Last weekend at the Hunters Rendevous in Ennis, Montana I bought a Remington 700 VSSF in caliber 220 Swift. The Rifle had been previously owned by an Antelope Hunter who bought the Rifle mounted a silver Sightron 6x24 variable scope on it and then lost interest in it.
I was impressed with the looks and feel of the Rifle and checked it over VERY carefully before I made any moves on it!
I already have 3 other 220 Swift Varminters and I really did not need the Rifle. Still I apparently was the only one with cash at the Rendevous and cash talks loudly sometimes.
I managed a wonderful deal on it and took the Rifle home. I then remounted the scope after re-aligning and then lapping the rings. Then I did a trigger job setting the Remington 700's trigger at an ultra crisp 40 ounces!
I ordered a set of Redding dies as no one within easy driving distance of me (65 miles each way) had any 220 Swift dies. The dies are due next Monday and I was content to wait until then to make some test handloads for my new rig.
Well like a kid with a new sled I could not wait for "snow"! I dug out some of my handloads for a couple of my other Swifts. I wanted to shoot yesterday but the wind was ferocious as was the rain. Today I went to do a range cleanup detail at a new friends "private" range and I took along my new Varminter.
The range house was literally full of mouse droppings, clutter and junk. We wore masks to prevent Hanta Virus from terminating us. This private range is just the coolest! The nifty shooting shack was custom built in an old irrigation canal and the 100 yard range is very well protected from the prevailing wind and also any tumbling air by the 5' high ditch banks. What a wonderful place to shoot and I am welcome back after cleaning on the shooting shack and the range for a long 3 hours.
This private range is a few miles farther for me to drive but the wind protection is so good I can't imagine myself ever using the public range here in Dillon again.
I finally got to set up on my Hart rest and dry fired the new Rifle several times. Then I tried the handloads for my Rem. 40X-KS. Quickly I was "on paper". Then I fired five rounds for group. These five rounds out of a freshly cleaned barrel went into a very pleasing .743"! These hand loads use the wonderful Sierra 55 gr. Blitz bullets. I was very happy with this result and I was pleased with the Sightron scopes crosshairs. The crosshairs in the Sightron are an ultra fine straight crosshair with what appears to be either a 1/4 MOA dot or a 1/8 MOA dot. Anyway the dot in the scope while at 24X easily fit inside the 1/2" white square inside the 1" black square of the official BR targets. I also had a 1/2" orange circle sticker on the targets. The dot of my reticle easily fit inside the 1/2" orange dots also. Now I will say this we have been receiving A LOT of rain in the last several days around here. And the resultant mirage was not only by far the worst I have seen in my 6 years here in Montana - it moved the 1/2" orange dots constantly in a 1/2" full oval! I am surprised I shot as well as I did!
Next I tried some hand loads from my Remington 700 Varmint Special. These loads use the wonderful Speer 52 gr. Hollowpoint Flat Base bullets. I have really grown to like these bullets in the last couple of years and I know they do well on all manner of Varmints! This 5 shot group turned in a very respectable .602" center to center measurement! I bet if that dancing orange sticker had been still I would have easily beaten .500"!
I am very relieved that my good luck with Remingtons has held true again. I know I have bought at least 12 new Remingtons in the last 3 years and every one of them has just shot really well and all were easy to find accurate loads for! Maybe I should break down and buy a lotto ticket - huh!
Great day in Montana! On the way to the range I saw a large Badger digging for the now hibernating Ground Squirrels in a cultivated field! I was miffed that the only "shooting iron" I had with me was this new and unsighted in 220 Swift! He was so big he was mountable!
Then on the way home on another ranch I saw another real large Badger walking across an uncultivated field sniffing in the air. I should have bonked this one but I did not have permission from the ranch owner - his name is Ted Turner he is pretty steadfast against allowing much Hunting on his lands. And he probably would not let me shoot this big digger! Mr. Turner does allow Hunting of cow Elk on one of his huge ranches here in Montana but this ranch I know is pretty much off limits!
Many Antelope were seen on the return home trip as well as Mule Deer and Whitetails. I think I am gonna like this new "protected" range and I know I am gonna like this new Remington and the Sightron scope!
At first I was hesitant to go for this rig as it had the small dot and ultrafine crosshairs. I took the Rifle and scope today and played it across the vast valley floor we were working in. Several times during the day I did this in sunshine and in shadow and the dot was easily detected. I trained the scope (and the dot reticle) on several animals from 75 to 600 yards away. The dot was easily discerned and directed on the "kill zone" of the various animals and birds. So even though this will be the first fine crosshairs and dot scope I have owned I have shot several of them in the past at the range and in Varmint fields. Maybe they would not be my first choices for Varminting reticles but I am sure I can get along with it. And I am thinking with my Leica Laser Rangefinder I will be able to get along without my beloved Du-Plex reticles in one of my scopes!
My work detail partner also took a liking to the tiny dot and he trained it on a Sandhill Cranes head at about 250 yards and the dot was well inside the outline of the small head. The only shortcoming I can envision with the fine crosshair and dot reticle is this rig almost certainly won't be used at night for Coyote spotlighting and calling.
Oh well I have another Rifle or two I can use for that!
I can't wait to get my Redding dies and make some Rifle specific hand loads for this new Varminter!
Long live Remington!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

You have all the fun, VarmintGuy!! That subterranean range sounds like the bee's knees. I guess I'll just have to make do with my 115-acre dry lakebed here in Fernley. I am so jealous...

Rootbeer: What do you use for a back drop or back stop for the bullets? Or do you need one?
Yes this semi-subterranean "trough" is really cool. I hope to get out there again next week. I have some Mt. Goat scouting and Hunting to do also next week so I will be busy.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy