Robert Kwallek
Active Member
Has anyone used W760 . Works great in mine
Need some suggestions for a 220 swift load
- Thread starter Bang4theBuck
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Several years ago I bought my Swift on line; a 26" Douglas barreled Mauser 98 action that worked as smooth as one could ever hope for. Along with the gun were the dies and 100 cartridges loaded with 50gr VMax Moly ahead of 37gr of RL15 producing 3750fps resulting in single overlapping holes at 100 yards. I since tried other combinations but could never exceed the original. So I'm still shooting that same combination with the same results. As the old adage says, 'If is ain't broke…"
Bang4theBuck
Well-Known Member
So, as an update, I got loaded woth some flat-based 40 grain Varmageddon that I happen to have. They were the only.thong I had and I was dying to try my handy work. I did turn the necks on the brass as the neck tension was excessive and with flat based bullets it was going to be hard to seat them without damaging the bullets or the brass. I ended up getting decent little groups and 4005 fps out of 40.5 grains of Varget. I did an abbreviated load development because I only had 50 bullets amd WA Ted to have enough to go Coyote hunting. I've ordered some 50 grain varmint bullets from Midway, but I have wjat I need for the moment. Here were my results.
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jjmp
Well-Known Member
B4B,nice update and shooting,I really like your target ,are you running a stock trigger, what's your scope,years ago I was told Varget likes to be pushed , through other calibers I found that info correct. Gibbs43, another great report years back when I wanted to try RL/15 I couldn't get it ,but I made up a load with h380 and it shot Very nicely!, sometimes 3700 + is the sweet spot. B4B ,forgot to tell you Speer makes great bullets also the 50tnt ,among their 52,53,'s their heavy Semi-Spitzer 70 grainier that will shoot out of the 1/14 twist no problem ,yes Sir the Swifts American as Apple pie ,
Bang4theBuck
Well-Known Member
Trigger is a Jewel and the scope is a Burris signature 8-32x50. I ordered some of the Speer Varmint Grenades
jjmp
Well-Known Member
Thks ,brain fart here ,lol, good on the Speers ,Cheers!!!.
Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
I use IMR 4064 with 55gr bullets. Almost a one holder at 100yds.
I have a long history with the 220 swifts. My first rifles were the Ruger 77 Varmint, tang safety. Then two Savage 112 J. My hunting pard was running the Savage 112J single shots.
I happened to meet a gunsmith from San Diego, and he wanted to go shoot ground squirrels with me in the Almond orchards N. of L.A. We hammered the ground squirrels real hard out to 400 yds. I was shooting the 50g Sierra spt with 38g of IMR 4064 in either Rem or Win brass with cci 200's. The gunsmith was shooting 44-44.5g of AA2700 with the 50g Nosler ballistic tip at 4000 fps, with SD of less than 9 fps, shooting tiny bug holes with Rem brass and 9 1/2's..
I ditched the 4895 and 4064 loads I was using and shot AA2700 with the 50 and 55g from then on. When the leade was shot out, I went to the 63g Sierra semi points, and accuracy was maintained.
AA2700 is one of the coolest burning powders on the Heat Index chart, resulting in longer barrel life than the IMR 4064.
The Swift is a very accurate cartridge, watch the OAL of the case and the neck thicknesses as the brass flows into the neck.
If you ever get a Wild Hair, the 220 swift AI is a real monster with the 60g going 3800 at a bare minimum fps in the super-strong Swift brass. The 60g Berger in a 12 twist with zero to .030 freebore shoots a tremendous hole in coyotes, and I shot a bobcat in half with this load at 100 yards as he sat on a pond dam watching fish.
At that time, there was a lot of shooting on varmints.
Swifts can be hard on barrels, the gunsmith taught me that the AA2700 DOUBLED the barrel life of a Swift vs a guy that was using IMR 4064, which is the mainstay for swift owners for many years, including me. H380 and Win 760 also work very, very well in the Swift, and both are easier on barrels than IMR 4064.
I told another hunting partner how rough the 4064 was on Swift barrels and he did not believe me...Ruger 77 Tang safety Varmint.
I took my friend up to Utah and then Idaho on Chuck hunts in virgin alfalfa fields surrounded by Lava rock.
He shot out his Swift barrel in two days, and if he could see through the scope, he claimed he was "good to go". Then shot out a Sako 25/06 varmint shooting very hot loads of IMR 4064 with 87g Speers. Chucks were in very high numbers back then. The chucks would eat up the first 50 yards of the alfalfa field, down to 2" stubble. At daylight, the chucks would come out of their dens and migrate to the alfalfa fields. We would back off 300 yards, let them get out into the high alfalfa, feed, then shoot them on the way back into the Lava rock. They were so full, that they would just waddle back to the Lava rock. There were so many that it looked like locusts crawling on the ground. Barrels got so hot, that they would turn a gun case white if the barrel touched it.
