220 Swift
 

Hi All,

My uncle was telling me about a cartridge that he loves for shooting prarie dogs and deer for head shots only (he has a farm and can take game all year long). The cartridge that he was telling me about is the .220 swift. He was telling me that it has very little drop out to extremely long distances.

Does anyone on the board have any experience with this cartridge?

How loud is it compared to a .223, .22 or .308? Can it be shot without hearing protection?

Are there other cartridges in the same class that should be considered (with comparable flat tragectory, energy and noise)?

How available is the ammo?

Are there a lot of rifle manufacturers out there that make rifles for the 220 swift?

Thanks
Tom

RE: 220 Swift
 

The 220 swift is not a deer gun.

It's a great flat shooting caliber, though. It's similar in noise to a .223...Not too loud, but I'd still wear hearing protection.

I had (HAD:() one in a Rem 40-X, and sold it. Made a decision not to sell any more guns after that one...LOL

RE: 220 Swift
 

Consider the 204 Ruger or 22-250, not for deer though!

RE: 220 Swift
 

I had a Remington 220 Swift - sold it. I never could find an accurate load for it - the most fun I had with it was getting big numbers out of the chronograph. Barrel wear is something to be considered with a round that is pushing bullets as fast as the swift will.

RE: 220 Swift
 

I have one in a ruger mkll and love it . It is very accurate and fun to shoot . It has been the most compared to round in varmit hunting . I dont think it is a very good deer round. It could kill deer but its not ment for that reason . It is how ever my chose of varmit rounds . One of the oldest around . Please dont let any of the old stories about it being a barrel burner bother you . If it is a burner then so is the .22-250 ,.223 wssm, .204 ruger, and so on . Hornady v- max 40 gr. factory loads are stated at 4200 fps thats moving on. Great rifle and great cartridge .

RE: 220 Swift
 

The 220 Swift is a relatively old cartridge, so ammo can be a little harder to find. It shoots a .224 caliber bullet (same as a .223), just has more powder behind it. I would group the 220 Swift in about the same category as the .222, .223, .223WSSM, and 22-250. They are all excellent varmint rifles, but some states don't allow them for deer. I hunt with my .223 (legal here in Texas), and it is deadly on neck shots at close ranges. However, for a dual purpose rifle, a .243 or 25-06 would probably be a better choice. Factory .22 cal ammo is usually limited to varmint bullets. The larger .243 and 25-06 ammo is readily available in deer and varmint loadings. Winchester has come out with .243WSSM and 25WSSM rifles that are shortened versions of these cartridges.

Hearing protection is a must on nearly any centerfire, and a 220 Swift is no exception. I don't know how many make 220 Swift rifles, but nearly all manufacturers make rifles in comperable calibers. The rifles did have a reputation as barrel burners, but I think most newer rifles shouldn't have that problem.

RE: 220 Swift
 

interesting comments on the 220 Swift. I own one and love it. It is similar to the 30'06 in that everyone seems to compare their caliber (big or little)to these 2 calibers. The 220 shoots flatter and faster than any of the other 22 cal rifles but had a reputation for burning barrels. This is a total fabrication. If you want the truth.....just look at the manuals and make up your own mind. I consider the 220 swift as the primere varmiteer. Not a deer rifle...don't know who makes 'um right now. If you want a combination varmit and deer rifle....buy a .243.

RE: 220 Swift
 

Thanks for all the info. I am going to be looking to get one in the future.

Tom

RE: 220 Swift
 

A buddy of mine got a Savage .220 Swift, (this Savage http://www.savagearms.com/12bvsss.htm ) about a year ago. Man what a shooter, right out of the box. It shot so good out of the box, that he has yet let me "accurize" it.

Anyway, I worked up a load for him, with the Nosler 50gr Ballistic Tips. I got velocities over 4,200 FPS and 3/8" groups, but it was hard on the brass, swelling the primer pockets and splitting necks. This was during the initial barrel break in period. I suggested to him that we back off the load some to save the wear and tear on the brass. Found a load that is still good for 4,127 FPS, still getting 1/4" groups, and the brass is lasting longer.

As far as muzzle report, it is louder than a .223 but not quite as loud as a .308, IMO. The .220 will do anything the .223, 22-250, or the .204 will do, then some. Very flat shooting out to 300 plus yards. Ammo may be some what hard to find for the Swift, but not difficult. The Swift like almost all the 22 cals are not the best choice for deer hunting. Not saying that they won't kill a deer, but bullet selection and design are better suited for varmints rather than medium to big game.

RE: 220 Swift
 

Id have to disagree with that. Have you ever heard of the 204 Ruger? Well actually the 204 is 20 cal.

