Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles loads for 220 Swift

If you want 22-250 velocities, the swift will do that. If you want 220 swift velocities the swift will really do that! I prefer that latter. Each rifle has its own personality and the experienced handloader, (Hunter and myself and many,many others) can determine what's right for that rifle. I,too, get 4000+ fps out of my swift with 52 grain bergers using re15 powder,,and shoot 1/2" groups at 300 yards with that load. Whatever recipe you use always work slow and watch for signs of pressure and irregularites. Your gun will talk to when its right.
Swift: Years ago I badmouthed a fella ,for he loaded a box of shells for a friend. ( handloader was my friend's relate) The handloader wrote the recipe on the box which was (what I thought a hot load). After a tongue-lashing from the loader and an explanation, I began to understand handloading in relationship to the rifle. You recieved that same lashing from Hunter. Is Hunter wrong? No! Are You wrong? No! Hunter knows his limits and his rifle. He did encourage working up the load. No harm -no foul! You are a straight forward guy looking out for interests of others. no harm-no foul!
As to burning barrels out: Any barrel can burn out with out proper use. If mine burns out,,,,,,I sure had fun doing it.
A gunsmith ,friend of mine, told me of an incident where as a fella burned out his brand new .270 with one box of shells.
FWIW: The.243 is a greater barrel burner than the swift.
Have a blessed day.

Another bit: In handloading the swift, I intentionally keep the headspace to a bare minumun. IMO,,it improves accuracy and best of all it saves on the brass. I get 5 to 6 loadings out of it whereas before I was contious of the headspace; I'd only get 2 to 3. OOPS--- I spelled a word wrong.
Do I love the crraaaack of the swift?? Ya-- you betcha!

The Swift sure is a great round. The things I look for when reloading is: First, is it a safe load, Second, is it accurate, and third is it fast? It is ideal when I can get all three, but if I can't, I want a safe load that is accurate. Lots of rounds won't shoot accurate when they are fast. I've been lucky to be able to find safe Swift loads that are very accurate and also fast. You mentioned the 22-250. I've shot that round lots too. However, in my experience I've not been able to find a fast load that shoots accurate. I figure if you can't get it going close to factory specs. then you may as well shoot a lesser gun, like a 222, 223, etc. But that's OK. It doesn't matter if it is going 9000 miles an hour if you can't hit crap with it. An accurate, safe load is what's important to me. And if I ever burn out a barrel ( and I haven't yet on any gun), I'll just put a new one on. Like one guy said, "You should hope to live and shoot long enough to wear out a barrel." I agree. Burn one up, just put a new one on. No biggie.
And yes, I sure love to hear that Swift crack too. Gives a good bang with all that powder coming out of a .224 hole. I also love the sound of it hitting a groundhog. POP! It hits with authority, that's for sure. I shoot lots of hogs with .204, .223, and others, but they don't 'POP' on a chuck like a Swift. Hit a groundhog with the Swift, and you know (and the chuck too) you've hit something.
Have a good day my friend...

I agree with tkofoid for the most part but just to add from my own experience.
I can easily get 12-15 firing's using Norma brass and Redding bushing type dies (with the correct size bushing) that is from a factory chamber.
If you have a custom reamer made to fit your brass your brass will last the life of the barrel if you use proper bushing dies.

Just wondering: Do you anneal the cases??? Your thoughts on annealing....

