220 Swift v. 22-250

You didnt really say what kind of varmit you are hunting, or why you are hunting them. If you are hunting Pdogs, it doesnt really matter, or if you are hunting pests just to get rid of them it probably doesnt really matter. However if you are hunting for fur, 22-250's will ruin too much of the pelt, and the fur buyers won't give you top dollar, you would be better off with the swift, or 223.
 
220 outperforms and has the history
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As far as history goes, one of the original names for what we now call the 22-250 was " Wotkyn's Original .22 Swift", supposedly because that was the original design before Winchester opted for a semi-rimmed version of the 6mm Lee Navy (the parent case has a head/rim approximately the same size as the 35 Remington, so they had to add a small rim to make it fit a standard bolt face). Winchester marketed the heck out of the fact that their load was doing 4,000 fps (with a 36 gr bullet), which at the time (1930s) was almost unheard of (except for the 22 Newton). As far as the 220 Swift outperforming the 22-250, in my experience, and it seems like the experience of many other responders, it does not consistently outperform it. But it's all good. As I said earlier, pick one or the other, they're about the same.
 
I owned a nice Kimber in 22-250 and rebarreled my 700 to 220 swift.

I still own the swift. The kimber went down the road.

The swift was just more fun to shoot, and someone has to keep the classics alive :)
 
Ballistically, the two cartridges are essentially equivalents. Imo, the biggest advantage the 22-250 has over the Swift is price and availability (for non-reloaders. This "advantage" is negated for those of us who reload). I will say that the most accurate factory rifle that I have ever shot (and I've poured a couple of tons of lead down-range over the past fifty years or so) using factory ammunition is my Ruger No. One Varmint model, chambered in .220 Swift. I'm not saying that my experience is necessarily representative of all Swift rifles; only that it is true in my individual circumstance.

I would also argue that barrel life for the two rounds should be approximately the same.
 
And de bate goes on....... and de bate goes on !

A 220 Swift ( Ruger KM77VTMKII out of current production) is a goal of mine.

I must have had the same adolescent dreams after reading the velocity spec's on the old KING of the late 1930's Heap, in the 1961 issue of Stoeger's SHOOTERS BIBLE, any discussion on centerfire rifles always wound up stating those blistering numbers and the burnt barrels that fell by the wayside.

We all know that the Swifts barrel burnout problem was solved with modern powders, and in another way, with the new in 1960's Remington 22-250 round.

The 22-250 can just about duplicate any speed spec's as the Swift with the same bullet, with less powder, easier to find cheaper brass. Plus I think the Swift loadings have been reduced over the years.

IF you have to shoot a 22 caliber,IF you have to have a laser flat 4000 FPS, IF your shooting 400 plus yards , IF you don't mind waiting 15 minutes every 4-5 shots for the barrel to cool either will fill your bill.

IF not a 223 Remington AI will get the lighter bullets 40 grs or so damn close in numbers and with less powder and wear and tear., but you may have to walk up 25 yards closer.

But the 220 Swift will always be my KING OF THE HILL!
 
I like both of them and have owned both. Only have a .22-250 right now though.

Although I do have a post 64 Model 70 in .225 Winchester in the collection. Take that .220 Swift 'rebels', I are the most rebellious. :)
 
If they're ballistically equivalent and the 22-250 is cheaper to reload for, easier to get components for and comes in a lot more factory guns and you can get factory ammo a lot cheaper.
Then there's no reason to get the 220 unless you like to be obtuse, or the odd one out.

I'm a practical person so I'd go for the 22-250, or even the 204 Ruger if its only for small varmints.

The barrel life of the 220 swift doesn't seem to be as good as the 22-250, if so why not choose the 22-243, its just a practical as the 220 and will be like a lazer!
 
Originally Posted by Lloyd Smale
that been said the 22250 is hands down the best choise in a varmit gun

Based on what? '

based on the fact that it does 99 percent of what a swift will do. Brass is much easier to come by. Finding a rifle in 22250 is much easier as everyone makes them and Its just as accurate as the swift. Id bring up the fact that factory ammo is much easier to find and cheaper but then what self respecting varmit hunter doesnt handload but then i can buy loaded 22250 for the same price as i pay for swift brass. .
 
I've had two .22-250s since the sixties, until this year, when I had my favorite re-barreled to .243 Win.

The Rem 700 ADL, (1980s vintage) IMHO is about the best Rem ADL made to date. In .22-250, it won me about a hundred turkey shoots, killed many woodchucks and crows, a couple of deer, and was exceedingly accurate, winning an informal inter-club 200 yard benchrest match. It would group 3/8" at 100 yards with my favorite handloads.

