Which powders and bullets do you guys recommend for the 220 swift for varmints like coyotes?
Thanks for any help

h414

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
h414

that's my choice as well....and absolutely no faster burning powder ever!

I use the old standard IMR 4064....and my gun/load likes Hornady 55VMax bullets currently shooting the molly coated ones....my old P64 light bbl Mod 70 has some throat errosion but still prints well for single or three shot strings and it seems to shoot as well with the bullets seated out trying to get the lands as well as short seated with a bigger jump to the lands for some reason....I've heard of other guns liking short seated bullet loads in their swifts....like the Norma factory loads...good luck and good shooting-loading!!

Thanks a bunch,I have both powders and will try them and see which one she prefers,my 243 win.likes anything,its not picky,I hope the little 220 swift is just as easy to reload for,seems like most of what i have read so far the 55grain bullets are a good place to start.
Thanks again

My experience of 44 or so years in reloading the Swift is apparently just the opposite of Vapodog in that nearly all of the powders that have performed well for me in the 7 or so Swifts I have owned were faster burning than 414, or 760, they are the same powder. As posted by another on this thread, 4064 has always been my go-to powder with the 52-55 grain bullets. I set my own standards for what I consider a good Swift load many years ago - 3-shots into 3/4" or less at 100 yards with a muzzle velocity of 3750-3850 FPS. I always use Norma or Remington brass and Remington 9 !/2 primers and Sierra bullets because this combination has always shot well in every Swift I have owned and it means three fewer variables to worry about. I have extensively used and can recommend in addition to IMR 4064, Hodgdon's Varget and Benchmark, Reloder 12, IMR 4895, and Reloder 19. Several other powders give my required velocity but not the accuracy, others the accuracy but not the velocity. I have been working with IMR 4007SSC, Hybrid 100V, and Reloder 17 recently but haven't come to any conclusion on them yet.

If you are already reloading, you will have no problems with the Swift. Some lots of brass stretch more than others but I don't know if it comes from shooting or the expander button drag when re-sizing but I suggest that you keep an eye on case length. Don't be surprised if you have to experiment a bit to get the load your own rifle likes. I had one Swift that shot well with only one brand of 52 grain bullets while another was totally indifferent to the make or style of bullet, it would put two different makes of bullets of the same weight into the same group.

I think you will enjoy your Swift.

I have used (as well as my dad) 4064 with sierra 52gr HPBT. Very accurate and fast. Using Winchester primers with this load, as well as federal match.

Also like H380 with 50gr Nosler BT, along with 50 gr sierra biltz. Very accurate and fast as well. Also using mostly federal match and winchester primers.

These are the only powders I have used since they worked so well, haven't seen the need to experiment anymore.

I have 6 swifts that shoot these combinations, 3 rugers, 2 remningtons, and 1 winchester.

As Wahoo said though, more brass stretch with the swift. I mostly neck size now and keep the brass for each gun seperate.

How well does the swift perform at lower pressures? (ie closer to 'starting' loads).

Thanks for all the help,How many times can i expect to reload my cases?After the 3rd time trimming/shoot & toss?Wow, seems like these 220swifts are so fun one guns not enough,I might join the crowd I get the fever pretty bad sometimes and love a good shooting/accurate rifle!I think i kinda skipped over the 22Hornet & 218 Bee & went straight to the 220swift

I have not tried any of the starting loads, so I don't know how my guns perform their in answer to 303Guy. I would think though they would be fine.

I use (mostly) 42gr H380 with the Nosler BT. My Dad liked 39gr of 4064 with the BT.

I also like 41gr gr 4064 with the 52gr sierra, so that gives you where all these guns that I have use.

As far as case life, I did experience some head seperation due to using brass in all of the rifles. When I use to shoot a lot of pdogs.
One of them had a chamber that was just a touch longer (still in spec) and I would FL size all my cases, I would get around 3 before I needed to throw some away.

When I started to neck size and keep the brass seperate, I have some now that are in there 5th firing with no signs of problems.

Thanks a bunch! Great Info!

quote:

Originally posted by blackbearhunter:
I think i kinda skipped over the 22Hornet ... went straight to the 220swift

What! No! Absolutely not acceptable!

Hey, the hornet is fun too! I am leaning toward a 220 Swift and am looking for evidence that it should be as good as the 'now proven' 22-250.