Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .220 Swift

Anyone ever kill a deer with a .220 Swift? If so, what bullet did you use? I’ve killed a few with a Nosler 60 grain partition. I’ve even killed hogs with it too.

Scenarshooter has killed everything with a Swift. Big trophy sized animals too not just dinks and does. I think I remember him saying he used plain old Hornady soft points to boot. No replacement for placement.

have used Hornady 60 gr. SP with perfect success.

I had one, but the 1in 14 twist wouldn’t let me shoot anything over 55 grain bullets. I tried the 60 gr Partition, it wouldn’t stabilize. I want to get one of the 1in8 Tikkas. The 62 Barnes would be a pig slayer.

Como 'se huh? In a Swift?

I hunted with a Swift for many years. Many Whitetails bit the dust from it. It was a Ruger 77 I bought in 1977. It would string 10 shots together with regularity using Norma 55 gr.

One of those rifles I was an idiot for ever turning loose.

They are 22-250’s

I had a neck fusion in August of 2000, so that early winter I used a Swift. I had a takeoff Mod 700 classic barrel and put it on a Mod 7 action, set in its synthetic stock. I also had a muzzlebrake put on it ( only way my wife would sign off on hunting so soon after surgery! ha) I put a Sightron Compact 3x9 on it and used Federal Premium factory loads with 55gr Trophy Bondeds. I killed a medium sized late season muley in Utah (December Antlerless) One of my twin daughters was graduating from Air force boot camp in San Antone in February. After her graduation, I went on to Leakey, Tx and shot a big axis doe, then two Blackbuck (both over 20"!) The rancher liked the rifle so much he traded me a discount on an oryx hunt later that May. It was a waicked little killer. From what I can understand, the .22-250 was "the orginal Swift", but I don't know. I had a 22-250 Ackley Improved with a 1 in 9 twist that was great with the Hornady 68 OTM buulet on coyotes/prairie dogs. I then had a 22/6mm Remington ( .224 TTH) made up in an 8" twist that did fine with the 64gr Power Point and the 75gr Scirocco. The fast 22s do work...good luck to you Pard.

I've shot several does with the 220 and basic 55 Sierras, probably in the neighborhood of 15. I've never had one run off, but I haven't shot any big bucks with it either.

I own many 22 caliber rifles including pre-64 Winchesters,Ruger no.1`s ,700 Remingtons, , wildcats too. there is something about that old swift that is just a little louder and nastier on a prairie dog ,coyote ,deer or whatever. 220 Swift will always be the KING of 22`s !

I started my youngest son with a 220 swift on white tail. 2 years in a row he bang flopped a doe with 50 gr PSP factory loaded winchester ammunition. I was uncomfortable with the delicate bullet, it killed like the smiteus touch though.

At the time I hunted with that Swift, Hornady loaded the 50gr Vmax. It shot 1/2 under that 55gr Federal load. I killed coyotes/other varmints with it too. The take off barrel I had that Mod 7 came off a Mod 700 Classic, I had bought that rifle from an old guy that used the Hornady 60gr on deprivation deer hunts out here. I wanted the stock/action for a 6.5/284, so luckily I had it to put together for my "Handicap" hunting, ha. I don't see any .220 Swift factory ammo around here now, anyone still load for it?

You can order it in 5 or 6 different brands. I haven’t seen anyone stock it around here in 15 years or so. Guy at the LGS where I bought the rifle said he quit stocking it a few years back, but would order it for me. No demand.

My Swift is a Savage heavy, fluted, stainless barreled single shot with a synthetic stock. It shoots like a laser.

I've used the 55gr Hornady SP with excellent results.

I have used mine with 64 gr. WW bullets, even killed one with the old WW factory 46gr. hollow point.. Stunt shooting for sure..

PO Ackley killed many, many deer with the 220 Swift.

Frank Glaser killed hundreds of Sheep, Mt Goats, Moose and a few Grizzly Bears with his. And probably a couple thousand Wolves. Claimed it to be the fastest killer of any rifle he ever used.

Of my various fast twist .224 rifles, my .220 Swift M70 SA push feed would be the last one I would part with. It has an 8-twist Brux barrel with a Hunters Edge stock. It really likes 75 grain VLD's. I have some 80 grain JLK bullets to try in it as well as a variety of loads with 75 grain SII's to play with. I have shot both deer and antelope with the VLD's.

I've killed deer with a .22-250. I didn't notice that it killed them any quicker or deader than my .243, .30-06, .308 or .30-30. I have a hard time believing there's any magic in the extra 100 fps or so of the swift that would make it kill noticeably quicker than the .22-250.