Bought my first M77V used in 220 Swift in 1975 paid $190 for it. It was wearing a 3x9 Bushnell BDC and came with a set of Lyman dies and 9 boxes of brass. It shot nice for me with 4064 and 50-52 gr Noslers solid base and hpbt match bullets. I shot a few coyotes and a lot of p dogs with it. I don't know how many rounds went thru it before I got it but the bore was in ok shape then. the scope crapped out and was relaced with a 8x Leupold. At about 3000 rds of my own, it was slipping and I got carried away with the moment in a hot dog town off the White river north Iona , SD ,torched the throat. Probably should have rebarreled it, but I ended trading it and cash for a Colt AR-15. I knew that sooner or later a slightly used 1 would show up at the local gunshop at a decent price. One did and I bought it for $240+ tax. I still have that one although it doesn't see anywhere near the use the first one did. I learned not to use 4064 in the swift but H380 and 760 burn cooler and are easier on your barrel. You don't need to crowd the loads to 4k fps either. With the low bc bullets I used at the time an 8x Leupold was all I needed for my use to 450 yds. It is what it is. I had a lot of the same brass problems that Keith talked about. I inside uniform the necks with a Forster reamer and that takes care of that. It was a great combo for me in it's day. The 22-250 is the way I'd go for 50-60 grain loads in buy anywhere ammo with the slow twist guns more commonly available. A 22-250 with a fast twist would be fun to play with for minimal entry dollars with the heavier bullet route. If money wasn't a consideration on build cost, brass and etc. what Stick says is the way to go. I learned a few things in the last 44 years and pass my my experience of them on. It's your's to use for free or discard as unimportant if you like. I don't really care what anyone thinks any more. So if you don't like what I say ,you know where you can go. MB