RE: 220 Swift
 

I have a Ruger 77 Mark II in a .220 Swift and I love it.A few weeks ago we went deer hunting in West River SD and I brought it along to use on turkeys and coyotes. However, my buddy brought only a 223. He knew it was the absolute minimum to use on deer and only took close range broadside shots. He filled one of his tags that way but ended up losing two deer withit. Again, only broadside, close shots.

So... the last day he borrowed my 7 rem mag and I took the Swift out, knowing I'd have to limit it to close shots. I ended up filling out my last two tags with it. One shot was angling away, the other broadside, but neither were over 60 yards. Both deer fell on the spot. One had a 2 inch tall by 3 inch wide coming out and the other was the weirdest thing: no exit hole, but after I cleaned it I found a hole in the exit-side ribs big enough to put a pop can in.

It's not my first choice for deer because I wouldn't use it at longer ranges and there's not as much room for error, but it will bring 'em down in a pinch (if usedin the right circumstances). Not a huge amount of lead, but there's a lot of powder (and speed) behind it.

RE: 220 Swift
 

Actually I think it does more damage atfter 150 yards ,giving that little pill time to slow some what. I cant tell you how much i like to shoot my swift. All of my range buddies want to shoot it but that is my baby.:)I load hornaday v-max 40 gr. with 42.5 gr. of h414. perfect fit for my rifle.

RE: 220 Swift
 

The 204 (32gr) trajectory is very simular to the 220Swift with a 40gr bullet. The 220 Swift uses much more powder to get there!
I just do not want to purchase new cleaning rods, patches, trimmer pilot, bullets and ect that goes with the small caliber

RE: 220 Swift
 

The .220 Swift is the fastest of the factory calibers. But the best of all is the .22-250 Ackley Improved. A little faster than the Swift, and a much better case design. If you load the Swift to maximum, you need to trim the cases a bunch every shot and throw them away after three reloadings.

RE: 220 Swift
 

Most modern factory ammo has the 22-250 faster than the 220 Swift

RE: 220 Swift
 

I guess I'm not surprised. Having owned several .220 Swifts over the years, I learned that it is a pretty low maintenance caliber if you load it at or slightly below .22-250 maximum velocities. But trying to get that last 150 fps out of it turns it into a real high maintenance caliber - mainly due to the case design. Long sloping body with a gently tapered shoulder - great for feeding, but poor for case life and other reloading considerations.

However, like the .300 H&H, it is an inferior case design that delivers very superior accuracy.

RE: 220 Swift
 

The .220 Swift is a very interesting cartridge. I used it extensively when I was really into varmint hunting in the '50's and '60's. It is the old Lee Navy 6mm necked to .22 caliber. It has a semi-rimless design, so that the rim, which is slightly larger than the body, is about the same size as a typical rimless (.30-06, etc.).The tapered body and gentle shoulder slope do not lend themselves to high pressure friendliness. If one is inclined to load very hot, neck splits, and thickening can be a real problem. Originally, it was brought out in a factory loading with a 48 grain bullet so that they could advertise velocities over 4000 fps. But, in my experience, this loading was not very accurate. Using bullet weights of 52-55 grains (my favorite was the 53 gr Sierra hp), andloading for a velocity of about 3800helped the accuracy tremendously.

During those years, I also used the .22-250 (then a wildcat, made by necking the .250 Savage case to .22 cal) and found it to be easier on cases, but, in a quality rifle,no more accurate than a sensibly loaded .220 Swift. These days, I would probably opt for the .22-250 since cases are cheaper, and much more readily available, but, in its heyday,I truly loved the .220 Swift.

RE: 220 Swift
 

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!

RE: 220 Swift
 

Very true, eldeguello. Interesting that you mentioned Harvey Donaldson. His creation, the .219 Donaldson Wasp, was the "in" benchrest caliber before the .222 was developed (I believe by Mike Walker) and began cleaning up in the matches. I had a heavy barreled Wasp, on an FN actionthat I used in benchrest matches, and it was avery accurate rifle. However,making the cases(from .219 Zipper brass) could be a pain.

RE: 220 Swift
 

Sidebar. I enjoyed reading the posts on the Swift and can only add.....If you haven't owned one, you will forever wonder why all the other 224 calibers compare themselves to this outstanding caliber. Now, they are a bit finicky.....it takes a little time and effort to find the proper bullet/powder and primer for your particular rifle. My Swift is a HVA Mauser with a 24in Shilen barrel with a 1 in 14 twist. It took me nearly a year to find the powder it likes.....IMR4064. Start there and you will be amazed....I'm not a speed freak but 4020'/sec and 1/2 inch groups pushing a 52gr Sierra Match King with a Win primer gets it done. The 220 Swift is the 30'06 of the varmiteers. Regards, Rick.