Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Looking for .220 Swift Loads

Getting ready to work up some loads for my Ruger 77 heavy barrel swift and I'd like to find some good loads as a starting point so I dont waste any more powder then I have to. I've got a pretty good selection of powders on hand so I think I can find something that would work. I've been reading after doing a search and while I weigh all my charges now, I'd like to eventually get to where I can just throw charges with my RCBS powder measure to speed up the process and I'd like to find powders that are easier to measure then say 4064. Also, am I correct in assuming that my M77 bull barrel is a 14 twist?

I have one Swift and one Wilson Arrow, which is a wildcat based on the Swift. The Swift is a 14 twist and the Arrow is a 12. I tried a couple of other powders in them without great results before I finally bought some 4064. I've not bothered with anything else since. We don't have a big varmint population down here, mainly coyotes, so both of mine are set up as double duty deer/coyote rifles. I use the 55gr Hornady SP since it is tough, accurate, and cheap. I want to try the 63gr Sierra or the 64 Nosler in mine and I've read that 4831 is a good powder for that weight bullet.

I'm running 39gr in the Swift for 3860fps, 37.5gr in the Arrow for 3795fps. Both are easily Sub-MOA.

Coyote with the Swift


Whitetail with the Arrow

45 grs. AA2700 with 40 grain Sierra for 4350
43 grs AA2700 with 50 gr BK for 4100
41 grs AA2700 with 52 gr SMK for 3950

Or H-380, 4064 or varget all work, as does Benchmark. Every rifle is diffrent so what works for me may not work for you.

I bought a used Ruger 77V in '91. Accurate with most any load but it eventually required a new barrel. Never measured the twist, but I'm pretty sure it was 1 in 14" on the factory barrel and probably the same on the second one.

I seldom shoot anything other than the 50 grain Sierra Blitz. Best powders have been (in this order), Varget, H4895, and H414, but that's really splitting hairs. They all make accurate loads.

I've had good results with 41g of H380 and 50g V-Max.

43 gr. H414/760/2700 and any 55 gr. non mono. in my old tang safety 77V.-Muddy

Jaytee: Five of my seven Varmint Rifles in 220 Swift caliber PREFER IMR 4064 powder!
It's worth it ("measuring" your IMR 4064 loads for the Swift).
Reconsider your opposition to this great and traditional powder.
One of my Ruger 77 Varmint's is a "Bi-Centennial" (Liberty - 1976 vintage) Model and loves IMR 4064 and Sierra 55 grain "Blitz" bullets (not the BlitzKings).
My other Ruger 77 Varmint is the newer V/T Model (stainless laminated stock 26" barrel) and it loves IMR 4064 and the 52 grain Speer hollow-point with flat base.
Best of luck with your Ruger heavy barrel Swift.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

414 has worked pretty good fo me...and will meter well...

I agree with VarmintGuy-don't skip the 4064-alot of bullets shoot great with this powder.After trying several powders,I ended up with 4064.I went with the Hornady V-Max in 55 grain.With 39 grains of 4064 it averages about 3870 FPS.I also shoot the Ruger 77.

4064 eats barrels.

AA2700 with a 50g Nosler ballistic tip, rem brass, 91/2 primer, 43.0-44.5g of AA2700 is dead nuts 4000 fps and standard deviation is less than 10 fps.

How did I learn about swifts and 4064, two savage 112 J's and Two Ruger Varmint, also learnes a swift lesson on 4064 in a custom 22/250.

I still use 4064 with the 80g in a 243 as a coyote load at 3400 fps, but never in a swift again or a 22/250.

Also, win 760 and H414 are kissing cousins to the AA2700 and work very well. I use Fed 210 primers with all three of these powders.

Most guns will like 44.0-44.5g of AA2700 with the 50g, and 1/4" groups may be large for three shot groups.

4064 hasn't eaten my barrel yet. I use 38.5 gr of IMR4064 behind a 55 gr Nosler BT or Sierra GK. Same POI. Tight groups. CCI BR2 primers and Norma brass.

Have used 4064. But these days I use h4895 & I 3031. Common powders that do a great job, easy to find. Something to consider.

The Ruger is almost certainly a 1-14" twist.

I've had a couple Swifts. One really really really liked 43.5 grains of H380 under a 50 grain ballistic tip. The first also shot a reduced load ... whatever the starting load was ... with 4064 under the 52 grain bucket mouthed speer hollow point jammed into the lands. That first gun didn't shoot well with new brass so I'd load the new cases with this load, then the 43.5 grains of H380 load later.

The other did pretty well with 44 grains of IMR 4831 under a 55 grain ballistic tip. Like shooting the push-pins through the target at 200 yards, called shots. This gun was wonky though, I went to the slow powders because I was blowing primers with starting loads and more traditional powders.

37.9 gr of reloader 15 behind any good 50 gr. varmint bullet . Absolutely the best load for me . Savage mod 12 ss and savage varmint wt 1in 12 stnls. fluted factory 26 in bbl

Used to use IMR4064 and 52 gn Sierras for varmints or 760 and 60 gn Nosler Solid Base for pronghorn but now there are much better choices.

My favorite for 50 to 60 gn bullets is Reloader 17. Can't beat the accuracy or velocity.

Second favorites, for 50 to 55 gn bullets, are 2000 MR and H4350. 2000 MR has the advantage of working chunk-free through a powder measure.

The loads listed below are Maximum in my rifles and you would be nuts to use them as starting loads in yours.

50 gn Nosler BT - 42.8 gn 2000 MR or 44.6 gn R17- 210 primers, Norma cases

52 Sierra - 38.4 gn 2000 MR or 44.0 gn R17 - 210 primers, Norma cases

55 gn Nosler BT - 41 gn 2000 MR or 42.8 gn R17 - 210 primers, Norma cases

60 Nosler PT - 41.5 gn R17 or 46.0 gn H4831 - 215 primers, Win Cases