220 swift

coire257

Well-Known Member
Hi Guys, I’ve recently taken delivery of a Tikka LSA65 re-barrelled with a 27” Douglas Premium barrel in 220 Swift. It shoots sub ½” groups with Remington factory but now it’s time to re-load. Does anybody have any pet loads for it? Not hot but accurate. Want to try 40gr VMAX and some Speer 55gr I have in stock. I’ve got some H414 I was going to use but Hornady, Nozler, Speer, and Hogden on-line manual, all give different maximum loads so if you’ve got any accurate loads with that it would be fantastic. Thanks in advance.
 
Hi Guys, I’ve recently taken delivery of a Tikka LSA65 re-barrelled with a 27” Douglas Premium barrel in 220 Swift. It shoots sub ½” groups with Remington factory but now it’s time to re-load. Does anybody have any pet loads for it? Not hot but accurate. Want to try 40gr VMAX and some Speer 55gr I have in stock. I’ve got some H414 I was going to use but Hornady, Nozler, Speer, and Hogden on-line manual, all give different maximum loads so if you’ve got any accurate loads with that it would be fantastic. Thanks in advance.

Don't do this. Get your own load data. Why are you worried about MAXIMUM loads? These manuals are only a guide, not an absolute. Your rifle will tell you when maximum is reached. Pick a load for which you may have powder, start at minimum, and work up. It's the proper way to do it. Find a good load and tell us about it. There are very few loads that work in one rifle that can be guaranteed to safely transfer to another. None will be guaranteed to be accurate. Asking for a load is like walking into a full auditorium and petitioning everyone as to their favorite flavor of ice cream. You'll get a lot of different answers.

Pretend the Internet doesn't exist and forge ahead. You'll be a better reloader for it.~Muir
 
Don't do this. Get your own load data. ....

In my limited experience, a good load results from the happy collision of a number of factors:

Your rifle and scope
Your brass preparation
Your reloading technique
Your choice of brass and bullet
Your choice of powder and primer
Your load testing method

In summary, it's down to you, it's very difficult to sub-contract what you don't understand. You need to get on the learning curve yourself and see where it takes you.

Good luck.

​JCS
 
If it is shooting sub half inch isn't that tight enough. In real life in the field your breating could open out a home load more than that.

David.
 
My current swift and last swift run on 42 grains of n160 and a 60 vmax!Not a screamer load but sub 1/4 moa and it hits crows and fox like a hammer!
Very very consistent load!
 
My current swift and last swift run on 42 grains of n160 and a 60 vmax!Not a screamer load but sub 1/4 moa and it hits crows and fox like a hammer!
Very very consistent load!

Vit. N160 has always been my powder of choice over several 220 Swifts and my current 220 Ackley Imp. But with your already achieved results, your already on to a winner.
 
The fastest load in my current Swift involves Varget and Nosler 40gn Ballistic tip, the most accurate load uses Varget and Nosler 40gn bt. Over the years probably my favorite load has involved IMR 4064 and Sierra 52gn hpbt match. You are now the proud owner of the best .22 cal on the planet!!
 
Don't do this. Get your own load data. Why are you worried about MAXIMUM loads? These manuals are only a guide, not an absolute. Your rifle will tell you when maximum is reached. Pick a load for which you may have powder, start at minimum, and work up. It's the proper way to do it. Find a good load and tell us about it. There are very few loads that work in one rifle that can be guaranteed to safely transfer to another. None will be guaranteed to be accurate. Asking for a load is like walking into a full auditorium and petitioning everyone as to their favorite flavor of ice cream. You'll get a lot of different answers.

Pretend the Internet doesn't exist and forge ahead. You'll be a better reloader for it.~Muir

Why? - what's wrong with talking to other shooters?? I've re-loaded for over 20 years and always talked about the rounds we load with others - you don't have to try them all or even any. I'm not worried about maximum or minimum loads - if you read it I don't want a maximum load that's all!! How many of the web users will even look at this, it's not a usual round.
 
The fastest load in my current Swift involves Varget and Nosler 40gn Ballistic tip, the most accurate load uses Varget and Nosler 40gn bt. Over the years probably my favorite load has involved IMR 4064 and Sierra 52gn hpbt match. You are now the proud owner of the best .22 cal on the planet!!

Thanks. I have used 4064 for about 20 years and have a clock based on a 4064 tin!! Not my first 220 but the powders have moved on since then.
 
Vit. N160 has always been my powder of choice over several 220 Swifts and my current 220 Ackley Imp. But with your already achieved results, your already on to a winner.

Thanks. yea but at £1 per round we have to reload - well I do!!
 
Don't worry about Muir. He thinks that no-one else has reloading experience.
Your question seemed sensible and clear to me. And apparently to others.
 
Sorry. My bad. I missed the sentence asking for pet loads. I just read the "got some H414" and the request for accurate loads. (assumed with H414) As to the maximum reference, you seemed puzzled that different loading manuals gave different maximum loads. By that I assumed that the maximum load was of some importance.

Nothing wrong with chatting up loads as long as you have some experience to filter the info. Again, my apologies for misinterpreting the OP.:coat:~Muir
 
Ah my other favourite 22 centerfire !

After having several 220 Swifts over the years I can say this . It's been my experience that max usually doesn't print the best group . I also found generally in the rifles I had they liked the 50 grainers better .

Lets see I had a Ruger 77R tang safety , a Ruger 77V tang safety , a Winchester Pre 64 Model 70 Varmint (factory gun) and my present Ruger #1V . The Winchester had a factory stainless barrel and was made in 1960 the two Ruger bolt guns had factory carbon steel barrels and were made before 1980 . The #1V I own now is also carbon steel and was made in the 90's . They all shot well enough for groundhogs but the closest to what I would call a bench gun was the Model 70 . I used to packthe case full of Rl-12 and put a Nosler 50 BT on top and generally it would keep 5 shots at 100 yards inside 3/10's over my old Chrony it usually read about 3850-3930 FPS , the others were more of the 3 at 100 in about half an inch . Although my friend that still owns the 77R claims that sporter weight gun will shoot better then that .
 
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Vit. N160 has always been my powder of choice over several 220 Swifts and my current 220 Ackley Imp. But with your already achieved results, your already on to a winner.



I have also got reasonably good results with reloader 15 with 52/53 grain bullets but its a very very dirty burner in the swift!
​would like to try n550 with the 52 grain range, others with a swift/22-250 ackley seem to like it.
 
If you're not going to load it hot/maximum you've chosen the wrong clambering as settling for FPS that may be achieved in the more efficient and dinky Savage case because it possibly groups better at lower velocity surely begs such a question?

The clue is in the cartridge name!

Cheers

K
 
3600 fps with a 60 grain bullet isnt exactly sedate, or 3950 with a 53 grainer. I cant see any 22-250 running with that without being at max.
 
if a 220swift can do silly speeds with a normal length barrel...what kind of warp speeds will it do with a 27" one!?!?
 
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