220 Swift v. 22-250
- Thread starter SDShooter79
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Doodlebugger45
New member
You're right there Wyoredman. The 220 Swift just has a "mystique" about it to me. Probably from when I was a kid in the 70s looking at the Remington flyers that came out showing all the ammo it made and the velocities they attained. I just thought it would be so cool back then to have the fastest of all of them.
You see, that is about the only reason to have a swift IMO.
Because you want it. You don't have to own that particular caliber, it has its equals, and even superiors, but there is no substitute for the genuine article if that is what you want.
The only reason that the H&H 700 NE was built was that H&H had sworn off further production of the .600 NE, and some dude with more money than sense was not going to be denied the pleasure of owning the biggest gun in the world. He would not accept a used .600, H&H would not make him a new one, so they put together the .700 NE.
You know, the one with the T-Rex engraved on the side plates?
as far as I care, there's nothing wrong with wanting something so badly that you will stop at no obstacles, but gee, people need to be honest with themselves, and admit that it's an emotional decision.
Sorta when my wife was trying to persuade me that buying the diamond and pear earrings would be a good investment.
Because you want it. You don't have to own that particular caliber, it has its equals, and even superiors, but there is no substitute for the genuine article if that is what you want.
The only reason that the H&H 700 NE was built was that H&H had sworn off further production of the .600 NE, and some dude with more money than sense was not going to be denied the pleasure of owning the biggest gun in the world. He would not accept a used .600, H&H would not make him a new one, so they put together the .700 NE.
You know, the one with the T-Rex engraved on the side plates?
as far as I care, there's nothing wrong with wanting something so badly that you will stop at no obstacles, but gee, people need to be honest with themselves, and admit that it's an emotional decision.
Sorta when my wife was trying to persuade me that buying the diamond and pear earrings would be a good investment.
mrawesome22
New member
I was thinking shellholder. The swift takes a different shellholder than standard .308 bolt face cartridges.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
I would say that if you handload it is a wash to just pick the one you want to load for. If you do not handload, and doubt you would start then I would recomend the .22-250 based on the fact that ammo for it is easier to find in more places.
Personaly I handload. I heavily thought about both calibers. I bought a .223 Rem Savage Model 12 Long Range Varmint, and Target rifle. I am quite happy with it. I dropped 4 coyotes with it, at over 400 yards with 4 shots. They fell dead on the spot they were hit. My reason was cheaper to feed. Seeing as how I usualy shoot at leat 150 rounds a weekend out of it. The reloading cost alone adds up quick.
Personaly I handload. I heavily thought about both calibers. I bought a .223 Rem Savage Model 12 Long Range Varmint, and Target rifle. I am quite happy with it. I dropped 4 coyotes with it, at over 400 yards with 4 shots. They fell dead on the spot they were hit. My reason was cheaper to feed. Seeing as how I usualy shoot at leat 150 rounds a weekend out of it. The reloading cost alone adds up quick.
Most avid varmit shooters I know own more than one rifle and some use the 22-250/220 Swift for the longer shots or if the conditions get bad.
OP didn't mention how he was going to use either caliber other than was going to be a varmit rifle. I have some short yardage varmit rifles and some longer yardage calibers so I'll take 2/3 rifles.
If I was looking at using either caliber as my only varmit rifle not doing any high volume shooting I'd get the Swift.
OP didn't mention how he was going to use either caliber other than was going to be a varmit rifle. I have some short yardage varmit rifles and some longer yardage calibers so I'll take 2/3 rifles.
If I was looking at using either caliber as my only varmit rifle not doing any high volume shooting I'd get the Swift.
black mamba
New member
Many responders said if you handload get the Swift. But, the 22-250 usually comes with a faster twist, making it more versatile with heavier bullets, so I would say the Remington is even better for the handloader.
FOR many years the .220 Swift had the advantage over the .22-250, because the Swift was a factory loaded round, while the .22-250 was a wildcat.
The Swift was king of velocity, BUT it came at the cost of a fairly short barrel life. Modern steels and powders have changed this quite a bit, but either round is hard on barrel throats when loaded to the max.
