Meanwhile on RS they're killin bear, deer, elk , and moose with .223 and 77gr TMK.

[xsn10s]

I found terminal performance pictures via bow hunting forums. The only difference I see is some bigger entry/ exit holes especially with mechanical broadheads. Damage to the vitals looked greater to me with the 77 gr TMK. Many have also said that the 77 TMK damaged vitals much like "premium hunting" bullets. Which makes some sense because premium bullets are tougher construction so they transfer less energy/ bullet mass.

 

[436]

I also have a 220 Swift that I thought about rechambering to 220 Swift AI and putting a fast twist barrel on it. The factory barrel shoots to good to mess with plus it's the old 14 twist so 50-55 grains is max for it.

.220 Swift AI... I had an old chuck hunting buddy that did that, it was very accurate, but.. really did very little in the veloucity area with 55gr bullets as I recall. From what I remember, he was getting just over 3900 with his Swift and 4000 fps or a little better with the Ackley... I don't think any of the improved .220 Swifts do much better than the original Swift, .220 AI, .220 Rocket, or the... I think it was called the .220 Kilburn, with that said; that was a ways back, plus with the newer powders and somewhat better bullets perhaps you can squeeze another 100 fps or 150 fps out of 4000 fps plus with an AI in today world. As I think back about it... Roy Weatherby's .220 Rocket was little to nothing better than the Swift, making Roy thought about his being; the answer to the question that was never asked, and that's why he dropped it and later came out with the .224 Wby Mag which was only in the velocity range of the .22-250 Rem today... no matter what he did he just couldn't get any real improvement over the .220 Swift as is a really great cartridge as it stands. All the .220 Swift I've owned over the years were, match rifle accurate. Good luck, Cheers

 

[xsn10s]

Thank you for the sitrep in the article, yeah... I wouldn't doubt it, the 5.56x45mm under the right circumstances punches way above its weight on flesh, I kind of wish they would've stated the cartridge bullet and weight, I'm betting it was a 5.56x45mm M193 55gr ball. Cheers

I did some more research on the author. As it turn out he might have ran with some people I know. It's even possible that he competed and trained with some of the people I worked with. Small world.

 

[del2les]

.220 Swift AI... I had an old chuck hunting buddy that did that, it was very accurate, but.. really did very little in the veloucity area with 55gr bullets as I recall. From what I remember, he was getting just over 3900 with his Swift and 4000 fps or a little better with the Ackley... I don't think any of the improved .220 Swifts do much better than the original Swift, .220 AI, .220 Rocket, or the... I think it was called the .220 Kilburn, with that said; that was a ways back, plus with the newer powders and somewhat better bullets perhaps you can squeeze another 100 fps or 150 fps out of 4000 fps plus with an AI in today world. As I think back about it... Roy Weatherby's .220 Rocket was little to nothing better than the Swift, making Roy thought about his being; the answer to the question that was never asked, and that's why he dropped it and later came out with the .224 Wby Mag which was only in the velocity range of the .22-250 Rem today... no matter what he did he just couldn't get any real improvement over the .220 Swift as is a really great cartridge as it stands. All the .220 Swift I've owned over the years were, match rifle accurate. Good luck, Cheers

I had a shooting friend who built a 220Swift AI in a 1/8 twist for LR shooting, and it didn't perform any better than my 22-250AI's. It took more powder to achieve the same vels as mine, and then his throat eroded quicker. Still, it was an interesting cartridge and did work for his purposes.

 

[victor3ranger]

By the way, on the ranch, we exclusively shoot cattle with .22 LR, more specifically Federal 36 grain, target/practice ammo.
We don't use anything large, fancy, or heavy bullets.
The only time we are allowed to use anything else on the cattle is if we were out and saw a cow or bull in distress, and don't have a .22 with us. 0 of them shot with a .22 even take a single step, they just fall down.
The more kills I see with a .2?? the more I wonder why it isn't the gold standard to compare the rest to, unless hunting past 500 yards, or hunting elephants and rhinos.
Bears shot with a .22, 30-30, .243, 6mm, just go down hard, with a maximum travel distance of less than 20' when I've been watching. Harold, who works here, shot a bear last week, using his 243. Estimates 60 yards, 1 shot to the head, and it never took a step.
He exclusively shoots 243, owns nothing else, but has two lever 243 rifles, one with Leupold scope, the other metal sites.
30-30 and 243 are by far the most popular rifles of my coworkers.

