Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Kudos To Hornady Ammo & Remington Sendero's

I was doing gunshows and chasing guns recently and came across a Remington 700 VSSF in as new condition in caliber 220 Swift.
It was offered to me at a VERY pleasing price and I had my Siebert bore inspection tool along which showed the barrel to be perfect and the leades to the rifling bright and square.
The bolt face was pure black showing very little if any firing.
The bolt lugs also showed no wear from firing.
The gun was like new - even though the barrel date code said it was made in March of 2,007?
Story was it was being offered by the family of a departed shooter?
I love these older Remington 700's with the long blackened flutes of the stainless barrel and the greenish/black McMillan style palm swell stocks (they used to call these Sendero's - I still do).
The trigger was very crisp but not especially light.
Even though I need another 220 Swift like I need another hole in my head I bought it with the philosophy that if it didn't shoot up to my standards then I would sell it next spring thinking I would make fifty if not a hundred dollars in profit on it.
Off I go to set it up and get some brass for my testing - alas no 220 Swift brass to be found.
I intended to mount a Leupold 6x18 variable on it in Leupold rings and a one piece Leupold base.
After much effort I got the Leupold rings attached (no more Leupold rings for me - after many decades of swearing by them!) and precision aligned with the bore, I lapped them and was ready to mount and bore sight the Leupold 6x18 variable.
Still no brass to be found so I decided to try some Hornady factory ammo (of which I have had great accuracy with in several guns over the last several years!) - I bought the 55 grain V-Max Hornady ammo and used it for original sight-in and function testing.
The wind calmed to next to nothing yesterday and off to the range I go.
Sight-in was quick - one shot at 33 yards then two shots at 100 yards.
Next I fired 5 shots into a group there at 100 yards that both impressed me with its roundness and was pleasing to me at measuring only .781" center to center.
Over-all I was just happy as a clam with the Rifle/scope set-up and very pleased that such a high intensity calibered Rifle shot so well with the Hornady factory ammo.
Like I mentioned above (and posted about hereon) over the last several years I have had to/chose to buy some Hornady factory ammo for several new Rifles to get them "on-line".
These included several Rifles in 204 Ruger, two in 223 Remington and now this latest Rifle in 220 Swift.
Good for Hornady in making this accurate and lethal (on Varmints and predators) ammunition - my thanks to them.
Now I am debating whether to "shoot-up" the remaining 12 rounds of Hornady V-Max ammo (it was kind of pricey!) and begin load development with these fireformed cases or to use it as is on the upcoming Coyote season hereabouts and delaying load development til early spring of next year?
Anyway the 204 Ruger factory ammo by Hornady was SO accurate in my Rifles I had to go to extreme lengths (Berger bullets, Federal Match primers, precise and individual weighing of powder charges, primer pocket uniforming etc etc) to best the accuracy of it by my handloads!
If you need some ammo for your smaller caliber Rifle I suggest you give the Hornady stuff a try.
More later
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VarmintGuy

I have one also, very accurate

Hornady 204 Ruger ammo is so accurate that it has prevented me from loading any prairie dog loads. One of my winter projects will be to attempt to equal the accuracy of the Hornady 40 grain VMAX load that has shot so well in multiple 204's.

Hanco: Is yours in 220 Swift also?
I have another exact same model in caliber 22-250 Remington and it shot the FIRST load I made up for it into five shot groups at 100 yards measuring UNDER .400"!
Consistently!
These guns just feel "right" to me both afield and at the range.
Good luck with yours (and let me know for sure which caliber yours is).
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VarmintGuy

OSU Sig: I to am just amazed at the accuracy of the Hornady ammunition - although I have been using/breaking in/sighting in with the 32 grain Hornady V-Max ammo in my many 204's.
Good luck trying to "best" the Hornady factory ammo!
They have this stuff tuned in.
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VarmintGuy

I have the exact same set up. Will likely take this rifle to the grave with me. From deer to coyotes, it does it all just fine. Wish Remington would bring quality rifles like this back. If you ever reload for your swift try 55 grain Hornady sp’s and 52 SMKs, over 4064.

In regards to Hornady factory stuff, I have a 243 that shoots loaded 58 grain vmaxs so well I don’t bother reloading for it. Great stuff.