There was another farmer that had a feedlot for cattle. He had feed troughs for the cattle to feed out of, and the chucks were so thick they would get into the feed trough. The farmer told us to kill all the chucks, and if we happened to hit a cow to come and get him, no big deal. We shot over 300 the first morning. I had to let my shooting pard use my 222 with 50g Sierra blitz.
If you are not familiar with the Heat Index chart in regards to how hot powders burn, educate yourself on this.
I happened to meet a gunsmith from San Diego, and he wanted to go shoot ground squirrels with me in the Almond orchards N. of L.A. We hammered the ground squirrels real hard out to 400 yds. I was shooting the 50g Sierra spt with 38g of IMR 4064 in either Rem or Win brass with cci 200's. The gunsmith was shooting 44-44.5g of AA2700 with the 50g Nosler ballistic tip at 4000 fps, with SD of less than 9 fps, shooting tiny bug holes with Rem brass and 9 1/2's..
I ditched the 4895 and 4064 loads I was using and shot AA2700 with the 50 and 55g from then on. When the leade was shot out, I went to the 63g Sierra semi points, and accuracy was maintained.
AA2700 is one of the coolest burning powders on the Heat Index chart, resulting in longer barrel life than the IMR 4064.
The Swift is a very accurate cartridge, watch the OAL of the case and the neck thicknesses as the brass flows into the neck.
If you ever get a Wild Hair, the 220 swift AI is a real monster with the 60g going 3800 at a bare minimum fps in the super-strong Swift brass. The 60g Berger in a 12 twist with zero to .030 freebore shoots a tremendous hole in coyotes, and I shot a bobcat in half with this load at 100 yards as he sat on a pond dam watching fish.
At that time, there was a lot of shooting on varmints.
Swifts can be hard on barrels, the gunsmith taught me that the AA2700 DOUBLED the barrel life of a Swift vs a guy that was using IMR 4064, which is the mainstay for swift owners for many years, including me. H380 and Win 760 also work very, very well in the Swift, and both are easier on barrels than IMR 4064.
I told another hunting partner how rough the 4064 was on Swift barrels and he did not believe me...Ruger 77 Tang safety Varmint.
I took my friend up to Utah and then Idaho on Chuck hunts in virgin alfalfa fields surrounded by Lava rock.
He shot out his Swift barrel in two days, and if he could see through the scope, he claimed he was "good to go". Then shot out a Sako 25/06 varmint shooting very hot loads of IMR 4064 with 87g Speers. Chucks were in very high numbers back then. The chucks would eat up the first 50 yards of the alfalfa field, down to 2" stubble. At daylight, the chucks would come out of their dens and migrate to the alfalfa fields. We would back off 300 yards, let them get out into the high alfalfa, feed, then shoot them on the way back into the Lava rock. They were so full, that they would just waddle back to the Lava rock. There were so many that it looked like locusts crawling on the ground. Barrels got so hot, that they would turn a gun case white if the barrel touched it.
There was another farmer that had a feedlot for cattle. He had feed troughs for the cattle to feed out of, and the chucks were so thick they would get into the feed trough. The farmer told us to kill all the chucks, and if we happened to hit a cow to come and get him, no big deal. We shot over 300 the first morning. I had to let my shooting pard use my 222 with 50g Sierra blitz.
If you are not familiar with the Heat Index chart in regards to how hot powders burn, educate yourself on this.
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Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
I been a fan of the 220 swift. In the 224 caliber I won't shoot any else in that caliber. I use 55gr Sierra Bt with IMR 4064. I always watch my barrel heat. Kept the velocity under 4000fps. My brother and my oldest son both have one. We ran out of ground squirrels areas to shoot at. But I am now finding other areas to hunt varmints at in Montana. When I finally get set up there. I will try some. I'll start watching for the powder now.
Love the Swift.
Love the Swift.
Gary in MD
Well-Known Member
The business of a Swift is killing and business is GOOD!!
I think I was loading the 55 grain Sierra spbt pushed by H414 on this outing.
I think I was loading the 55 grain Sierra spbt pushed by H414 on this outing.
jjmp
Well-Known Member
VinceMule,fantastic post Brother,im also a Swift fan, my 1st one was a77 V, couldn't by ,borrow,or steal one in a #1V, but the 77V kept a smile on my face every time using her , that 26 inch bbl coupled with that 1/14 twist was something to behold. She lives in another safe now ,because I bought a semi custom 220 swift replacement,it's built on a 77 flattop action tricked out and mated to a 26 inch ss Mark Chanlynn cut rifled 1/14 twist bbl ,about a 3.5 conture ,with a radial m/brake and a Canjar set trigger , course it's glass beded,in a fiberglass stock and shoots Better then my 77V did. I'm going to switch over to aa/2700 post hast , love the v-Max 50 s and need to try their 60 v-maxs . Mike Mattson I greatly enjoy all your posts to thks !!!, Cheers everyone long last the Mighty 220 Swift!!!