Last cow I shot in the head was with my 7mag and it popped it's eyes out of the sockets
That was a bad day, pops made me skin and debone that thing on the ground

 

[Small Lady]

Last cow I shot in the head was with my 7mag and it popped it's eyes out of the sockets
That was a bad day, pops made me skin and debone that thing on the ground

We shoot a lot of cattle, ranch rule is 22 only, maybe so the eyes stay in lol
Interesting thing is that they never even take a single step.
Most of the time their legs fold under them, and they do an odd bounce off the ground when they fall. They are big, heavy, tough, and yet the 22 with a light bullet is always a 1 and done, instantly.

 

[436]

I did some more research on the author. As it turn out he might have ran with some people I know. It's even possible that he competed and trained with some of the people I worked with. Small world.

That cool... I understand, many times I've looked back on my Military (Army Infantry/Drill Sgt) and LEO days, reading about someone, and recalling I met them or have had some type of interaction with them, yes... it is a small world. Stay Safe. Cheers

 

[436]

I had a shooting friend who built a 220Swift AI in a 1/8 twist for LR shooting, and it didn't perform any better than my 22-250AI's. It took more powder to achieve the same vels as mine, and then his throat eroded quicker. Still, it was an interesting cartridge and did work for his purposes.

Yes, agree... I built a .22-250 Ackely once with a 1/7" twist as a project rifle at the time I was working on some 9mm, ".22", and .30 caliber bullet designs with Lost River Ballistic in Arco Idaho, and loved that old .220 Swift, but... there's no moss growing on the .22-250 AI for sure, it's a heck of a cartridge. They say Ackley's best AI was his .257 Roberts AI, it's all they say it is, but... I think it could just as well have been his .22-250 AI.... just my 0.2 Cheers.

 

[del2les]

Yes, agree... I built a .22-250 Ackely once with a 1/7" twist as a project rifle at the time I was working on some 9mm, ".22", and .30 caliber bullet designs with Lost River Ballistic in Arco Idaho, and loved that old .220 Swift, but... there's no moss growing on the .22-250 AI for sure, it's a heck of a cartridge. They say Ackley's best AI was his .257 Roberts AI, it's all they say it is, but... I think it could just as well have been his .22-250 AI.... just my 0.2 Cheers.

I tend to agree. Especially with certain powders like 7828SSC. It gives me about 100fps more with the heavies than the usual ones. The ones I've owned were all tack drivers and easy to load for.

 

[Mike D Texas]

.220 Swift AI... I had an old chuck hunting buddy that did that, it was very accurate, but.. really did very little in the veloucity area with 55gr bullets as I recall. From what I remember, he was getting just over 3900 with his Swift and 4000 fps or a little better with the Ackley... I don't think any of the improved .220 Swifts do much better than the original Swift, .220 AI, .220 Rocket, or the... I think it was called the .220 Kilburn, with that said; that was a ways back, plus with the newer powders and somewhat better bullets perhaps you can squeeze another 100 fps or 150 fps out of 4000 fps plus with an AI in today world. As I think back about it... Roy Weatherby's .220 Rocket was little to nothing better than the Swift, making Roy thought about his being; the answer to the question that was never asked, and that's why he dropped it and later came out with the .224 Wby Mag which was only in the velocity range of the .22-250 Rem today... no matter what he did he just couldn't get any real improvement over the .220 Swift as is a really great cartridge as it stands. All the .220 Swift I've owned over the years were, match rifle accurate. Good luck, Cheers

I'm not really considering it for the velocity gain but more for brass preservation since there's not really any (what I would consider) premium brass options available for it. I really just don't like shallow shoulder angles.

 

[Small Lady]

.22 LR on cows.

These giants go down instantly.

 

[victor3ranger]

.22 LR on cows.

These giants go down instantly.

Boom

 

[Gary in MD]

Well….. sometimes you have to see for yourself. I've been wanting to try the Tikka out with those 77 TMKs. Haven't run them over the chronograph yet but they shot well with a maximum load of IMR 4064. Medium size doe at 140 - 150 yards, she ran about 35 yards. No exit. YMMV

 

[cajun]

Well….. sometimes you have to see for yourself. I've been wanting to try the Tikka out with those 77 TMKs. Haven't run them over the chronograph yet but they shot well with a maximum load of IMR 4064. Medium size doe at 140 - 150 yards, she ran about 35 yards. No exit. YMMV

View attachment 516235

What did the vitals look like.