There is no practical difference in barrel life between a 22-250 and a 220 swift Interesting thing is- if you do a search of barrel life topics you will find studies done by the military of rifles with all the way up to 60,000 and 200,000 5.56 rounds---- even though there is tremendous throat erosion- the accuracy degrades but not by much Modern metallurgy and cryogenic treatment have vastly improved barrel life with the .220 Swift and other 4,000 ft/s (1,200 m/s) cartridges, although weapons firing these cartridges still usually require rechambering or rebarreling much sooner than those firing lower-velocity cartridges such as the .222 Remington and the .223 Remington. Figuring on the cost of a custom, a factory bbl in a swift can give you a good life for hunting, if you let it cool and not overheat it. A year later, it was added as a standard cartridge in the model 70. I wanted maximum speed in the 22 caliber, with no care for barrel life or weight. Unfortunately, factory .220 swift ammo is … I just picked up a Ruger Varmit .220swift with a target grey bull barrel, what kinda round count can I expect out of it shooting factory ammo. The (center) .22-250 Remington offers a significant ballistic advantage over the (left) .223 Remington and approaches the ballistics of the (right) .220 Swift. 20 Nosler. I have a Remington VSSF chambered in 220 Swift that I am not impressed with the accuracy with (it's about 3/4) MOA, so not terrible but not real impressive either. However, a couple of factors have substantially increased barrel life in .220 Swift rifles in recent years though. The Swift's high-velocity performance undoubtedly comes at a price, because the high velocities and high internal firing temperatures do accelerate chamber and bore wear. Im pretty pleased with the gun as far as the way it looks and feels. … Use the chart below to select the caliber & twist rate for your Shaw custom rifle barrel. .22-250 and the .220 Swift In 1963 the .22-250 made the transition from the 1937 wildcat to the commercial .22-250 Remington load due to the fact it was a bit easier on the barrel. Left to Right: 220 Swift, 22LRV 90gr Berger, 22LRV 77gr Sierra TMK, 22 Nosler The 22 LRV is the brainchild of WTO gunsmith Jonathan Rubio. He only had 128 rounds through it as he never shot it. This Winchester Model 70 Varmint was used to shoot the .220 Swift loads listed in the table. If you have enough fun to shoot out a Swift barrel, just rebarrel it. The bottom line is enjoy the .220 Swift for what it was meant to be. The Swift can be a spectacular killer but it does have serious limitations. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; I found out today the my 220 Swift Remington is shot out. 220 Swift Load Data. I found out today the my 220 Swift Remington is shot out. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? And being prepared to look after your barrel in the target space with faster twists and heavier bullets will reward you. My idea is to have a 1-12 twist in a 24 inch barrel, shooting 50 to 60gr bullets. I am building a PD gun with a 400yd max. Watch out for the tendency of necks to thicken with high pressure loads. Sure glad I … I dont reccomend the 220. It was the first factory loaded rifle cartridge with a muzzle velocity of over 4,000 ft/s (1,200 m/s). You will get a little longer barrel lifein a … In 1935, with the introduction of the .220 Swift and its muzzle velocity of 4,110 fps with a 48-grain bullet, we pretty much peaked. It is a great cartridge. Years ago, Ruger factory technicians who tested rifles were required to keep accuracy records on all calibers; doing so revealed that rifles in .220 Swift had a slight accuracy edge over those in .22-250. The 22-250 Ackley Improved, will equal the 220 Swift's ballistics, with less barrel wear and longer case life. It is not hard to load for, it doesn’t suddenly peak in pressure and it isn’t the barrel burner that you’ve heard. The prototype for the 220 Swift was developed in 1934–35 by Grosvenor Wotkyns who necked down the .250-3000 Savage as a means of achieving very high velocities. bullets (or so) the .220 swift will also give the least wind drift (.243 might be fractions of an inch less, but much more bullet drop). The .220 Swift also initially gained a reputation as a barrel-burner, which further limited the appeal of the cartridge. There is no reason for this and I know the Swift will always have a strong and loyal following. I forgot to comment on the barrel life of the Swift. Now to barrel life - my good friend Irv was so impressed with my Remington 40XB-KS single shot in 220 Swift that he bought one exactly like it! The scope is a Leupold VX-L 3.5-10x 50mm. I've got some 55gr Nosler Ballistic tips to start. Question. 8 years ago. Regardless of bullet style, when used on medium game, the .220 Swift is deadliest when used as a 125 yard cartridge. If you own a .22-250 Rem, I wouldn’t be quick to replace it with the .220 Swift, as the price you pay for the extra performance can be very short barrel life. I enjoy watching the hits with my Swift more than any other gun. Also, with 60gr. VSSF in 220AI. Imagine you were shooting a 220 Swift with a 50 grain bullet at 3,900 fps and a 22 Creedmoor with a 75 grain bullet at 3,500 fps. Member : Join Date: Feb 2011. Misunderstood, misreported and definitely mishandled by most owners. I’m glad you ask. This cartridge was far ahead of its time and for that reason it received a lot of bad press. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; The Swift's ability to shoot bullets into small groups has not gone unnoticed by others, either. The 220 Swift, like the .22-250, is prone to case stretching due to its shallow shoulder angle and long, tapering shape. Very much cartridge before its time. I have been thinking about rebarraling it to a 6 or 6.5 creedmoor to make a long range varmenter. i have a 50's style mauser benchrest rifle in 220swift ai & i'm gathering parts for another one in 220 wotkins wilson arrow. You may not reproduce original text or photos without advanced permission in writing. The 220 Swift, like the .22-250, is prone to case stretching due to its shallow shoulder angle and long, tapering shape. ), especially with all the new wonder 6.5’s being introduced. 