I have one of the first Ruger 77 .220 Swift target models made with heavy laminated stock and stainless barrel. Bought it new and have probably only put 100 rounds or less thru it, all handloads. Just recently started to do some serious load development. Have never had the barrelled action out of the stock. Thus far, the gun is grouping poorly: typically 1- 1 1/2" for 3, 4 and somtimes 5 shot groups off the bench at 100 yds.using various 52 or 53 gr. bullets seated .010" to up to about .020" off the lands. I'm using a Leupold 2 1/2-8x scope set at 8x. Have been using mostly 4064 but have tried a couple other powders considered good for the swift.

I have 2 questions: 1) how is the factory action bedding typically on these rifles? The barrel is factory floated with plenty of clearance.

2) the barrel is a 1-14 twist, which I believe should shoot fine with 50-55 gr. bullets. Do any of you have one of these rifles, or even the same model in .22-250, which is also a 1-14 twist and if so, how difficult has it been to get it to shoot good-like 1/2"-3/4" @ 100 yds. With a 1-14" twist, is it likely to be necessary to load lighter bullets, as in 40-50 gr. to get it shoot the best?

Thanks for your suggestions guys.

Two parts: A friend had a Win M70 220 Swift. I think he said it had a 1-14" twist and it did well with 52 & 55 gr sierra bullets. I forget what powder he used but seems to me it was slower than 4064. secondly, I had a 1977 Ruger 77 270 that shot really well; 10 shot groups at 300 yards, with all in a 3" circle, but 5 of the 10 were within 1". Potential was there to get the outlayers into the 1" group. a fellow at the range said I was lucky, because the source that Ruger used for barrels in those days had inconsistent quality. Some would shoot like mine while others wouldn't hold an inch at 100. and others were somewhere in-between. I don't know the dates when the barrels were outsourced or if the problem was corrected.

so give a few different loads a try and you may find ones that work really well - or not.

H4831SC for 55gr bullet.
I had a mod70 got it used and there was an issue with it, and it changed with the weather.
after I got it figured out when the stock was made there was two cuts in the barrel channel with a ridge running down the middle,
Removed the ridge and it shot better. a gunsmith suggested that I put upward pressure on the barrel near the fore arm tip. WOW it would shoot most anything.
I don't miss it same as my 17 center fire gone for good.
I mostly shot 52gr sierra sp they held togeather better, I kept my velocity around 3700 to 3800 f/s

i had one of those years back - it needed bedding badly but afterwards shot 3/10" groups - was ehll on pd's - used a 50 gr nosler with H414

Some barrels just take a little longer to shoot in. Some never shoot tighter than 2.000" at 100 yds.I have a stout barreled .308 that never shot worth much. After 27 years or so I finally think I'll get rid of that barrel. roger

I have a 220 Swift Ruger that I got somewhere around 1975 and it's extremely accurate with 4064 and 52 grain Noslers.
However around that time frame [1970s]lots of Rugers were very inaccurate.

I had one given to me by Steve Vogel, Export manager for Ruger at the time - he was married to Bill Ruger's daughter.

Rifle shot extremely well, with 52 grain bullets using both 3031 and 4064 powders.

I do not have that rifle any more.