220 swift question

[gdragon34]

A buddy of mine picked up a Ruger no. 1 in .220 swift, then got home and realized he'd picked up the wrong model. Rather than get the varminter he got one with a lighter contour, 22" barrel.

He's not concerned much with the difference in barrel contour so much as the difference in trajectory/terminal performance.

He's willing to return the rifle or sell it at a loss and pick up the correct one if need be. Opinions? How much velocity is lost out of a 22" barrel?

 

[Majic]

Rule of thumb is 50 fps per 1/2" of barrel.

 

[sumpnz]

Assuming he hasn't shot it, or done anything else that might make it no longer able to sold as "new in box", I would suggest he return it and get the model he wants.

Otherwise, he can live with what he's got, or sell it at whatever he can get for it and then buy what he really wants.

 

[Majic]

He does know that firearm sales are final. The dealer will not just exchange the rifle for a new one if nothing is wrong with it. Once ownership has transfered the firearm then becomes used whether shot or not (even if it's never been out of the box). How much of a lost it's going to be is up to the dealer as he can't resell that rifle as new.
Then he needs to decide if that approximate 400 fps lost is worth that much money to him.

 

[cola8d8]

50 fps per 1/2 inch sounds really high to me.... borrow (or buy) a chrony and shoot over it.

 

[sumpnz]

50 fps per 1/2 inch sounds really high to me.... borrow (or buy) a chrony and shoot over it.

As I recall, about 30-50 fps per 1" of barrel length was more typical, at least for small bore, high velocity cartridges. Less for large bore, slower velocity rounds.

 

[Mal H]

Agreed. I don't think you'll lose 400 fps with the 220 Swift. Most small caliber rounds have reached a good 95% of max velocity well before they are only a few inches from the muzzle. I doubt you would lose 10% or more velocity when going from 26" to 22". Although there are a lot of "it depends" factors involved such as bullet weight, powder charge and burn rate, etc. that can change the internal ballistics a lot.

If he likes the look and feel of the rifle, I wouldn't let that extra 4" be the deciding factor. Besides no one says you can't have two rifles in the same caliber.

 

[Majic]

The Swift being one of the larger case .22 caliber suffers greatly when shot from shorter barrels. Something like a .223 wouldn't benefit much from a 26" barrel, but the large case .22s really need it for the top end velocity.

 

[tex_n_cal]

I think 30 fps per inch of barrel is about right for the Swift.

What I'm more interested in, I never have heard of a Swift in a 22" Ruger #1 - In the heavy barrel #1V they are 26", and also 26" in the medium weight #1B. What model number does it say on the Ruger's box? Does it have the band on the barrel? Is the gun new? Was it previously altered?

I assume he is measuring the barrel to the closed breech face?

It seems like a fairly rare variation of #1. Does it also say "Made in the 200th year of American Liberty? If it does, it's worth more.

Get a chrono and shoot it. I think he will like it.