220 Swift
Since its introduction in the Winchester
Model 54 in 1935, the .220 Swift has been a favorite punching bag of those
who seek to find fault with everything in life. First the Swift was put down
by wildcatters who were envious of its performance and even today it is a
favorite target of those who find it impossible to praise one cartridge without
condemming another. Despite its unfair treatment, those who actually have
experience with Winchesters big .220 consider it to be the finest factory
loaded cartridge available for shooting varmints at extremely long ranges.
Inherently, the .220 Swift is extremely accurate. Recent testing of the cartridge
loaded with custom benchrest quality bullets in a Remington 40X rifle produced
25-shot aggregates of less than .270". Another 40X rifle in the same caliber
with slightly over 3000 full power loads fired in its barrel averaged .344"
for 5-shot groups with various powders. The key to enjoying long accuracy
life with the .220 Swift, or any other high velocity cartridge, is to choose
a top quality barrel of modern steel, never subject it to a high rate of
sustained fire, and the maintenance of its bore by proper cleaning.
As this is written, the Remington 40X, Ruger Models 77 and No. 1, and Ultra
Light Arms Model 20 rifles are available in .220 Swift. The Swift is seen
at its best when loaded with a good 55 grain spitzer at 3800 to 3900 fps.
If you want less velocity, buy a
.22-250 or
.223. It could
be that more
IMR-4064 has
been burned in the .220 Swift than any other powder and it is a dandy, but
H380 and H4895
often produce equally fine performances.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
Historical Notes:
The 220 Swift was developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935 as a new
caliber for their Model 54 bolt action rifle. When the Model 70 Winchester
bolt action was first issued in 1936, the 220 Swift was one of the standard
calibers offered and continued to be until 1964 when it was discontinued.
Now the Savage Model 112V, the Ruger M77 and the Ruger No. 1V single shot
are offered in the 220 Swift chambering. The Model 70 Winchester is no longer
made in this caliber. Norma of Sweeden lists the 220 Swift with a 50 grain
bullet at 4110 fps, and they also sell unprimed brass cases for reloading.
Hornady / Frontier offers a 55 grain
SP and a 60 grain HP loading.
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. However the final commercial
version developed by Winchester is based on the old 6mm Lee Navy cartridge
necked down. It is a semi-rimmed case.
General Comments:
The 220 Swift was and still is the fastest commercial cartridge in the world.
It is also one of the most accurate super velocity 22 cartridges ever developed.
Its popularity has benn somewhat retarded by the fact that the ammunition
in this caliber is expensive. Swift barrels have never been noted for long
life, but this factor has been negated to a large degree by development of
modern, erosion resistant barrel steels since WWII. Factory ammunition has
always featured the 48 grain and 50 grain bullets, but the Swift is considered
adequate on all animals up to deer size. There is certainly plenty of field
evidence to demonstrate on occasion it will give fantastic one shot kills
on deer and antelope. However the 220 Swift tends to be erratic in its
performance on large animals, and most states will not permit its use on
big game of any kind. Properly constructed bullets would almost certainly
solve this problem on animals to mule deer size. In any case, factory bullets
are designed for quick expansion on light animals. Most varmint hunters agree
that the 220 Swift is the best varmint cartridge made. It remains a popular
caliber despite the fact that no domestic major manufacturer offers it.
Source: Cartridges of the World
| 220 Swift Reloading Components & Accessories | |
Hornady Shell Holder #4
 |
RCBS
Trim Pro 3-Way Cutter .22 Caliber
 |
RCBS Case Trimmer Pilot, 22 Caliber
 |
RCBS Standard Collet Puller, 22 Caliber
 |
| 22 Caliber (.223, .224) Bullets | RCBS
Ammo Box (#86902) |
© www.reloadbench.com 1999 - 2005 All Rights Reserved
|
|
 |
|