Barrel life of a 220 Swift

M

muleshoe

New member
There was a barrel life thread not too long ago, but I didn't see anything on the 220 Swift. So now I'm asking.

If I'm not pushing the envelope with hot loads how long of life can I expect. If it makes any difference, the rifle is a Ruger 77V. Probably 25 years old, but never been fired and is still in the box.

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bullet placement is gun control
 
If you are pushing the envelope (is there any other way?) you can see a definite loss of accuracy at somewhere around 6 to 800 rounds. If you are in the habit of getting it hot it will be less. You can still kill a coyote out to 400 yards or a prairie dog at 300 but you won't see those little ½ groups you did when it was new. Whoops I just realized you said it was a Ruger. So I don't know what accuracy you started with.
 
Okay Gale, I'm not sure what you are saying. Not to expect good accuracy from the Ruger? I oughta be able to shoot MOA with it, shouldn't I? I'm hoping for 1/2" to 3/4", isn't that possible?

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bullet placement is gun control
 
I paid $165 for a brand new M-77V .220 Swift in 1975. I fire an average of 100 rounds per year through it. My load is a 55 grain Hornady V-Max at a chronographed 3780 fps with Norma brass and IMR 4350 powder, lit with CCI LR primers.
Last summer it fired a 7/16" five shot group at 200 yards.
The barrel doesn't often get very hot as I pace my shots.
I clean it twice a year. In the spring before I start shooting it and in the fall when I put it up for the winter.
It has NEVER had a brush down the barrel. It gets swabbed out with solvent soaked patches, but no brush.
If I can see it, I can hit it with that rifle.
Your experiences may be different, but my rifle shoots great.

Neil Casper

[This message has been edited by Cat (edited March 04, 2000).]
 
Anything better than 1moa in a factory rifle is bonus. Again because a rifle shoots a 1/4 group every once in a while doesn't mean it's a ¼ moa rifle. My comment was if you started wih a ½ moa by 600 rounds you would have a 1moa rifle. With your Ruger you will be starting with a 1moa rifle and at 6oo rounds it will be a 1.5 inch rifle.
 
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