Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .220 Swift

I have some 52gr HPFB bullets and would like to load something different than the 37.5grns of Ball 760 I have been using.

Any suggestions?

I do not shoot nor have I loaded for the Swift, but do recall perusing it on cold winter nights per several load manuals for a 22/250AI project (Swift loads are equal in velocity), and if memory serves correctly IMR 4064 appeared to be a great all-around powder for the Swift.

I wiould also suggest looking at Swift data re IMR 4895 and IMR 4350.
Perhaps Norma MRP?

And, the Ramshot line for a smooth metering ball-type powder...

i have a hunting buddy , he uses 4320 and 4064

Spanakopitas: A couple of my Swifts shoot 52 grain Speer hollow-point flat base bullets.
This is a great bullet for saving Coyote pelts by the way.
I use 38.0 grains of IMR 4064 and Federal 210 M (match) primers.
Approach this load from below and with caution and dilligence.
In fact now that I am checking in my loading log all 6 of my current 220 Swifts either shoot IMR 4064 or H 380 powder.
Best of luck with your new "direction" powder.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Don't get no righter than RE-17 in the Swift... 50s and 52s at 4k no problem... I'm running 42ish grains and the brass has been loaded half a dozen times.

Lot of info here. I have an old and I mean really old opened can of H 380 that I was thinking of trying. It is in a cardboard container with a metal top and bottom. Price marked is $3.49. I picked it up at a garage sale. It smells musty. Should I load five rounds and see what I get or use it for fertilizer?

I load 37gr Varget on a 55gr NBT.Ruger Target rifle.

If it smells musty dump it - save the can for decoration but don't use the powder.

Powder should smell like the odor that you get when opening a can of camera film. OOPS!! - I'm showing my age again.

Anyway - it should have a bit of a sharp, slighly acrid odor if it is still good.

drover

That was my inclination but I just might have fun with some of it...

Punt...........

i load 53-55gr bullets. h4831sc and imr4007ssc.
both powders do very good in my 220. the 4831sc is driving 55gr nosler bts/vmax and the 4007sc is pushing 53gr triple shocks. the 4007 goes through my powder thrower the best and i like it alot.
but i have 4831 in the thrower more often because i also use it for my 2506 so its kinda a catch 22

Over the years I have played with three different swifts. I could not get both accuracy and velocity. I recently bought a savage 112 that loves 39.5 grains of Re15 and a 52 grain flatbase berger bullet. (4100 fps chronied) It very recently shot under 1/2 group at 300 yards. I get about 5 loadings from the brass which isn't bad.

what do you consider velocity in the swift. it should run at 3800 and slower in my opion. if you want more, your probly just a paper puncher

I shoot them at well over 3800... and I ain't no paper puncher. Seems to me it's the other way around... if you're just punching paper looking for the smallest groups... you don't go faster... you go slower... 6PPC, 6BR, 6XC, etc.

If you want 3800... buy a .22-250. If you want 4k... buy a Swift. Doesn't have anything to do with "punching paper"... it has to do with the capability of the cartridge. And, for what it's worth... I've found the Swift to be more accurate on average than the .22-250... but I've only worked with half a dozen of each.

H-414 is the magic powder. A tad slower burning than H-380 which was developed for the 22-250. You will find that 41.5 grains will get a 50 grain bullet to 4000 fps in a 27 inch barrel.

As Dogshooter said, the Swift does have an excellent reputation for accuracy.

I've yet to see a lot of Swift brass,equal a lot of 22-250 brass(in measurable quality),nor have a Swift agg with same.

'15 is THE answer.

Hint..............

i have had a bunch of good loads but nothing beats 39 grains of RL 15 with either the 50 grain Nosler ballistic tip or the Berger 52 match. Make sure you work up to this load, I can load my Remington brass 6 to 7 times with this load and after two trimmings i throw it away. I use the Fed 210 match primer with this load and three shot groups will often out shoot my sako 22ppc but 5 shot groups it will seldom match the ppc. I often hear stories of using imr 4064 in the swift but this was also the common load in the days when swift barrels did not last very long and I always wondered if there was a connection.

Duckshoot: do you know waht velocity you are getting with your 52 gr bergers and your load of re15? I was gastly surprised when mine chronied at 4100fps. I have to trim after each firing.

I run my 50's and 52's over 38.0 gr. of 3031. I have seen that load be too hot in one particular rifle. So approach from below with care.

TKOFOID It seems to me I was getting between 3950 and 4000 FPS with this load. I am using Forester br dies and am only partially resizing so there is slight resistance when closing the bolt and I am using remington cases which are not my favorites but in the swift they seem to be far straighter than the W-W cases and also last very well. The W-W cases I had to neck turn to get any good groups out of them where as the Remington cases all had .002 runout or less.