On a recent turkey/hog hunt, I shot a 220 Swift. I was very impressed with the cartridge. I don't really have a lot of experience with smaller centerfire rifles. Other than a couple rimfire rifles, the smallest caliber I shoot is a 300 Win Mag.

My 11 year old son has also wanted a 22-250 for a while now.


Ballistically the factory ammo for these two look basically the same. There seems to be more factory ammo for the 22-250. If you are not handloading, is one better than the other??


We plan to use this rifle for shooting at the range, on small hogs, coyotes, and maybe an occasional doe.

So should we get a 22-250 or 220 Swift??? or step up to a 243????

It's a personal decision. I have a 22 250 and 243 and had a 220 Swift. I really didn't see much field difference between the 22's and even the varmint load in the 243. I kept the 22 250, because I just liked the gun better. Ammo for the 22 250 is easier to find and a lot cheaper for factory stuff. Reloading compnents for all of them are pretty easy to come by. I'm not a big 243/6mm fan. Seems overkill for varmints and just not what I prefer for big game, but to each his own. I have friends that love their 243's and hunt and kill all manner of game with them. I probably won't keep mine for the long haul. If your son has his heart set on a 22 250, I'd probably go that way. Just an opinion. You've got to go with what makes you and your son happy.
Good Luck
Bfly

quote:

is one better than the other??

I've owned a few of each and will never again own a .220 Swift! The 22-250 is better in that it uses a common case head. Seem insignificant?....not to me expecially when one wants to rebarrel to another caliber.

The big surprise is how well the .223 stacks up against the bigger brothers.....not on paper but in the field!....it hangs with them quite well!!!!!

What I have found in recent years is what a sweetie the .243 is when shooting the 55s....it's a great contender for the 22-250 lovers too!

As for the uses you state, coyotes to deer, the .243 is the best choice and you will love it's versatility.

55 gr bullets to 100 gr for deer

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
As for the uses you state, coyotes to deer, the .243 is the best choice and you will love it's versatility.

55 gr bullets to 100 gr for deer

The .257 Roberts fits nicely here as well

If you don't handload I'd stick with the 22-250 over the 220 Swift. Lots more ammo choices plus a little cheaper to buy. The Swift needs judicious handloading to reach its potential.

If you get a 22-250 stay away from the 1-14 twist and get 1-9 so you can shoot the heavier loads. That twist will handle light bullets too. The 22-250 with a 60 gr partition or heavy Barnes bullet will handle most things up to 300 lbs.

No flies on the 243; it handles biggger game better but isn't as much fun on the lighter side of things unless once again, you handload.

Also, the 22-250 can be found is a few lighter handier rifles than the 243 if that is what you like.

I'd go with the 22-250. It compares very favorably with the Swift and you'll find ammo just about anywhere and it's ususally a bit cheaper than the Swift.
IMO, the only reason a fellow would buy a .243 was so's he could have it rebarrelled to a .260 or 7-08. Or it'd make an interesting tomato stake.

I too have had the 220 swift and 22-250 and now have gone to the .243 Winchester in a lightweight Remington 700 Mountain Guide Rifle. You can easily purchase the 55-58gr loaded cartridges from Federal, Hornady and a few others....very common now. The factory 55's run from 3850-4000fps and you have the choices to step up to the factory 70-75-80gr arena for longer range and windy conditions as well as 100gr loadings for larger game up to mule deer/caribou. They are very easy to shoot also. I still have a few .223 Reminton rifles though...just because. All that being said, the 22-250 is the .22 centerfire to buy amongst all of them.

22-250 and never look back! roger

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

is one better than the other??

I've owned a few of each and will never again own a .220 Swift! The 22-250 is better in that it uses a common case head. Seem insignificant?....not to me expecially when one wants to rebarrel to another caliber.

You lost me on this one VD. roger

quote:

You lost me on this one VD

I once had a .225 Winchester....rimmed case but with a .473 case head.....very similar to the .220 Swift case...

I was going to rebarrel it to .243 after it's useful life had expired.....but the .243 case just wouldn't extract right....it dropped the case in the magazine instead of ejection it....no end of disappointment with the rebarrel....

I can only assume the same for the .220 Swift as it too is a rimmed.....well labeled a semi-rimmed.....but the same to me.