Hendricks: Good for you on the great pair of Coyotes - it looks like your loading did not do much pelt damage at all to them - were they shot with the 52 grain Sierra Match kings or the Hornady's?
And what a dandy Whitetail you harvested with that Swift!
That looks like a Leupold 6.5x20x30mm tube variable on your Swift?
I have that exact scope on my Remington 700 Sendero in 270 Winchester caliber - it IS a Whitetailed Deer, Mule Deer and Antelope harvesting machine!
Keep up the good work.
Your comment/experience with the 243 Hornady ammo is noted - thanks for that.
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VarmintGuy

My leupold is a vx-3 6.5-20x40mm. I love it.
That particular pair was with the Hornadys. The one on the left I shot facing me at about 50 yards and he was a bit messy, the other was at about 100 broadside after I ki-yi’d him to a stop. .22 caliber entrance and a quarter sized exit. Pretty typical results. Scenarshooter actually recommended them to me long ago. I will try them on some deer and antelope here in the future hopefully. The Sierra’s do a bit better but can be messy if hitting shoulder blades and such. The whitetail was with a matchking, 130 yard broadside and about a 60 yard coughing, death sprint and he was done.

Hendricks: Thanks for the info and again keep after'em.
I should have asked more directly though is that a 1" tube on your Leupold or a 30mm - the tube on my Rifle's Leupold scope is 30mm (IIRC).
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VarmintGuy

Would love to try a .220 Swift one day. Thanks for the informative writeup, I appreciated it.

Had some Hornady ammo that was garbage.

That was the exception to the rule however.

Fireball2: I am a long time user and somewhat advocate of the 220 Swift!
I have killed Antelope and one Deer with my various Swifts.
It is an exceptional long range Rock Chuck Rifle and it goes along with me into the high mountains on the low volume Rock Chuck Hunts up there.
The 220 Swift is also an excellent Coyote cartridge as it so fast and flat shooting - when there's no time to Laser the longer shots then the Swift shines.
I have a Remington 40XB-KS single shot in 220 Swift and its accuracy is VERY impressive - so from personal experiences I know the cartridge is capable of excellent accuracy.
Just today (in heavy snow!) a crew of us went gun shopping and I found one more box of the Hornady 55 grain V-Max ammo that my Sendero shoots so well - I now have 32 rounds of factory stuff left to use on Coyotes (and maybe a Wolf!) this winter.
This will be shot up by spring and then I will do some load development with the fireformed brass.
The 220 Swift does a lot of things well but does heat up a barrel rather quickly and has enough recoil that sight picture is often lost at the shot - so a spotter is sometimes need on long shots.
I say find a good deal on one and try it for a year or two - if not happy then sell it off.
Best of luck if you do.
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VarmintGuy

Jim Conrad: What caliber was that Hornady poor accuracy factory stuff in?
Better luck next time.
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VarmintGuy

Not poor accuracy VG.

Poor brass quality on some 17 Hornet.

Shot well, just got a bad lot I guess. Split cases and shallow primer pockets with no bevel.

Other lots have been fine.

Mines also a 30mm tube. Love that scope!

Once you do you won’t know how you went so long without one and won’t be without one for the rest of your life.

Jim Conrad: Received and understood.
In preparation for someday owning my own Ruger 77/17 Hornet I have two packages of Hornady 17 Hornet brass and a brand new set of 17 Hornet dies.
I will pay close attention if and when I ever open the Hornady brass.
I hear the Ruger folks have decided to re-start manufacture of the 77/17 Hornets?
Hope to have one by spring.
Thanks for clarification.
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VarmintGuy

Hendricks: Thanks for the clarification and I to love that scope.
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VarmintGuy

Figured I’d post this group from Sunday for the sake of conversation. This is the first time I’ve fired this load with a 53 grain smk. My rifle certainly prefers the flat based bullets, it’ll put the 52 boat tails under an inch but won’t do this. One funny thing with this rifle( and a few of my other 700’s) is how far my lands are out. With a Hornady COAL gauge, in order to touch the lands I only have about an eighth of an inch of bullet in the case. I shoot 55 Hornady the most so I leave my die set to 2.680 for that bullet. I left the die in place which puts this at 2.650. So a significant amount of “jump”.

Curious if ya’lls rifles are similar?

Hendricks: The group did not show up - a couple of words did [Linked Image] was all.
Over the years I have owned and shot several Rifles that showed a preference for flat based bullets though.
I don't know why.
The old "bullet jump to the lands" problem/situation is often present in this eras factory Rifles.
Minimal bullet jump is often (but NOT always!) preferred by most Rifles - I use the Bullet Seating Depth Gauge (tool) made by Sinclair.
Please retry the image posting.
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VarmintGuy