.220 Swift for Muntjac and CWD

[Bowland blades]

22 creedmoor and never look back

Got to say i cannot disagree with that especially with a fast twist for 70 grain ttsx . fully understand the history side of things as the surplus 303 Lee Enfield sporterised is part of my formative years so i also get the past but that is what it is called nostalgia nothing against it but nothing for it either but personal choice and thank goodness we are not so legislated that a person cannot go out with either or any so long as the numbers are legal eh ? Actually ignoring the fact that they say ( though i have no hands on on that beast) there are more Moose shot with 223 and 5.56 nato than any other cartridge in Alaska today

 

[6pt-sika]

how popular is the swift in the USA at the present time compared to say 22-250 ? Can you get factory ammo and components and the majority of dealers off the shelf for instance ? Here in the UK , it would really being a case of finding the brass and buying enough to last through and going from that point onwards to a rifle

Not sure now as I’ve not had one for a few years . I bought factory when I got the first 77R that was over forty years ago . I got that first one and got sixty pieces of new REM brass 120 pieces of new WIN brass and ten boxes of Hornady 50 grain factory loads . It was a touch difficult forty years ago then it kinda opened up , but as to the present I dunno to be honest .

 

[NP435]

I have seen 220 swift brass on the shelf exactly once in the last 11 years. That place had 1000 pieces so naturally I needed a swift. I found Ruger No1 V but the price was beyond my desire to pay Should have done it anyway. I have 2, 22-250 and 1 22-250 Ackley. What real advantage is there to a swift, based on the load data not very much get a 22-250 and grin all day.

 

[Bowland blades]

I have seen 220 swift brass on the shelf exactly once in the last 11 years. That place had 1000 pieces so naturally I needed a swift. I found Ruger No1 V but the price was beyond my desire to pay Should have done it anyway. I have 2, 22-250 and 1 22-250 Ackley. What real advantage is there to a swift, based on the load data not very much get a 22-250 and grin all day.

the 22-250 can do everything the swift can do and with less powder and available ammo / components and rifles chambered in it are in basically every gun dealers of worth . That's why the swift is now rare ! If anyone wants one great - just have your eyes wide open to the real facts that all

 

[JeffreyL]

After 90 years the 220 Swift still has a following of people who know what they want, do their research and go out and buy it. I doubt if any of them would be dissuaded by a rambling diatribe by someone whose ‘real facts’ are preceded by ‘word is’ ‘ they say’ and ‘in my opinion’. As I said before, find another drum to bang. That’s all.

the 22-250 can do everything the swift can do and with less powder and available ammo / components and rifles chambered in it are in basically every gun dealers of worth . That's why the swift is now rare ! If anyone wants one great - just have your eyes wide open to the real facts that all

 

[Bo Diddley]

Just get one and enjoy it, it will do everything you want it to and more, plus you will be doing things in style which is very pleasing sometimes

 

[Finnwolf VL63]

Got to say i cannot disagree with that especially with a fast twist for 70 grain ttsx . fully understand the history side of things as the surplus 303 Lee Enfield sporterised is part of my formative years so i also get the past but that is what it is called nostalgia nothing against it but nothing for it either but personal choice and thank goodness we are not so legislated that a person cannot go out with either or any so long as the numbers are legal eh ? Actually ignoring the fact that they say ( though i have no hands on on that beast) there are more Moose shot with 223 and 5.56 nato than any other cartridge in Alaska today

 

[Skinny78]

I have seen 220 swift brass on the shelf exactly once in the last 11 years. That place had 1000 pieces so naturally I needed a swift. I found Ruger No1 V but the price was beyond my desire to pay Should have done it anyway. I have 2, 22-250 and 1 22-250 Ackley. What real advantage is there to a swift, based on the load data not very much get a 22-250 and grin all day.

De

the 22-250 can do everything the swift can do and with less powder and available ammo / components and rifles chambered in it are in basically every gun dealers of worth . That's why the swift is now rare ! If anyone wants one great - just have your eyes wide open to the real facts that all

Depends where you are in the world it would seem as to how rare it is. Heaps of ammo and brass down here for the swift which is only two years older than the 22- 250. I'm picking alot in NZ didnt bother getting as swept up by the latter no doubt due to as you say the 22-250 being niether more or less special when it came out.

 

[Bowland blades]

After 90 years the 220 Swift still has a following of people who know what they want, do their research and go out and buy it. I doubt if any of them would be dissuaded by a rambling diatribe by someone whose ‘real facts’ are preceded by ‘word is’ ‘ they say’ and ‘in my opinion’. As I said before, find another drum to bang. That’s all.

find one that's available , still has a good bore and make sure you have the brass to see you through and buy it .