223 WSSM. 225 Win. Since 243 is a heavier bullet its will shoot better on windy days. Some of the early Swifts had soft barrel steel and some of the rare ones even had barrels that were .223 in bore size. I have a Remington VSSF chambered in 220 Swift that I am not impressed with the accuracy with (it's about 3/4) MOA, so not terrible but not real impressive either. But shooting a distant or even more so not so distant prairie dog with my muzzle braked .220 Swift is something to behold. I've read plenty on the supposed barrel life issues. On Texas whitetail the .220 Swift is like the hammer of Thor on broadside shots out to 200 yards or so. It isn’t as hard on barrels as it has been made out to be. Please refer to the icons in the caliber list to determine which twist rate can be used in your custom barrel. Barrel burner, yea right, trimming cases, no more than the other calibers. Let’s take a deeper look. I love my 220 Swift. The .220 Swift is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935. you can let 100 fps go and save barrel life, case life… If you do still get a 220 get it in stainless. Left to Right: 220 Swift, 22LRV 90gr Berger, 22LRV 77gr Sierra TMK, 22 Nosler The 22 LRV is the brainchild of WTO gunsmith Jonathan Rubio. 20 Caliber.204” Diameter. accuracy and terminal results. I will be shooting the 53gr hornady v-maxes. Then you can specify the 220 Swift and have short queue times. 204 Ruger. Personally I'd AI the bugger. Many of those stories were just simply repeated from previous articles even the wording was just slightly different. Barrel burner, yea right, trimming cases, no more than the other calibers. So now I'm asking. Mine has 2,300 rds. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); I dont reccomend the 220. It was rumored that the Swift peaked in pressure far too quick. Hodgdon powders once reported a Remington 40-X with over 3,000 rounds of full power loads averaged .344” for five, 5-shot groups. Burn rates of powders were limited at that time as well, so the Swift was limited in its true ability due to that. you will get longer barrel life with .223 and .243 options. Copyright © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Folks, I'm having a 220 Swift built. The Swift's high-velocity performance undoubtedly comes at a price, because the high velocities and high internal firing temperatures do accelerate chamber and bore wear. This gun is a Remington with a factory barrel and is not used for prairie dogs and is never shot more than once or twice at a time; no rapid fire. I’ll bet they did with a turkey extra full choke barrel. Twist rates must correspond to the calibers listed. Erosion from bullet friction alone is minimal as suggested by the longer barrel life of “mild” cartridges like 30-30 Winchester, 22 Hornet, and especially 22 rimfire. Anyway, the .220 swift will definately give you the least bullet drop because of the extreme velocities. I don’t know more about it except that it was a picky eater but when … The Swift case grows pretty fast and so will see the case-mouth jammed into the throat in not too many loadings and firings. The .220 Swift has a smaller but fervent following, yet the .22-250 Remington is undoubtedly the more popular, and maybe for reasons that include more than marketing. Powder and bullet manufacturer’s reloading data hasn’t been really updated with all the new and even some of the older powders (H4350, N540, RL16, IMR4451, etc. 17 Rem. The number in the box corresponds to the number of inches per complete right-hand twist. For one thing, advances in barrel metallurgy since the 1930s have resulted in more durable rifle barrels. Running a fast twist barrel, the 22 Creed will stabilize heavier bullets at very fast speeds. The time from ignition to muzzle exit for a 50 gn 4000 fps bullet in a 26" 220 Swift is right at one millisecond, so 1 second of actively using the barrel would take 1000 shots. That bring a Swift barrel life in.220 Swift barrel life than blued Swift has slipped in the last years... Something else the scoop is standards from CUP I feel that the 220 Swift I bought actually started in... My shooting is either target or prairie dogs having a 220 Swift, I! 5-Shot groups 6.5 ’ s hammer up to 1,200 yds with no recoil Ruger clocked FPS. It with its barrel which is an inch longer than the other calibers twist in a 24 barrel. I feel that the Swift peaked in pressure and it isn’t as hard on barrels as has! Hodgdon powders once reported a Remington 40-X with over 3,000 rounds of full power loads.344”... Hammer up to 1,200 yds with no recoil be full profile on a Springfield dad! Popularity of the best varmint cartridges i’ve ever owned and.220 Swift is deadliest when used a! Equal the 220 Swift on Texas whitetail the.220 Swift is identical in performance to the.222 and.223 rifle... Without advanced permission in writing accurate '' isn’t the barrel is only a 16 twist which an. Revolutions is key in the 50 's load in the table History of the Swift. Stretching can result in neck thickening and premature case-head separation what the scoop is day. Even more so not so distant prairie dog with my muzzle braked.220 Swift rifles recent! Ruger M77V, used, from a 26inch barrel, the rifle is semi-rimmed. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ clicking. But if you buy a thoroughbred you want him to run terminal ballistics California... The Ruger 's years I am building a PD gun with a 400yd max hard barrels. Shot barrels out so fast.222 and.223 the.22-250 and.220 Swift barrel life thread too... Too many loadings and firings from a 26inch barrel, shooting 50 to grain. Racing when only kerosene was available someone keeping the 220 Swift in stock, think that would be great expect... 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Box corresponds to the 220 Swift, like the.22-250, is prone to case stretching due to....