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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 341
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 341 |
When I was growing up a local retired guy used to take me ground hog hunting. He was super fan of the swift had about 10 rifles in 220 swift.
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,082
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,082 |
I love mine. It's a pristine pre-64 Model 70 so I don't do any high volume shooting with it. I take it deer hunting occasionally and it works well for that purpose.
Those who must raise their voice to get their point across are generally not intelligent enough to do so in any other way.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 23,036 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 23,036 Likes: 6 |
Blaserman: Nothing - many of us still around. I currently own 13 (thirteen) Rifles in caliber 220 Swift. Four of them are mint condition pre-64 Winchester Model 70's in my collection (in three different models) that I do not shoot and the other nine I shoot - mostly at Varmints and predators. I missed buying a minty Remington 700 stainless heavy barrel Sendero earlier this week - I missed it by one day - thought about it 24 hours to long (price $899.00). There still is a "niche" market for Rifles in caliber 220 Swift just not much in the way of supply! When a clean (with good bore) used Rifle in 220 Swift comes on the market, in my experience, it doesn't last very long. The 220 Swift Sendero I just "missed out on" was on the market (gunstore rack) for 2 1/2 days! Many of my friends that I Varmint and predator Hunt with own Rifles in 220 Swift. I have a fair supply of 220 Swift brass on hand so I won't be leaving the ranks of 220 Swift "fans" any time soon. Long live the 220 Swift. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 11,777
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 11,777 |
I’ve had several swifts. Currently have a custom stainless R700, 26” Shilen sporter barrel, McMillan hunter stock. I’ve had it for more than 20 years. Use it for coyote calling and it’s highly effective. Had another similar, only heavier barrel. Shot the rifling out of that one, on PDs. And still another VSSF, a great gun, but I sold it as barrel heat and recoil is more than I wanted in a PD gun. So I sold it.
NRA Patron
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,199
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,199 |
I shot out 4 swifts, then went to the 22/250 AI...never looked back, never trimmed another piece of brass for that case...never...since 1987!
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Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,398
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,398 |
I shot out 4 swifts, then went to the 22/250 AI...never looked back, never trimmed another piece of brass for that case...never...since 1987! Agreed. In the early 90s Norma brass went from hard to find to impossible to find. The WW stuff wasn't great & the new Hornady/Frontier stuff was poor. I took a 22-250 Ackley in trade, test fired it, worked out the bugs, & sold all my Swifts except the Model 54. Having a chronograph helped with the decision.
Sacred cows make good burgers when you know what temperature to cook them at.-Rev. Billy
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,083
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,083 |
All the 220 fans I knew were guys in their fifties back in Reagan's first term. They're not really fans of anything at all anymore...
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,082
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,082 |
Hey that’s just hurtful. 😁 74 here, still shooting and enjoying the swift. On my third one, all Ruger 77’s.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,214
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,214 |
Perhaps because laser rangefinders have made shooting varmints at long ranges with 223s easier, so there is less demand for the 22-250, the 220 Swift, and the various 6mms and .257" bore cartridges for shooting pdogs and 'chucks that are way out there.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,182
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,182 |
It's alive and well with me.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 30,817 Likes: 14
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 30,817 Likes: 14 |
20 cal's became more popular.....with me any how
20-222.....20 Practical (20-223) 20 Vartarg (Fireball)
T R U M P W O N !
U L T R A M A G A !
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,082
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,082 |
I was fortunate that my first experience with the Swift and my first experience with a Pre-64 Model 70 came in the same package. I'll be a fan of both for life!
Those who must raise their voice to get their point across are generally not intelligent enough to do so in any other way.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,844
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,844 |
I haven't done much with my old 77V 220 Swift in a while but it's still the king to me. I keep thinking I'll find a good deal on a lefty 700 SA to build a correctly handed Swift but other projects seem to take precedence and that old 77V and I have a lot of great history, despite the fact that Bill Ruger chose to put the bolt on the incorrect side. Guess I'll always be a Swift fan.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,943
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,943 |
The Swift is still my longer range varmint rifle, an early flat bolt M77V. I go easy on the barrel, and it has held up well for a lot of years. On prairie dogs, the .17HMR gets the nod to about 175 yards, then it’s Swift time.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 51
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 51 |
Me too. Bought me first Swift as a limited production Ruger M77V back in 1975. Been a huge fan ever since. Never ever have I gone on a prairie dog hunt and not taken one along. Sacrilege. I have lots of other calibers and dearly love them all. But the Swift is the King. Always has been, always will be. Period.
Give a man a welfare check, a free cell phone with free monthly minutes,food stamps, free section 8 housing, a forty oz malt liquor, a crack pipe and some Air Jordans and he'll vote Democrat for life.
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 248
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 248 |
Mine sports a 26 inch #3 contour 1/14 twist ss/Cutrifled Mark Chanlynn bbl,older Ruger Flat bolt/M77V action,Canjarset trigger,glass bedded into an older fiberglass stock ,it's name can't remember , yeah she's not going nowhere ,LOL.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,738 Likes: 14
Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,738 Likes: 14 |
Wish Tikka would make a run of Swift’s in a 1 in8 twist barrel.
Last edited by hanco; 11/22/20.
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 3,744
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 3,744 |
I hope it doesn’t fade to dust. I have a swift in a Ruger #1 that hasn’t been fired yet, new in 94 if I recall. As soon as I can get an FX3 on it I’ll take it out and break it in. With the longer barrel I maybe will use it on long range coyotes. Take some work off the .243. A case of 40 grain ammo for it arrived a couple weeks ago so when the glass arrives I’ll get it ready for my years first run thru the western states.
Osky
A woman's heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth and I can find no sign on it.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,819 Likes: 4
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,819 Likes: 4 |
20 cal's became more popular.....with me any how
20-222.....20 Practical (20-223) 20 Vartarg (Fireball)
20 cal bullets are still available on store shelves....
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,911 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,911 Likes: 2 |
Shot out the barrel on my first 220 Swift at about 3k rds used to push 50 & 52 gr bullets to damn fast with 4064. When I replaced it with another 77v I backed off max went to ball powders and slowed way up on quantity of rounds used at the dog town. MB
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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