Maybe this wouldn't be the case with a CRF action.....but I wouldn't own either a .22-250 or a .220 Swift in anything but a totally enclosed (push feed) bolt face. These hi performance varmint rounds IMO need to be enclosed in an action that will toterate an error in reloading!

Texas Blue Devil---Should you go out of Texas hunting, there are some states where the .243 is legal and 22-250 not be. You mention getting this for your son, blast and recoil between the .22-250 and .243 very close. The .243 has worked great for me on Texas deer and this is with 100 grain cheaper bullets not premiums. Having said that--the .222 and .223 with 55 grain bullets have put down the last several (except one with .243) deer I've seen shot and regardless of what someones OPINION that has no experience--they work great. Both blast and recoil minimal. Between the .222 and .223 main difference Ive noticed in actual use is that my .223 wont shoot cast bullets but my 22-250 and .222 both will. Cast are great on jackrabbits.

quote:

Originally posted:

[QUOTE]is one better than the other??

quote:

I've owned a few of each and will never again own a .220 Swift! The 22-250 is better in that it uses a common case head. Seem insignificant?....not to me especially when one wants to rebarrel to another caliber.

It is true that the case heads in front of the rim are different...but the rims are the same size....0.473" so I see no big problem there when rebarreling. The same bolt face can work for either without having to open it up or bush it down. As one is having to cut a chamber in a new barrel for a re-barrel job, what the case head diameter ahead of the rim is, is usually not significant.

I have had several .220 Swifts in bolt guns and they all worked fine in so far as ejection went. Still have one, A Ruger M77-V and it shoots well, works slick too.

I've had a LOT of .22-250s, including a nice custom Pfeiffer/Mauser back in 1958, but I somehow went the other direction over time. Have had at least 6 Ruger No.1s in ,22-250, a couple of Remington M700s, and so on, but never kept any of them long.

Got a used pre-'64 Winchester "Varminter" in the .220 Swift in the early '60s, then a M70 pre-'64 Target in Swift with two factory fitted Winchester barrels, and over the years evolved into buying more single shot Swifts. My two current favourites are a VERY early Ruger No.1-V (with a lighter barrel than today's Vs) and a Riedl, both in Swift chambering.

Either cartridge will do just fine, though for a handloader, one can get a bit more performance out of the average Swift than the average .22-.250.

I have nothing qgainst the .22-.250...its just that for my personal idiosyncracies, the Swift seems to give me better feel good "strokes".

Y'all have fun, whichever you buy or already own.

AC

Hands down 22-250.

I use my 22-250 for just the use you suggest and it does just fine. My rifle has the standard 1 in 14 inch twist and it shoots many bullets up to the 70 grain Speer with more than just good accuracy. it also shoots many bullets designed to use on deer and small to medium sized feral hogs into tight groups. The only suggestion I have is to get a rifle with a 24 inch barrel. I have been using Hornady's 60 grain Hollow point on deer and hogs in different 22 centerfires for years on deer and find it excellent for this use and so far it has worked to perfection on hogs up to 100 pounds.

Have had all three . Swift is my personal favourite . If not reloading I'd choose .243 .
The post above relating to casehead size or rim diameter is way off . You can use the same shellholder for .22/250 , Swift and .243 and all fit the same boltface.

Get the .243 if you anticipate using it more on deer than on varmints or targets. Get the .22-250 if you anticipate it mostly for targets, varmints, and the occasional Texas deer.

Save the .220 Swift, with its less available, less versatile, and much more costly ammunition for the specialty long range guys who wish to wring the last FPS out of a case. Besides, the .22-250 will be within 100 fps of the Swift when loaded to similar pressures and out of similar barrels.

Or, why not all three???

The 204 Ruger is a little hot rod at 4300 FPS, and can also be utilized on the AR-15 platform and use AR mags.

I wouldn't be without a 22.250 and 243 ever...

always wanted to play with a Swift, but every time I get ready to pick up a barrel for one..I see in reality it doesn't do anything or much more of anything, than the 22.250 doesn't already do..

I have over 2000 rounds through my 22-250 and it is still holding 1/2 MOA. Not sure the 220 Swift would hold out that long.

