Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 220 Swift loads

Thanks guys

My first true varmint rifle was a 220 Swift so I have been loading for it since the early 70's, my favorite with a 1-14" twist is W760/H414, Fed210 primer and 55gr Blitzkings. in some barrels I had great results with RL15

My Swift would not stabilize that combination except at elevations above 5400'. That bullet is just too long for a 14 twist.

I ended up with about 10 boxes of handloaded ammo that was topped with 55 grain Sisk bullets. I pulled a few and weighed the charges and they were as advertised. The powder was 4064. These loads were stupid accurate and I have never been able to better 4064 for accuracy. I haven't tried all the wonder powders in it but I tried everything I could get 15 years ago. If I were to load for it again I would try Hunter and maybe Big Game.

My Swift would not stabilize the 60 grain Partition nor the 52 grain Amax. I hate the 14 twist. Rifle is a pre-64.

My last barrel is a Shilen, and a faster twist, I think 1-10 and I AI'd the chamber to hopefully slow down the trimming, and it seems to work. With 47 H414 and a 55 Sierra, goes 3990 fps and is the best shooting barrel I've had, on a still day, it will shoot in the .3's consistently for five shots. It is an old 700 that I've had for somewhere around 35 years that was built by Ed Brown.

For years I happily shot rock chucks with 52gn Sierras or Hornadys and IMR4064. Got about 3850fps from a 26" bbl. Lately switched to Reloader 17 for higher velocity and even better groups.

With 55gn Ballistic Tips or Ballistic Silvertips my top pick is R17 followed closely by 2000MR and H4350.

With 60gn Partitions R17 is tops. H4831 gives tiny groups but lower velocity.

Walt

I wonder how Big Game would work in it.

Big Game works pretty well. Back when the Ramshot powders were first introduced, I had a Ruger 1B in .220 Swift, with the 26" barrel. They didn't introduce Hunter for a few more years, so I tried Big Game with 55-grain Ballistic Tips. The maximum load they listed back then (it's probably changed) got around 3900 fps, but accuracy was just so-so, around 1-1/2". I called the head tech at Western Powders and he suggested I try magnum primers. That cut group size in half.

John
The only ramshot powder I have on hand is TAC. When ramshot powders become more available I will try Hunter.

Do you think a 60 grain partition will stabilize in the 14 twist?

I'm thinking 4064, 4895 and RL 15 will get first shot with 55 and 60 grain bullets. How about Varget, It seems like it would be worth a shot

Unless they changedthe bullet, they won't. They wouldn't stabilize in mine at 1500' elevation. Never shot them when I lived at 5400'. That 14 twist is a huge handicap nowdays.

dennisinaz, I have used the 6o grain Partitions in my old .22-250 and my Swift.. Both shot fine.. I haven't used them in elevations much less than 2000 feet, but they have killed deer and turkey in Pa. and W. Va. All of my guns are 1-14.. But it could also be the individual rifles..

I wondered if the partitions would be hit and miss.
I shoot between 2000 and 3000'. I think they might be worth a shot.

I wonder how much better performance the partition offers over the 60 grain hornady and the 63 SMP anyway

I suspect the "exact" 1-14 twist affects how well the 60-grain Partitions stabilize. Twist will vary slightly in barrels, except (usually) for hammer-forged barrels. The 60 Partition is right on the margin for stability in a 14 twist, and any little thing will cause problems, such as the twist actually being, say, 1-14.3.

In my last Swift, a tang-safety Ruger 77, it wouldn't shoot consistently unless I took the rifle up to about 7000 feet up in the mountains. Even at 4000 feet on a warm summer day, in a 5-shot group 2-3 would land close together, and the others would scatter, sometimes into 3" or more. This was in a rifle that would put five 55-grain Sierra hollow-points into 1/2" or so.

I finally quit trying to get them to shoot consistently in supposed 14 twists, because too often it was a waste of bullets, powder, primers and time. They're much more consistent in a 1-12 barrel, the standard .223 twist, and often shoot really well in a 1-9 or 1-8.

There's another advantage in "over-stabilizing" them: BC is higher. They ain't the sleekest bullet anyway, so I'll take any edge possible.

I've been reloading the 220 Swift since 1958 (off and on). I started with IMR-4064 and have gone to Reloader 15 now. the IMR-4064 shot accurately, but it meters though the powder measure like gravel; the Relocader-15 is smooth. I stick to published loads. the Swift is a vastly under-rated cartridge -it's really good.