Hunter01: Your post makes it sound like replacing a barrel is quick, easy and of no economic consequence!
That is incorrect - if, I interpret your post correctly!
The last barrel I had replaced took months (waiting for the barrel and then for the Riflesmith to get the work done) and cost in excess of $550.00!
A quick check on todays Hart Barrel's site shows a "combo price" of $650.00 for a new barrel and having THEM fit it - average wait time 6 to 8 weeks!
"I" have had many custom barrels bought and fitted to my Rifles over the past 35 years and for one thing it now IS such an expensive endeavor that I try to avoid this procedure at all costs.
That "cost" includes firing my Rifles SLOWLY and sparingly so as not to waste barrel life!
My good friend Irv owns what was truly a great shooting 220 Swift.
It is a Remington 40XB-KS with a 27 1/4" stainless factory barrel.
Irv and I were Varminting partners and he was SO impressed with my 40XB-KS in 220 Swift that he bought one for himself.
I saw him shoot several groups at 200 (two hundred) yards measuring at and just under 1/2" for five shots with his Rifle!
Irv took his wonderfully accurate Swift Prairie Doggin twice the next year and at 1,400 rounds he had NO rifling for an 1 3/4" down the barrel.
He simply shot the Rifle hot and kept shooting it that way!
Yes a Swift barrel can be "shot out" (to the point where accuracy starts to diminish) rather quickly.
So, that next winter Irv sends the Rifle back to Remington and several months and $475.00 later he had a re-barreled Swift.
Irv was slightly miffed that the "new" Rifle would NOW only shoot 1" groups at 200 yards.
I cautiously reminded him that he should "baby" that Swift and NEVER shoot it with a hot barrel thus preserving its life and accuracy!
Your "I'll just put on a new one" comment is the fix - but it is NOT a cheap fix nor a quick one anymore!
Avoid the Riflesmith by shooting only through a coolish Swift barrel.
Long live the 220 Swift.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy, Please point out in my recent post where I implied it was cheap, fast, or easy to replace a barrel. If you want to interpret my post in that manner, then go ahead. I'll just point out to you that it is 'just' your interpretation and 'just' that. Assume what you may.. Just remember what they say about people that 'assume' things. You spell assume, ASS U me. When you ASS U me, it does 'just' that... It makes an ASS out of U. I keep using the word 'just' because that is the word I used in my post. "I'll 'just' put on another barrel." How does that imply it is cheap, fast, and easy??? I know barrels aren't cheap. Price a Kreiger, Shilen, Hart, or Douglas and you know they aren't cheap. I don't know who does your barrel work, but my gunsmith can get a barrel and put it on a gun in about 2 to 3 weeks max. You seemed to focus on the word 'just' in my post as meaning cheap, fast, and easy. Well, you can interpret it anyway you want. I can't control your interpretation of my post, I can only say how wrong your view of my post is, as my post does not in ANY way imply what you've accused me of. Go back and reread. Interpret it anyway you want. Funny how you can take one sentence (one word,just,) out of a much larger post and use that to twist it all around and make a big deal out of something so small and miniscule. So to answer your question: NO you don't interpret me correctly...AT ALL..
Like my post stated, 'I've never wore out a barrel before'. If I do, I don't look forward to putting the $money$ out for a new one, but if/when I do burn out a barrel, the simple solution is to 'JUST' put another one on. GET IT?
Man what is it with folks in here. First Swifty62 accuses me of telling a guy to use a hot/unsafe/over-max load, then VarmintGuy says I imply that putting on a new barrel is "just" cheap, fast and easy. Man, I just can't seem to win for losing. Maybe it is the moom phase...........????????????
Now, YOU 'hold into the wind' my friend.....
Ditto on: Long live the Swift...... 'and their barrels too'

P.S. FYI: I too shoot a Remington 40XB with 27 1/4" barrel. Great shooter.
Regards,
Hunter01

Hunter: I understand your statement as to ''just'' install a new barrel. I am not a wealthy man,but I love the sport of shooting so much that if I burn a barrel down; I'll 'just' put another one on it. The thought is quite simple. I have a hunch you and I are on the same page concerning this.
I do anneal my brass are 2-3 loadings.

Rockchuck: I have read/heard about the Redding bushing system,but did not know it would save brass as well as it does.
I'm guessing the Norma brass is a huge factor ,too? Whenever I can, I use Lapua brass due to it's longevity..I did not realize Norma makes and sells swift brass...

tkofoid, Thanks. For a while there I was starting to think I was losing it. I felt like, for some unknown reason, I had a target on my chest. I 'just' come in here to share, gain input, maybe learn something, and 'just' have a good clean time on the net. I come in here to give my 2 cents worth and guys like Swifty and VarmintGuy attack me, and accuse me of saying things I NEVER said. Guess it is all up to their interpretations. Such is life. I can't control that. I didn't think I was being that ambiguous..
I'm not a wealthy man either. I'm 'just' a retired school teacher on a fixed income. I would hate to spend the money to replace a barrel too, but I'd do it because, I too, 'just' love shooting. Boy, it appears that the word 'just' just may be one of my favorite words. haha.
I appreciate your response. You sound like a stand-up gentleman who is very much on the same page as I. Sounds like you and I are speaking the same language. Thanks again for your understanding.
Regards to you Sir,
Hunter01

Shoulda just left me outta it as I stopped. But, Your data from Speer #5 is 47 + years old, and obsolete, and you started it by cussing. Oh well. All I will say is that if azzholes and Idiots were like flowers, You would be in full Bloom on both counts.


Swifty

Hey now.(all of us) settle down,already! (white flag ,high in the air)
If this conversation had taken place at the local coffee shop,none of this would have surfaced. The one thing I have noticed in e-mails and forums is that statements can very easily be taken out of context. Written words are many times misinterpreted. In my business, if I feel I need to get a special point across to the owners or constituants, I phone them or wait for that coffee table discussion,,,exactly for that very reason. We are good guys sharing the same sport. I definitely have to have at my disposal the unhappy face with the finger that Swifty posted..I love it,,,,Sometimes it could be useful as in this case. It surely caught my attention.