Savage makes a couple variants of the Model 12 in 22-250 with a 1:9" twist that would be a pretty nice rig.

quote:

Originally posted by Clem:
I have over 2000 rounds through my 22-250 and it is still holding 1/2 MOA. Not sure the 220 Swift would hold out that long.

Savage makes a couple variants of the Model 12 in 22-250 with a 1:9" twist that would be a pretty nice rig.

Yes, it will assuming the Swift is loaded to the same pressure as your 22-250. OTOH I burned out a Swift barrel in about 200 rounds trying to push 37 gr Sisk bullets to 4500 fps. I doubt the 22-250 would have lasted 100 more than that had I pushed it as hard.

quote:

I have over 2000 rounds through my 22-250 and it is still holding 1/2 MOA. Not sure the 220 Swift would hold out that long.

I had a Ruger Swift barrel last 21 years. Always shot a 55 grain bullet @ 3850fps. Now that rifle has another Ruger barrel, shoots better than the 1st, and is still going 3850fps.

As to burining barrels, a bullet and powder charge producing 3800fps, as an example, dosen't make a hoot what case it is, gonna burn the same, all things being equal.

I have more than a little experience with the 220 Swift, and it has no more propensity to burn a barrel than a 22/250, or any other HIPO 22.
All the other knocks on the Swift are wives tales generated in the 30's and 40's.

Jerry

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Eden:

quote:

I have over 2000 rounds through my 22-250 and it is still holding 1/2 MOA. Not sure the 220 Swift would hold out that long.

I had a Ruger Swift barrel last 21 years. Always shot a 55 grain bullet @ 3850fps. Now that rifle has another Ruger barrel, shoots better than the 1st, and is still going 3850fps.

As to burining barrels, a bullet and powder charge producing 3800fps, as an example, dosen't make a hoot what case it is, gonna burn the same, all things being equal.

I have more than a little experience with the 220 Swift, and it has no more propensity to burn a barrel than a 22/250, or any other HIPO 22.
All the other knocks on the Swift are wives tales generated in the 30's and 40's.

Jerry

I,ll drink to that. roger

quote:

I,ll drink to that. roger

Me too!!

Me three . I did 19 years and over 2000 rounds on a Sako L579 Swift barrel . Still shot under MOA . Sold it to buy a Remington VSSF .22/250. Sold it and bought a Sako L579 Swift . Lesson learned.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushchook:
Me three . I did 19 years and over 2000 rounds on a Sako L579 Swift barrel . Still shot under MOA . Sold it to buy a Remington VSSF .22/250. Sold it and bought a Sako L579 Swift . Lesson learned.

You should really check into what caused you to trade a Sako for a Remington in the first place. Hormonal imbalance? Marital difficulties? Stress at work? Or just plain temporary insanity?

Performance, flip a coin. But I can find .22-250 ammo anywhere, and less money.

quote:

Originally posted:
Performance, flip a coin. But I can find .22-250 ammo anywhere, and less money.

Performance-wise, if you shoot factory ammo, Yes. If you are a handloader, No.

The main reason we shoot .22-250s is to get better perfomance than from a .223. Ditto why some of us prefer .220 Swifts...you can get a little better performance from them than from .22-250s with judicious handloads.

As to factory ammo...I try my very best never to use ANY of it. So far I have succeeded with my varmint rifles. On various P-dog hunts, Oregon "squeak" hunts, coyote hunts, javelina hunts, even a few deer hunts with those little bores, I have never had to go to a store or anywhere else and buy factory ammo. And I'd bet my handloads are less expensive than factory .22-250 stuff anyway, even with my Swifts.

That doesn't make a .22-250 a bad choice. It is an excellent choice. But then, so is a .220 Swift for those who want a hair more than a .22-250.


"Work is the curse of the drinking class" - AC

If you are looking for just one rifle for now I'd go .243. Where it really shines as a varmint predator rig is with the 70gr B-tips (Federal Cartridge or handload), but the 55s are ok and fast. The variety of factory loads is amazing and covers any application from gophers to black bears and they are easy for anyone to shoot. Finding a 9 twist 22-250 and factory deer loads is easier said than done.

I'd choose the .22-250 over a Swift simply because of the availability of components and loaded rounds for the .22-250.

