Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 220 SWIFT AND BARREL LIFE

IN THE PAST I HAVE READ THAT THIS CAL HAS A SHORT BARREL LIFE WHATS THE SKINNY ON THIS,SEEMS LIKE A NEET CAL

Skinny is: That with a lick of sense,you'll love a fine shooting Swift for a damned long time.

If you wish to abuse it,she'll puke early,just like anything else. I've always been a Swift Fan,it really is a superb cartridge IMHO.................

Nat.......

Years ago, a cartridge that had a huge powder capacity compared to it's bullet's diameter was called "over-bore capacity" meaning that the excessive amount of rifle powder (compared to the rifle's bore size) acted like a "blow-torch" as it hotly burnt in the rifle barrel's throat... dramatically DECREASING the "accurate life" of the rifle's barrel.

While such things still happen, but to a lesser extent due to improved metallurgy, the idea still applies although it's a term gun-writers seem to have stopped using.

In the case of the .220 Swift, it was especially true due to the extremely high velocity of the Swift's 48 grain bullet at what I believe was about 4180 fps muzzle velocity back in "the old days" over 50 years ago. That's even "hot" by today's standards!


The old, but large capacity 6mm Lee Navy cartridge case was necked down to .224-inches and became the .220 Swift... the first commercial cartridge to exceed the magical 4,000 fps muzzle velocity.

While metallurgy and rifle powders HAVE improve, they haven't been able to entirely elimnated the Swift's harsh treatment of it's barrels. However, any cartridge that gives such a ultra-high muzzle velocity is going to hard on rifle barrels and shorten the accurate life of that barrel.

But if you want the "ultimate" FAST cartridge that shoots very "flat"... then opt for the .220 Swift. You can always load it "down" and increase the barrel life. However, you can get almost the same high velocity (3700-3800 fps) in the popular .22/250 together with fine accuracy and even greater barrel life if that is your desire.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

The name says it all! SWIFT!!

4,400 fps with a 40 grain bullet!

4,300 fps with a 45 grain bullet!

4,200 fps with a 50 grain bullet!

4,100 fps with a 55 grain bullet!

4,000 fps with a 60 grain bullet!

And a new barrel every 250 rounds with any of the above!!

I played with all the above loads for quite a few years, thinking that faster was better. It was when I reached my "moderation days" that I finally decided that pushing a 50 grain bullet at around 3,900 fps improved accuracy around 400%, and barrel life forever.

I tired several powders in hundreds of different loadings, and finally decided that in my Winchester, IMR-4064, at a weight of 38.7 grains did exactly what I wanted.

On paper it printed 5-shot groups at 200 yards of less than 1/2 inch, and on varmints, it was totally devistating out to 400 yards!

The .220 Swift Winchester has been inactive for a few years, since I do most of my small critter shooting with the .22-250 Remington. But on occasion, I still break it out, lay on the livingroom floor, and play "make-believe" ... I haven't missed a critter yet in my game. Even the one little prairie dog I "hit" at well over 1,000 yards ... grin ...

If you really want the ultimate .22 caliber, then get yourself a good heavy-barreled Swift, and put a good 36x Leupold scope on top of it.

Well I've only had one Swift, a Ruger 77, It's had about 5,000 rounds of my reloads down it's tube. It's always shot several different bullet weights and loads well and within one inch of the same point of impact. I have seen some deteration in it's accuracy over the past 20 years. Lately I've been seating bulets out a little longer in order to reach the lands and half inch groups are about the best it will do anymore. This is still my "go to" rifle for everything from prairie dogs to deer.

You can shoot out any rifle barrel if you shoot it so hot it will brand cattle. All that BS about the Swift being hard on barrels was first written a long time ago by those who were touting the "new" 22-250 wildcat and trying to sell their pet project. And it's been repeated by those who do their "research" sitting in a reading chair insted of spending time in the field.

The old Swift isn't dead yet. It's not difficult to load for, it won't burn out a barrel in an average shooters lifetime, and the semi-rimmed case feeds like it has eyes if you stack em' in the mag box right. In spite of all the poop I've read I have never experienced any of the infamous problems the Swift is susposed to have.

I will start by saying I love the Swift. If I ever wash a barrel out on one of my Swifts, I will put on a new barrel in Swift. I have 2 Swifts now and a 3rd on the way. It is sitting in my shop in parts until next week when I can get to my buddys house and use his lathe. My first Swift was and still is a Savage 112 singleshot. I have about 3000 rounds thru it. My standard everyday load is a 50 Ballistic Tip at about 3850fps. For high volume paraire dogs I shoot a 55gr Rem bullet at alittle over 3600fps.
My buddy is sold on his Swift Imp and loves them. They do hit hard. He shoots a 60gr Vmax at alittle over 3800fps.
I say buy or build a Swift. Shoot it as much as you want. If you wear it out put another barrel on it. Most of us don't shoot enough to wear one out because most us are not that lucky:)

Mark H