 of them to test. Barlow

 

[yotehater]

I've got an old tang safety M77 in 220 Swift that the throat is out to 2.795" OAL with Hornady 55's. The magazine limits me to "only" 2.700" OAL. The Nosler 62 grain Varmegeddon at 2.785" is what it wants.

It still shoots as good as I can.