With Remington making the .22-250 a factory round, the advantages of the Swift mostly went away. The .22-250 uses the same standard head size as dozens of other rounds (.473) so the shellholder for the .30-06 or the .45 ACP works for reloading it. The Swift needs a shell holder for the Swift (or the obsolete 6mm Lee Navy, which was the parent case for the Swift)
If you are desperate, .22-250 brass can be made from the .250 Savage, or even, with the right forming dies, the .30-06 (although that's a lot of work), and since its a factory round for over 40 years now, .22-250 brass is common.
Swift and .22-250 barrels often have the same twist, 1-12 or 1-14, or they did before the fast twist barrels found in ARs today have proven the value of extra heavy (70gr+) bullets in .22 cal.
I've had a .22-250 since the early 1970s, and as far as I'm concerned, even though you might get a handful more fps with the Swift, the .22-250 is the king of centerfire .22s.
The Swift was king of velocity, BUT it came at the cost of a fairly short barrel life. Modern steels and powders have changed this quite a bit, but either round is hard on barrel throats when loaded to the max.
With Remington making the .22-250 a factory round, the advantages of the Swift mostly went away. The .22-250 uses the same standard head size as dozens of other rounds (.473) so the shellholder for the .30-06 or the .45 ACP works for reloading it. The Swift needs a shell holder for the Swift (or the obsolete 6mm Lee Navy, which was the parent case for the Swift)
If you are desperate, .22-250 brass can be made from the .250 Savage, or even, with the right forming dies, the .30-06 (although that's a lot of work), and since its a factory round for over 40 years now, .22-250 brass is common.
Swift and .22-250 barrels often have the same twist, 1-12 or 1-14, or they did before the fast twist barrels found in ARs today have proven the value of extra heavy (70gr+) bullets in .22 cal.
I've had a .22-250 since the early 1970s, and as far as I'm concerned, even though you might get a handful more fps with the Swift, the .22-250 is the king of centerfire .22s.
phil mcwilliam
New member
I asked myself the same question 30 years ago & concluded the Swift was fractionally better than the 22-250. I settled on a 22-250 because Sako didn't offer the Forester in .220 Swift. After 30 years of hunting with the 22-250 I'm now on my second barrel. I would have to say there has been no shot that I've taken in 30 years of hunting with the 22-250 that would have had a different outcome if I was using a .220 Swift.
These two rounds are that similar in performance that the person behind the trigger is the main influence in how well they work.
If you don't reload, 22-250 ammunition is more widely available in remote locations, than .220 swift.
These two rounds are that similar in performance that the person behind the trigger is the main influence in how well they work.
If you don't reload, 22-250 ammunition is more widely available in remote locations, than .220 swift.
.300 Weatherby Mag
New member
The 22-250 Remington has buried almost every cartridge that produces similar velocities... The .220 Swift has managed to hold on (albeit by its finger nails), due to a number of loyal hardcore varminters (aka old farts 
) who continue to sing the praises of this old but hot round... Some of my best shots have come with a .22-250, I have two of them and do not own a .223 Rem (so I'm a non-conformist ) Its a great round if you handload (which has been mentioned by others in this thread)
) who continue to sing the praises of this old but hot round... Some of my best shots have come with a .22-250, I have two of them and do not own a .223 Rem (so I'm a non-conformist ) Its a great round if you handload (which has been mentioned by others in this thread)the facts:
1. Lets face it - hyper velocity cartridges are kinda stupid really - they're highly inefficient and burn through barrels quicker than a 223 with only a slight increase in ballistic performance
2. That aside, the 22-250 operates very well at a great range of powder charge loadings where the 220 swift operates best when fully loaded.
3. Cost of firing the swift is quite a bit more than the 22-250, which is quite a bit more than a 223.
4. 220 swift is 'rarer' and the 22-250 won't get you into the 'swift club'
Despite the above, if you don't care about barrel life or cost, and already have a 223 as your staple varminter - then get the swift for its prestige factor.
I personally have a custom mauser in 22-250 but i don't hunt and hence consider it to be a silly cartridge.
All in all i reckon you'd do much better with a 243 or 243 AI though.
