The .220 Swift is an excellent, very accurate, and flat-shooting round which, at least in the old days, was factory-loaded top 4110 FPS MV with a 48-grain bullet. It is still about the hottest commercial .22 centerfire ever designed. It CAN be used for deer, if you use the right (tough) bullets, BUT NOT if you use varmint loads!! If you doubt this, read about it in the P.O. Ackley Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders in the chapter on killing power, which was written for Ackley's bookby a fellownamed Rosenburg.

It uses a lot of powder, relatively speaking, and is a very LOUD caliber! It is at least as loud as a .308, and much louder than the .223. It has a very sharp, ear-splitting crack due to its hypervelocity. And NO!! It cannot be fired without hearing protection, if you plan on keeping your hearing intact!! (Even the lowly.22 LR should not be fired w/o hearing protection, either, however.)

IF you are really interested in such things, I suggest you see if your library can get you a copy of C.S. Landis's book, ".22 Caliber Varmint Rifles". Also, there's a lot of good info in the Wolfe Pub. Co.'s compilation of letters entitled "Yours Truly, Harvey Donaldson".[/b]

Have fun!