Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles loads for 220 Swift

I have a Ruger v-1 in 220 Swift and have never worked up a good coyote load for it. Any suggestions to start? Thanks Butch

My tang safety likes 55 gr Ballistic Tips and W760.

I was lucky, my 700 prefers Hornady V-max 40gr factory ammo.

I had good luck with IMR 4064, 55 grain Nosler BTip and Federal Match Primers.

39.5 gr. of 4320 with a 52 gr. Berger (4027 fpts) works great in my 40X 220 Swift. Start at about 37 gr. and work up slowly. Shoots one holers all day long..

Varget and 55 gr Hornady V Max.

Ruger #1V, 220 Swift, Plop a 55gr BK, or BT it doesnt matter, Load up some AA2700, or RL15 dont matter which, get em going about 3700-3750, give em about 5-20 thou jump in your rifle, start 20 and decrease. Whacks yotes hard out of a 14 Twist. Launch a 52 at 4000-4050, all day long and the barrel will be toast in 400 rds or so. Been there, done that.

Swifty

400 rounds and the barrel is toast! B^%$$*^t, Have over 1000 rounds through that barrel, and can still cover 5 shots with a small button. Ragged holes all the time. Been there, DONE that.....Never get it hot and clean the barrel every 20/30 rounds. 'Burned out' in 400 rounds, right.........!! You ARE kidding, right???

The only manual I found from speer, nosler, hornady and Sierra, the Sierra is the only one that lists 4320 for the swift. IMR and Accurate dont recomend that powder. But Sierra lists 38.5 as max, not 39.5. Mighty white of ya to put up a 1 grain overload for a guy to try. And that is the only way you are gonna get 4000 plus out of a 52 gr in the Swift unless you have a 28 inch barrel, but then I forgot 40X rifles are made with Super Barrels, and they can do something I have never seen a 5000 dollar bench gun do which is shoot bug holes ALL DAY LONG. BUG HOLE = .1 to .15 or better for 5,5 shot groups all shot within 30 min. And yes I have been there and done that, 400 rds H380 max load plus 3/4 gr and magnum primer 4050 to 4100 out of a 24 inch barrell, and it was fire cracked 2 inches into the barrell, total of 1400 rds through it, now my Cooper 22 Montana Varminter wears a 26 inch new tube. And just in case you are wondering, .9 inches high at 100, put me dead on at 300.

Swifty

I've tried a bunch of powders in the Swift over the years, and these days tend to use Ramshot Hunter with 55's and RL-15 with lighter bullets.

But in my experience it's a pretty easy round to load. Lots of powders work.

Winchester cases and WLR primer, 37.5 grains IMR 4064, 55 grain Nosler BT (orange tip)

I shot out two ruger tang safety's and two Savage 112J's, some years ago shooting jack rabbits, ground squirrels, p. dogs, and cyoyotes.

All 4 rifles like very close to the same load, 43.5-44.5g of AA2700 with a 50g Sierra Sp or 50g Nosler ballistic tip. Accuracy was in the area of .250-.285 for three shot groups.

As the barrel started approaching 2000 rounds, I went to a 63g Sierra Semi point with IMR 4350 and a Win primer, got another 800 rounds of spectacular accuracy(-3/4") before the barrels got so rough that copper fouling became a serious issue to remove.

Check this site for some really great loads reported by gunowners themselves, as always, compare any load listed on the internet against a reloading manual(typos).

Ps.

4064 eats barrels compared to AA2700

If nothing else works 4064 seems to always do the job.