I have been following this thread pretty close since I am about pick up a new Swift. I would like to ask those familiar here if I would be better suited with one bullet over the other.

I will probably fire more shots at paper and steel than anything else but do plan on taking it to the field occasionally. No Prarie dogs or chucks down here...most varmints will likely be crows and the occasional coyote. We have bobcats too but don't expect I will ever pull the trigger on one with this rifle...mostly because I wouldn't want to tear the hide to pieces.

I have been thing about the 53gr Vmax or any of the NBTS but would love to know what would be suggested for the application.

Already have plenty of Reloder 15 and can get 4064 easily enough too.

The 53 vmax is a long bullet and I know a few people who have tried them in 1 in 14 22-250's and couldn;t get them to stabilize.

I'd suggest a faster than 1/14 twist. I'd also suggest a .204 chambering.

At the risk of repeating myself the 53 gr. VMax is a lovely bullet and a bad choice for a 1/14 Swift. For 1/14 twist the sort of 50/52/53 grain bullets that were popular when the Swift was popular make a fine retro combination. I suppose the newer bullets will do fine in a faster twist but they don't in a 1/14 twist and there is little point in trying. Mine is a 26" Hart plenty accurate and speedy but speed doesn't make up for the slow twist - as I say retro. I even have a Quick Measure for log type powders and I see no reason save desperation to use 4064 in a cartridge I shoot more than a box a year maybe Garands excepted.

I'd feel comfortable using a well chosen bullet at Swift velocities to not exit a bobcat on most well chosen shots - at least I don't know anything better except a trap.

Im going to go a bit off topic here, 4064 is your friend! I have owned 3 220 Swifts, the first was a very early tang safety varmint barrel Ruger, it shot anything you stuck in it to a 1/2 inch if you could half shoot! I did not know when I bought it new with a 6 x 18 ao redfield but Douglas made the barrels back then. (1970's), I traded that gun to buy a 59' Winchester Varminter ( Win made 904)in swift, it shoots as well BUT is a lot more picky on ammo !!! I also own and bought a NIB mid 50's std mod 70 with an internal adjustment 10X unertl scope, so far an inch is best I have found ammo on that gun. The Ruger had well over 3000 rounds thru it and still would shoot into 3/4 inch when I sold it to a guy in NM.I sent many a fellow back to Tallahassee FL from the coon bottom gun club minus many 100 dollar bills with that gun! OK, I started out shooting Yellow Winchester super X ammo ....HOT stuff, then a case of hot Norma. Guys I moved to Hornady grey box custom ammo I bought by the case lots from a now closed outfit named Lock, Stock and Barrel, the ammo was slow compared to Norma and Winchester BUT super,super accurate. LONG story short warp speed does not always mean tack driver accurate! DAMN I wish I had my Ruger back! On handloading the 4064 was the bomb! very best WinPoor
I save all brass and boxes I think the Hornady was a 50 or 55 gr bullet loaded to about 3800 fps, not the fastest BUT damn it is cloverleaf, one hole stuff, i do not know what their new stuff is or what they have now that took this stuffs place!

50 grain Sierra blitz. tough little bullet. Handled 3800 out of my Swift easily.

I sold my Swift as I couldn't find a decent big game bullet than would stabilize in my 14 (or worse) twist and it was too heavy to use for calling coyotes. I have a couple of 22-250s with 14 twist and I have settled on 50 Blitzkings myself. I also use this bullet in my 222 (probably a 14 twist) for calling coyotes.

I agree that 4064 is probably the worst of the rat turd powders for metering through a powder measure. I would sure try some new ball powders first if I went back to it.

For whatever reason, the best powders in the 22-250 were not the best powders in the Swift, even with the same bullets. I mostly use TAC in my 22-250 with the 50s. I liked H380 when I shot 55s.

When I use 4064 anymore (and I do occasionally) it's the Accurate Powders version, which is short-cut. Haven't tried it in the Swift because I don't own one anymore, but it worked well in every other cartridge I've tried it in, with very similar results to IMR4064 without the hassle of log-sized grains.

But based on previous experience with IMR4064 in several Swifts I can't believe it somehow beats a bunch of other powders, whether H414/W760/A2700, Reloder 15, Big Game and Hunter, etc. etc.