1. Lets face it - hyper velocity cartridges are kinda stupid really - they're highly inefficient and burn through barrels quicker than a 223 with only a slight increase in ballistic performance
2. That aside, the 22-250 operates very well at a great range of powder charge loadings where the 220 swift operates best when fully loaded.
3. Cost of firing the swift is quite a bit more than the 22-250, which is quite a bit more than a 223.
4. 220 swift is 'rarer' and the 22-250 won't get you into the 'swift club'
Despite the above, if you don't care about barrel life or cost, and already have a 223 as your staple varminter - then get the swift for its prestige factor.
I personally have a custom mauser in 22-250 but i don't hunt and hence consider it to be a silly cartridge.
All in all i reckon you'd do much better with a 243 or 243 AI though.
im astounded that everyone loves the 22-250 so much. maybe its the engineer in me but the inefficiency of the cartridge and using such a large amount of powder for a bullet that can't carry much of its energy bothers me.
its fun to shoot though i guess.
220 swift is out of the question for me because of the above.
its fun to shoot though i guess.
220 swift is out of the question for me because of the above.
.300 Weatherby Mag
New member
Not are fun things in life are "efficient"
mrawesome22
New member
Dave, the love for fast, inefficient, cartridges is pretty simple.
Flat trajectory.
Those of us that do hunt know that hunting requires possible shots at "estimated" ranges. The advantage of a flatter shooting round is that it gives you more cushion for errors in range estimation.
Every cartridge is inefficient. Just the nature of the beast until we start shooting laser beams at coyotes and groundhogs.
Fortunately, smokeless powder is cheap and abundant.
Flat trajectory.
Those of us that do hunt know that hunting requires possible shots at "estimated" ranges. The advantage of a flatter shooting round is that it gives you more cushion for errors in range estimation.
Every cartridge is inefficient. Just the nature of the beast until we start shooting laser beams at coyotes and groundhogs.
Fortunately, smokeless powder is cheap and abundant.
220 Swift if you're a handloader or plan on it soon.
Unfortunately most factory 220 ammo is loaded to about the same velocity as 22-250 factory loads, which is disappointing because the 220 definatley out performs the 22-250.
If rifle and ammo availabilty are a concern go with the 22-250, rifles and ammo are everywhere.
If you want pure performance and a bit of rarity go with the Swift. Save some exotic wildcats, you'll have the epitome of 22 cal centerfire performance.
Buy yourself a nice Ruger M77 VT 220 Swift, a couple pounds of IMR 4064 and some quality 55g bullets of your choice. Load 'em up and shoot 1/2 inch 5 shot groups all day at 3800+ fps
Unfortunately most factory 220 ammo is loaded to about the same velocity as 22-250 factory loads, which is disappointing because the 220 definatley out performs the 22-250.
If rifle and ammo availabilty are a concern go with the 22-250, rifles and ammo are everywhere.
If you want pure performance and a bit of rarity go with the Swift. Save some exotic wildcats, you'll have the epitome of 22 cal centerfire performance.
Buy yourself a nice Ruger M77 VT 220 Swift, a couple pounds of IMR 4064 and some quality 55g bullets of your choice. Load 'em up and shoot 1/2 inch 5 shot groups all day at 3800+ fps
One of the best marketing moves ever was the decision to make the 22-250 a factory round as opposed to a wildcat.
It has been around a long time and with nominal loads of 38 gr. H380 and a 52 gr. SMK, it will reach out with the best of them.
It is a favorite of mine and I have been shooting the 22-250 for over 40 years.
I always wanted to try a 220 Swift but never have had the opportunity and at this point, it just does not make much of a difference.
The 22-250 really works for me. I am sure others feel as strongly about the 220 Swift.
Geetarman
It has been around a long time and with nominal loads of 38 gr. H380 and a 52 gr. SMK, it will reach out with the best of them.
It is a favorite of mine and I have been shooting the 22-250 for over 40 years.
I always wanted to try a 220 Swift but never have had the opportunity and at this point, it just does not make much of a difference.
The 22-250 really works for me. I am sure others feel as strongly about the 220 Swift.
Geetarman