Wow, you're a real trip! You make us all laugh everytime you open your mouth. What an ignorant ass you are. Are you 10 years old or 12? First you suggest someone shooting a 50/52 grain bullet out of a Swift will burn their barrel out in 400 rounds. Right! Were you born a negative, antagonistic, trouble making assinine jerk, or did you develop that later in life? You said I told Capbutch to 'shoot 39.5 gr. of 4320 in his Swift'. Well, if you hadn't been so consumed with being an ass and negative, you'd of noticed that I DIDN'T say that at all. He asked for some suggestion on loads for his Swift, and I told him what I was shooting in my gun. You probably didn't notice either, that I told him to; "start at around 37 gr. and work up slowly." That's what I do, and what all reloading manuals suggest too. I NEVER told him to just load up 39.5 gr. of 4320 in HIS gun and shoot it. You're such a jerk.
You really shouldn't come in the Campfire and pop off about things you apparently know nothing about. We in here are just in here to share things and have a good time. Don't need, boys, like you in here stirring up trouble, putting others, their loads and guns down.
You further show how little you know about guns and reloading by suggesting that 4320 isn't a good (recommended) powder for the Swift. Make me laugh some more will you! Oh, and by the way, recommend is spelled with 2 m's not one, like you did. But I understand, coming from a sixth grader like you.
I've been reloading since 1966, and have more reloading manuals than you have fingers and toes. I have a library of books and other data on reloading. Funny too, that the first 8 reloading books I just picked up have tons of .220 Swift load listings for 4320 powder. A rather common powder used in reloading the .220 Swift. Something your obviously aren't aware of either. I've shot 3031, 4320,4831,4350, and others in the Swift. 4064 is a great powder for loading in the Swift too.
As far as telling Capbutch to load 39.5 gr. of 4320 in his Swift, as I said before, (check my post Chump)I DIDN'T. You also said that it was over a maximum load. NOT! I can tell you don't know much about reloading. Check 10 different reloading manuals and you'll see 10 different loadings for the same bullet, powder and charges. So many different variables to deal with in those manuals. Testing from different guns, barrel length, temperature conditions, etc. to name a few. Speer reloading manual #5 lists 42 gr. of 4320 for a max. load in 50/52 grain bullets, 38 for minumum. Oh, how 'white' of Speer to list a load like that that has a minimum load of 38 grains to be more than the maximum load of 37ish like you mentioned from ANOTHER manual. I suppose Speer does that so they can be liable and sued for listing a dangerous load, right! Compare different manuals and all you see are differences and discrepancys between same caliber, powder and bullets. Check it out 'Not So'. Can't call you Swifty,because you're not, but will call you 'Not So Swifty', because based on your comments, you aren't very 'swift.'
Mule Deer,in here, states that 'there are lots of powders that work well in the Swift'. I know 4320 is one of them. Have been shooting that load since 1975. Did my homework, researched some possible loads, started low and tested them, and settled on 4320. 4064 also worked good for me.
Keith, in here, posted that he's got 2800 shots out of his Swift. You tell me 400 warm/hotter loads from a Swift will burn out a tube. Double NOT! Make us laugh some more, Child!
Here are just a few 4320 powder loads listed from some of my reloading manuals using 50/52 gr. bullets in .220 Swift. Note the differences, and that my 'tested' load isn't above many of the listings. Speer #5: max. 42 gr., min. 38 gr., Lyman 44th edition: 40.0 gr. max., 36 gr. min., Nosler #1 Editon: 38 gr. max, 34 gr. min., Hornady Vol. II: 39.5 gr. max.,35 gr. minium. Gun Digest 1975: (article by famed, late Don Lewis) max. 41 gr., min. 38 gr. How many more would you like to see???? Manuals all show differences with same powders/ bullet weight. Check them out. One 30-06 load with 180 gr. bullet list 58.0 gr. of 4350 as max. load, and another list 52 gr. as a max.
So you 'Not So', really need to do your homework before you come into our peaceful rooms and pop off about things you obviously know nothing about. You show us what you 'don't' know every time you open your mouth in here. We were just in here making load suggestions to Capbutch, not bothering anyone. Then you come in here accusing people (aka Me) of giving Capbutch, unsafe, hot loads. Again, note that I told him to start low and work up 'slowly'.
I don't bother anyone! I don't give people crap either. I'm a quiet, backwards, shy kind of a guy. BUT, I also don't take crap off of knit wits like you coming in the Campfire and attacking folks, loads, guns, etc. with ridiculous, assinine and ignorant comments. Do yourself a favor 'bud' do your homework and think more about what you are saying so you don't open your big mouth and stick your foot in it. Terrbile 5 shot,100 yard group from my 'ole shot out' .220 Swift. NOT!A 5 shot 100 yard group shot with my Cooper M21, Montana Varminter, in .204. 26.0 gr. of Reloader 10X with 39 gr. Sierra bullet, at 3887 fps. 'Not So' Swifty probably thinks I'll shoot that barrel out in 400 rounds too..[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_0007.jpg[/img][img][IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1038.jpg[/img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_0004.jpg[/IMG][img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1060.jpg[/img][img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/IMG_0006.jpg[/img][img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1038.jpg[/img]A little 'Swift' carnage![img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1041.jpg[/img][

Hunter, dang that is one clean loading bench!

How old is that RCBS press? Still go the aluminum primer catcher also!!

Ah, you noticed the ole RCBS press. I bought that in 1971 (40 years ago) when I got home from Viet Nam. Boy, if that press could talk. Was using the Lyman 310 nutcracker tool before that. Have loaded many thousands of rounds with that RCBS press. Thought of upgrading and getting a newer one, but I figure, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Still serves me well. And yes, still has the al. primer catcher. I use my daughter's rubber hair bands to hold it on. Whatever works!

Captbutch: I have a wonderful Coyote load for the 220 Swift!
Speer 52 grain hollow-point flat-base bullet.
Winchester brass.
Federal 210M primers.
And the standard charge of IMR 4064 powder.
Best of luck with your Swift!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The Nosler 55 gr. Ballistic Tip is a favorite of mine for prairie dogs. I'm guessing it would leave a mark on a coyote.

I had a Remington 700 Classic in .220 swift. 36.5 grains 2208 (Varget) was a mild load behind 55 Sierra SptBt's. This worked well on animals up to 50 kg (100lbs).

50 grain Norma factory loads were also very accurate and faster than I could accurately get from reloads.

Cases stretched more than my (previous) .22-250 which made trimming a constant chore.

Like they say: "Speed Kills"