 

[308tikka]

Ballistically little difference so if your heart is set on a swift buy one.
A friend has one and thinks its phenomenal. I have a 22.250 and I think its phenomenal. I still take multiples more muntjac with the 223 due to the ground Im on.

 

[AndrewT059]

Find one if that’s what you want and get out enjoy it, I bought one second hand with a border barrel on it, put a hell a lot of ammo through it,
( every day in the gator with me) and it still lasted 13 years, now got a 22.250 but not quite the same. Each to there own.

 

[Bowland blades]

Find one if that’s what you want and get out enjoy it, I bought one second hand with a border barrel on it, put a hell a lot of ammo through it,
( every day in the gator with me) and it still lasted 13 years, now got a 22.250 but not quite the same. Each to there own.

Interesting , meaning the 22-250 cant do what the swift did for you ( as a cartridge) ? They are pretty much popping same pills out at the same velocities

 

[TURNBOLT]

Looking to add a Centrefire .220 Swift to fill the gap between my .17 HMR and 30-06.
Mainly for Fox but would be useful as a secondary rifle for the small legal deer in England/Wales. Obviously there are several other calibres .223,.222,22-250 that would be quite capable but I'm impressed with the ballistics on the Swift and it's heritage and history.
I'm a keen and experienced hand-loader and can source brass and die sets so ammunition availability doesn't really concern me.
To any existing shooters of the swift, I was wondering how much meat damage there was with a high velocity projectile? I was thinking 70grn bullets for deer, would that give enough penetration and reduce fragmentation?
Any information and advice on the Swift would be gratefully appreciated, thankyou.

Get one, you’ll love it .I had a Remington 700 classic 24” with Speer (1035) 52grain hollow points it was brilliant.Set up 1 1/2 “ high @ 100yards it was still 1 1/2” high @ 200 yards.Good quality brass was my problem ,Relco and Winchester sometimes only lasted 2 firing’s.Norma make them now though.Better than a 22-250 ? YES but i have never fired a Speer 52 grain through my 22-250 so probably a bit unfair to compare.

 

[AndrewT059]

Interesting , meaning the 22-250 cant do what the swift did for you ( as a cartridge) ? They are pretty much popping same pills out at the same velocities

Not saying it can’t do the same, I think I had a soft spot for the swift, would have another tomorrow if I could.

 

[NP435]

Get one, you’ll love it .I had a Remington 700 classic 24” with Speer (1035) 52grain hollow points it was brilliant.Set up 1 1/2 “ high @ 100yards it was still 1 1/2” high @ 200 yards.Good quality brass was my problem ,Relco and Winchester sometimes only lasted 2 firing’s.Norma make them now though.Better than a 22-250 ? YES but i have never fired a Speer 52 grain through my 22-250 so probably a bit unfair to compare.

2 firings? what was the point of failure?

 

[TURNBOLT]

2 firings? what was the point of failure?

The neck of the cartridge mainly lengthways but sometimes around the neck where it joined the shoulder.

 

[takbok]

This prompted me to get some cartridges loaded for my favourite little fire breather.

 

[6pt-sika]

I have seen 220 swift brass on the shelf exactly once in the last 11 years. That place had 1000 pieces so naturally I needed a swift. I found Ruger No1 V but the price was beyond my desire to pay Should have done it anyway. I have 2, 22-250 and 1 22-250 Ackley. What real advantage is there to a swift, based on the load data not very much get a 22-250 and grin all day.

In practical application the Swift and the 250AI are pretty darn close . Being one that’s had several Swifts a bunch of 250’s and one 250AI I could live with any of them but I still like the Swift more .

 

[6pt-sika]

Now if you really want a fire breathing throat burner go with a 22-243 think that’s called a Cheetah or the 224 TTH the 6mm necked down . Always wanted a TTH with a bit faster twist for up to a 70-75 grain bullet . Both of my memory is correct have Ackley shoulders . But with a semblance of intelligence a person won’t burn the throat out quick . I’ve been down the road with innumerable so called throat burners and the closest I’ve come was with the Pre 64 Model 70 Swift Varmint which I bought used and was about thirty years old when I got it . But it still shot five under half inch at 100 yards from the bench when I sold it .

 

[6pt-sika]

Jim Carmichael wrote an article for Outdoor Life back in the 90’s I think about a Shilen DGR rifle he had in 220 Swift . He kept a log book and at the time he’d put over 7000 rounds thru the gun mostly shooting prairie dogs that kinda thing so suffice to say they were all screamers . He said when he first got the gun it was a consistent 1/10-2/10 grouper at 100 for 5 . At the time of the article the gun was still under 1/2” at 100 for 5 . He removed the barrel and slabbed the side at the chamber throat area . It looked like alligator skin for about 4 1/2” and it still shot well but he wanted a new barrel . Moral of the story - use a little common sense and any so called barrel burner will far exceed what self proclaimed negative experts claim .