As for choosing between a .243 and .22-250, I think everyone should have both. But, if you penned me down and I had to choose, I'd go with the .243 because it is more versatile.

quote:

I'd choose the .22-250 over a Swift simply because of the availability of components and loaded rounds for the .22-250.

Red: What components are more readily available to the 22/250, than the 220 Swift, Powder, they both use about the same, bullets, ditto, primers, ditto, lets see that means cases, which are as easy to get as 22-250. My local Sportsmans Wherehouse has all the brass you want for either??????? As to loaded ammo, kinda depends on where you shop, and what area you live in. I will say though you'll probably find 22-250 at Walmart, but not Swift.

Jerry

Jerry:

I may have spokeen too hastily, based upon what is available around here (Southeast Oklahoma) and no one carries many, if any Swift cases and loaded ammo is the same. You are absolutely correct in stating that bullets and powder requirements are similar.

I sometimes forget where I live. Sometimes things that are readily available in most other places aren't available here. Thanks for the correction.

Red:

Thanks for your kind response. Gotta tell you though, I am not the one to correct anybody, LOl!

Jerry

If you're a reloader, a quick twist 22-250 makes for a low recoil, flat shootin', accurate varmint and medium game rifle with 60 grain Partitions for deer and 60 grain VMax for varmints.

I've made up 3 Marlin XS-7 in 22-250, using 1-9" ROT Stevens 200 223 barrel. I shot 2 whitetail does with mine last October and liked the results, 2 shots = 2 deer.

JEff

I've had 5 220 Swifts, 3-4 22-250's, a bunch of 223, several 22-243's, several 6mm's and 25's and that's not counting the 17 and 20 cals.

Some of the Swift's turned into 22-243's, one is now a 510 Makatak and one a 416 Taylor...the 1-14 T 22's do very well with 40-60 gr but a 1-10, 1-9 work much better for all bullet weights except the 80 Plus.

If limited to one 22 cal I would choose a 1-8 T Swift or 22-243 for more reasons than have been listed.

All the Swifts I kept and didn't re-arrange had upwards of 4000 rounds through them and still did <3/4" groups with their favorite bullet and powders but I kept the velocity to 38-3900fs with 50-55 gr bullets, brass lasted as long as in any other higher pressure case.

I put to rest for my understanding and experience, ALL the usual BS put out by the early gunrag writers condeming the Swift and continuously blabbed on the net...you just have to do some tinkering with your loading dies so you don't squash the heck out of cases each and every time you recycle one.

My 22-250's basically ended up something else after I got tired of them, but at least one stayed around the rack many years...50 gr bullets at 36-3700 fs...who knows how many rounds...I used to load 2-500 rounds several times a season and have worn out(increased groups >5/8-3/4") hi-velo barrels in 2-3 shooting seasons.

I wore out 1 - 1/14 T 220 swift rechambered to 22-243 with 60 gr Hornady SP's at 39-4000fs but it wouldn't shoot anything heavier except the stubby 63-70 gr bullets. I rechambered a 1/10 T 22-250 Encore to 22-243 because the throat was so long I couldn't touch it with 80 gr bullets...the rechamber shoots the longer 60 gr hp's and up to 72 gr bullets into nice small groups at around 36-3800fs, and will hit over 4500fs with 40 gr Hornady and Nosler bullets.

All my 223's like 40-45 gr bullets up around 3900fs and I shoot those more than all the others.

I've had two 6mm-284's that loved 70 gr Speer TNTHP's, my HB 243 likes 55-58 Nos/Horns, 70 Sierra's and also does a very credible job with all the 105 plus grainers from just about anybody, and I shoot 65 VM's in my 16.5" 6mm BR NEF swap barrel.

I'm building another two rifles...a 6mm-284 AGAIN and a 220 SWIFT...both fast twists for long heavy bullets. I can't seem to get away from the Swift, 6mm-284 or the 25-06(working with my 5th 25-06 right now)

I see NO REASON why anyone should pick one over the others even listing all the "usual suspects"...I think EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ONE OF EACH. ...at the bare minimum. Why waste your time and self on limits!!!!

Luck

I started out with a 22-250, added a .223 and then a .243 all set up for varmint work. Happy times.