220 swift, 22-250, 204????????
- Thread starter ggshooter
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Justin Holder
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There's a long list of good cartridges that people seem to ignore.
AKElroy
Member
It's anecdotel, but the 220 swift has a rep as a barrel burner, without a sizable advantage over the .22-250 to justify the wear.
Harley Rider 55
Member
I'm in the process of building my .204 caliber Remington. I'm looking forward to being able to sight it in at the range.
AKElroy
Member
Maybe that is the answer; the .220 is way overbore & inneficient by comparison. Waisting powder for a similar result. I like them both; killed my first deer w/ a .22-250; he didn't know it wasn't enough gun. Havn't seen a true 4000 fps out of the .22-250, though. Seems pretty common from the 220.
blacktailhunter
Member
22.250 4.100ft ps 55rg 220swift is a dam good round.
Karl Hungus
Member
Velocity isn't everything.
Jon_Snow
Member
I don't own a chronograph (yet) but I do know that the fastest published data I've seen for the 204 is with IMR 8208 XBR. 32gr pill moves at 4130fps and a 26gr pill moves at 4300 fps. Note that those speeds are still slower than Hornady's published 32gr at 4225fps for their factory loads. To my knowledge no one has been able to duplicate that, but they have verified it.
Remo-99
Member
With lighter bullet weights there's not much difference between the 220swift and the more efficient 22-250.
With heavier bullets the 220 has the case capacity to fit bigger charges of the slower powders, and leaves the 22-250 in it's wake.
With heavier bullets the 220 has the case capacity to fit bigger charges of the slower powders, and leaves the 22-250 in it's wake.
fireman 9731
Member
Well here is some real numbers for you...
Im my Remington VTR in 22-250 I have gotten over 4400FPS with a 36gr Barnes Varmint Grenade over a case full of Varget.
Its a compressed load published in the Barnes Manual. Accuracy was about average but case life was awful. I would be lucky to get 3 loadings before the primer pockets loosened up.
Im my Remington VTR in 22-250 I have gotten over 4400FPS with a 36gr Barnes Varmint Grenade over a case full of Varget.
Its a compressed load published in the Barnes Manual. Accuracy was about average but case life was awful. I would be lucky to get 3 loadings before the primer pockets loosened up.
Red Cent
Member
I found that a 53gr Sierra HP needs about 3700fps to shoot 1/2 MOA.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
The .220 Swift factory load was always a 46 grain bullet at 4,100 FPS.
And that was way back in 1935, when slower cooler burning powders and better barrel steel had not been invented yet.
Right on up until it was lost in the shuffle at Winchester in 1964 when they brought out the .225 Win to replace it.
If you loaded the 22-250 with similar light weight bullets, and drove them to max attainable velocity, it would burn barrels just as fast as the Swift.
Conversely, if you load the Swift with 55 grain bullets at 22-250 velocity, the barrel will last just as long in one caliber as the other.
I also read that Speer or somebody was having problems burning out pressure test barrels for the .223 WSSM before they could complete all the test data with the same pressure barrel.
rc
And that was way back in 1935, when slower cooler burning powders and better barrel steel had not been invented yet.
Right on up until it was lost in the shuffle at Winchester in 1964 when they brought out the .225 Win to replace it.
If you loaded the 22-250 with similar light weight bullets, and drove them to max attainable velocity, it would burn barrels just as fast as the Swift.
Conversely, if you load the Swift with 55 grain bullets at 22-250 velocity, the barrel will last just as long in one caliber as the other.
I also read that Speer or somebody was having problems burning out pressure test barrels for the .223 WSSM before they could complete all the test data with the same pressure barrel.
rc
BADUNAME37
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22-250 with IMR 4064 powder and Speer 50g TNT pills. Over my chronograph, I am averaging 3,990 FPS
I am pulling about a 1/4" group at 100 yards, 1/2" group at 200 yards. I routinely take the head off woodchucks - it's time that I learn to enjoy the flavor of the meat.
I shot a woodchuck several years ago that I met on the edge of the field. It was about 8' away from me. I had to fire through several blades of weeds to hit him. I knew the bullet would completely disintegrate as soon as it was disrupted by the blades of weeds (tall grass).
Sure enough, I fired and the woodchuck dropped. I looked all over him and there was not one sign of blood, nor were there any holes that I could see, anywhere!
That bullet hit the grass and spinning at approximately 250,000 RPM's or faster, immediately and
literally flew apart. All I could picture was very tiny razor-sharp pieces of metal flake - both copper and lead - that were embedded throughout the woodchuck's body. I suppose, if I would have shaved the fur off of him I would have seen some evidence of damage and if I would have skinned him, I probably would have seen more. However, just by looking at him, he looked just fine, only he dropped when I shot, and never even twitched!
I am pulling about a 1/4" group at 100 yards, 1/2" group at 200 yards. I routinely take the head off woodchucks - it's time that I learn to enjoy the flavor of the meat.
I shot a woodchuck several years ago that I met on the edge of the field. It was about 8' away from me. I had to fire through several blades of weeds to hit him. I knew the bullet would completely disintegrate as soon as it was disrupted by the blades of weeds (tall grass).
Sure enough, I fired and the woodchuck dropped. I looked all over him and there was not one sign of blood, nor were there any holes that I could see, anywhere!
That bullet hit the grass and spinning at approximately 250,000 RPM's or faster, immediately and
literally flew apart. All I could picture was very tiny razor-sharp pieces of metal flake - both copper and lead - that were embedded throughout the woodchuck's body. I suppose, if I would have shaved the fur off of him I would have seen some evidence of damage and if I would have skinned him, I probably would have seen more. However, just by looking at him, he looked just fine, only he dropped when I shot, and never even twitched!
BigBob3006
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Everyone seems to remember the barrel wear. There were other reason the .220 Swift fell by the wayside. The 4100 fps velocities were reached with a 40gr bullet. Try hitting a p-hound out here in the west with a 15mph-20mph wind. If a 55gr bullet were used in an attempt to tame the breezes the velocity edge over the .22-250 gets real small while more powder is used in the .220 Swift than can be forced into a .22-250. Unfortunately, in a time when we now have the metals that might abate that problem, the old memories still linger on. Even so, I'll take the .22-250 every time. It and I go way back.
MachIVshooter
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gun guy
Member
I have a 220 swift, passed down thru the years. The barrel is still fine. The "barrel burning" came about due to many handloaders, pushing speeds to the max, and firing several shots in rapid seccession. It is alot of powder burning down a small bore. These days i down load it a couple grains or more below max, its still a sweet flat shooter, and even downloaded nudges out the 22-250.
The 22-250 is a fine round, and perhaps a better option due to the availability of brass. For awhile the 220 swift was headed for the bone yard but it seems to be making a comeback. You really can't go wrong with either one. The original sales pitch for the swift was a 48gr bullet at 4,180fps. Loaded by Western. It's a blue/yellow box, says Super-X on it. 48gr sp Lubaloy bullet. On the back is the sales pitch about the lubaloy bullet and the listed velocity is 4,180fps.
Western Cartridge company, East Alton, Ill, USA
The 22-250 is a fine round, and perhaps a better option due to the availability of brass. For awhile the 220 swift was headed for the bone yard but it seems to be making a comeback. You really can't go wrong with either one. The original sales pitch for the swift was a 48gr bullet at 4,180fps. Loaded by Western. It's a blue/yellow box, says Super-X on it. 48gr sp Lubaloy bullet. On the back is the sales pitch about the lubaloy bullet and the listed velocity is 4,180fps.
Western Cartridge company, East Alton, Ill, USA
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