A rare bad rifle purchase in a 220 swift

[Scot43]

About a week an a half ago I reported that I had picked up a Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 in 220 Swift in 98% condition. I had previously owned several other Pre-64 Winchesters in this caliber and they were real shooters. Not having a swift in my varmint/predator rifle battery, I caved into that feeling of nostalgia and bought another one at a recent collector's gun show.

A week later I loaded up some standard swift loads that were my accuracy standbys through the years and anxiously sat down at my local gun range expecting good things. When I couldn't get the rifle sighted in I thought that maybe I had a bad scope. Returning to the range with another scope mounted and bore sighted I ended up with the same results…a scattering of bullet holes all over the target.

That sinking feeling started to set in. I had cleaned the barrel thoroughly and checked the action and fore end screws. When a rifle cooperates I am willing to go the extra mile but this rifle wasn't cooperating. Today I took the rifle to a gunsmith friend to have a look see with a borescope and the result was devastating. There was a bulge in the barrel near the end which couldn't be seen with the naked eye even with a bore light. Apparently it was fired with some dirt in the end of the barrel at one time. Long story short..it was never going to shoot with that barrel. I'm not one to pass on something and deceive another person.

So, today I bit the bullet and ordered at 26" XX Premium, air gauged, stainless steel barrel from Douglas Barrels and will enjoy that wonderful Model 70 pre-64 action and shooting an accurate rifle after rebarreling it. I'll forget the collector value and just enjoy the rifle while chasing coyotes in Kansas.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I would have cut and recrowned.

 

[19-3Ben]

^^
Exactly my thoughts.

 

[sage5907]

I agree with getting the Douglas barrel. I have had several of them and they all shoot great. My favorite barrel is the Douglas Model 70 featherweight contour cut to 24 inches. I had Champlin Firearms in Enid, Oklahoma install that barrel in 25-06 and it really worked for me. I've shot targets out to 500 yards and the accuracy is amazing. I'll buy that same barrel again and again.

 

[rbernie]

I would have cut and recrowned.

Dunno - 220 Swift needs a long tube. Depending on how far back the bulge was, rebarrelling may just have been the best option.

Either way, the collector value would be lost, so making a shooter out of it was the only other choice. So which makes it a better shooter - a shorter tube or a new barrel?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Cutting and recrowning is cheap. Not much is lost if it doesn't work out.

 

[taliv]

hate to hear that, but you did the right thing
hope you've get a shooter soon

 

[MachIVshooter]

I would have cut and recrowned.

Me too, unless I had the extra cash laying around with no better purpose than to throw $400 or $500 at a rebarrel.

I guess it depends, though, on what "end" means. 1" from the end of a 26" tube, or 4" back on a 24"? If the latter, yeah.....rebarrel.

 

[Scot43]

The barrel would have had to been cut back to about 22" and I wasn't interested in ending up with losing the real purpose of a 220 swift and that being velocity and downrange performance. I own several 223's and 22-250's and I don't think cutting the barrel back that much would even result in matching 22-250 performance. I also had to consider my first goal with any varmint/predator rifle and that ultimately being stellar accuracy and rebarreling the rifle with a quality barrel with a reputation for accuracy seemed to be the best route to take.
Through all my years of shooting and fine tuning varmint and predator rifles I've learned that there is rarely ever a shortcut that pays off. Yes, it was not the cheapest route to take, but probably the best in the long run.

 

[Jim Watson]

It might not have worked anyhow.
I bought a .223 at a gun show. I wondered why anybody would sell a dirty gun, but it was otherwise nice and at a good price.
When I found the bulge, I had it cut off behind the distortion. Accuracy did not improve enough to matter. I had it rebarrelled. The bargain is gone, but I have a serviceable rifle.

 

[Gtscotty]

I'm not sure I get the folks who say you should have cut the barrel back. It seems to me that if you have a little money to drop on a barrel, that rifle would make an ideal donor for just such a project.

 

[lightning]

Forgive a hijack.
Just curious as to the twist rate you chose? I have an old Ruger 77V in 220 Swift Imp and would like to rebarrel with a faster twist to shoot 69 HPBT Match.

 

[Scot43]

I chose the 1:14 twist rate because I use nothing but 50 or 55 grain bullets for coyote hunting with great success in any rifle I use them in. A 50 grain Nosler ballistic tip behind 38 - 39 grains of IMR 4064 or Reloader 15 at around 3900 fps in a 220 Swift is a coyote's worst nightmare out to 400 yards. Sighted at 2" high at 100 yds all I have to do is keep fur in the scope out to 400 yards and its a done deal if I do my part. This load gives me a 100 yard advantage over any of my 22-250's. But the best part of the equation is I don't have to do any ballistic calculations during that short window of opportunity. The laser flat shooting swift amazes. This doesn't take away from the fact that I have always had a love affair with the 22-250….one of the best all-time varmint/predator hunting cartridges.
PS…I just bought a Cooper Model 22 Varminter in 220 Swift yesterday from a gentleman in Virginia. Only had 40 factory rounds fired through it. Got a good deal. Stay tuned for details.