My tired old Swift doesn't get much time afield anymore since we moved to Alaska. It is a Ruger 77V, tang safety that came into our shop with a almost indiscernible bulge and ring about an inch back from the muzzle. The owner wasn't saying what happened and wanted to trade for a bolt gun in 223. I worked out the trade (we got into it really cheap) and then bought the gun from the shop, sent it back to Ruger for a new barrel and used it these last 28 years.
At the time I bought it I was neck deep in year round coyote control work, mostly trapping but a considerable amount of calling and stalking. That Swift was my only varmint rifle at the time and I came to depend on it heavily. It was, and still is, a dependable coyote killer. I tried most all the available bullets of the day. The Btips and Vmax were making inroads to the bullet market. I loved the 40 grain Btip as a ground squirrel vaporizer. The old Speer 52 grain HP is a good fur bullet as is the Sierra 1365 55 BTSP Gameking. I didn't like the 40 grains as a fur bullet. On a perfect chest shot they were spectacular. On a not so perfect shot they weren't so hot.
The 22 Creedmore didn't exist in its current form. It was known as a fast twist 22-250 AI at the time. A few looneys had them. In a lot of respects the 22 Creedmore or 22-250 are probably a better option than the Swift. They have a lot to offer and few, if any things to fault.
The Swift has been king for a long time but it has its idiosyncrasies like the semi rimmed case. It only takes once of loading the top round's rim behind the lower round's rim in the magazine to cure you of that mistake. Especially when a fast follow shot is required. I'm stuck in the past lane and will keep my Swift. Maybe if I finally wear out this barrel, I'll have a fast twist barrel installed. It'll still stay a Swift. I've still got a lot of new brass to be worn out.