The two problems I had with the .22-250 were: For reloaders, cases stretched too much due to the body taper and trimming was a chore. I was using softer, but nicer Norma cases and had to trim after about every firing.

The second problem was even more frustrating. The twist rate of the Remington was 1/14", I believe, and it wouldn't stabilize any bullets over 55 grains. For a while in the 60s and early 70s, it was my only centerfire and though I was using Nosler 55 grain solid-based "Zipedo" bullets, it just wasn't a good deer cartridge for Maine hunting.

Many times, I thought of having the rifle re-chambered to .22-250 Ackey Improved, but was afraid the amazing accuracy of that barrel would suffer. I still have the used barrel and it's in good shape, but it will never be re-installed.

The .243 Win is everything I'd ever wanted in a Maine varmint/sometimes deer cartridge. It really does a number on eastern coyotes!

My Tikka .223 Rem is an even nicer range rifle than the .22-250 was, shading it for accuracy and the barrel doesn't heat up as much. It's also very tolerant of various loads and very easy to size.
 
This debate probably will go on forever. I'm a Swift guy and I suppose that's because it is the hotter round if you reload and because it's a somewhat legendary round. We all know that there isn't much difference between the 220 and the 22-250, but the 220 is just a bit faster and I want the fast one. It's as simple as that. If you're gonna spend the money, why go with number 2? Get a Swift and run with the big dogs...:D
 
This debate probably will go on forever. I'm a Swift guy and I suppose that's because it is the hotter round if you reload and because it's a somewhat legendary round. We all know that there isn't much difference between the 220 and the 22-250, but the 220 is just a bit faster and I want the fast one. It's as simple as that. If you're gonna spend the money, why go with number 2? Get a Swift and run with the big dogs...
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Amen. The 22-250 will always play second fiddle to the 220 in the speed department, it's as simple as that.

"But...but, the 22-250 is cheaper, more common, blah blah blah (insert excuse here), etc.", who cares it's still second place:p
 
Thanks guys now you got me wanting to go buy a 220 swift Like I needed help in that department in buying guns wifey is gonna be ticked about this one :rolleyes:
 
I learned to shoot on my father's Mod70 Swift back in the mid 50s. It left an indelible impression that is part emotion and part OMG. I always wanted one, and went so far in the early 70s as to buy 100 cases in Norma brass -- knowing that the rifle to put them in was next.

But other things got in the way.... you know how it goes.

Dad rebarreled the Swift to a 243* back in the late 60s/early 70s and that that's how I inherited it it in the mid-late 80s. It sat in the gunsafe for a decade since I'd already bought my own M77V-243 and put a Unertl Ultra Varmint on it back in `73. It served me well for 30 years.

Eight years ago I did what I'd wanted for the last 40 ... re-re-barreled that Model-70 back to a Swift w/ a 26" Krieger. 4,100+ easily w/ 52gr SMKs and my show-off gun at the range to put literal-laser-edged holes in other peoples' dimes with it. (though I stick to the mid 39's for prairie dogs & ground squirrels).

Loaded properly, the Swift is unexcelled -- and not a barrel-burner by any conventional measure.

And yes, it's also emotional.
But so's a Shelby GT.
:D





* He also re-chambered the Springfield I grew up on as well, to 300Win to give him the ultimate 2-gun North American set. I left the Springfield in 300W, but replaced the shot-out original Sprinfield barrel with a Krieger as well. It's good for a nickel w/ 165s throught 190s.
 
What dgludwig just wrote reminded me of a funny/sad Christmas morning of years ago, when our oldest daughter was married to her first husband. The SNL put two 'primary' presents under the tree. One was in a box obviously from a jewelry store and the other was a long box that looked to me (and sounded, when I shook it) like a shotgun. The daughter only had eyes for the jewelry box and was really licking her chops over it. But...on Christmas morning, the SNL gave the jewelry box to his mother in law and gave the shotgun to his wife. OOOOOOBaby that was a tense moment and it only got worse from there. I'm laughing now, but I was not laughing back then. I like my new SNL, and he buys the daughter jewelry.

I apologize that this really isn't thread related, but blame it on dgludwig.:D
 
Practically speaking there is virtually no difference between the 22-250 and the 220 Swift. I've had both and liked them both very much.
But when was practicality ever a reason to buy a new rifle?
Buy the one that trips your trigger and have fun.
 
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