220 Swift Anyone???

[texasshooter]

I have a 220 Swift that I can not find a load it likes. Montana 1999 Action and 26"barrel with a 1 in 14 twist. Anybody out there have a pet load for a 220 Swift? I am trying to use the 55gr BlitzKing or Nosler Balistic Tip since that's what I shoot in all of my other .22 caliber rifles.

Thanks for the help!

[Bobcat]

I don't shoot the Swift, so I can't be much help there. However.........I am VERY curious about the Montana action. I think they are going to really take off. Tell us your impression so far......

Thanks,

Bob

[texasshooter]

The smith that built the rifle admitted that he did a poor job on the inletting. I have not been able to get it to shoot very well yet. The barrel was resting in the barrel channel from the action all the way to the tip of the stock. I have taken a whole lot of wood out of the channel and it still takes the thickness of 4 business cards under the action to float the barrel. I really think this rifle has potential, but it's still gonna take some work.

[CoonDawg]

I hate to say it but you might have to get a new stock or suggest you take it to a new gunsmith and have them check it over.

[texasshooter]

I would hate to have to get a new stock. This is the puurrrtiest piece of wood that I own. I have had some work done by a smith up in Bartlesville, OK. His name is Bob Jourdan. I will probably take it to him and let him work on it.

[CoonDawg]

I know what you mean. I just bought a blank off of e-bay the is Fruitless Mulberry lemon in color with some reds,brown and orange in it. It only cost $60.00 so you can find some bargins

[ninehorses]

texasshooter,

How about 43 grains of H4831, with a Fed. 210, W-W case, and a 55 grain bullet, also try 37 grains of RL 15, with Fed 210. My Swift likes Hornady's 55 grain SXSP's much better than the Nosler's, and their half the price!(lucky me, and yes I know that this is pushing the max on speed for these bullets) Work up to these loads as they are near max. Use IMR-4064, or H380 for the 40 grainers with Sierra's 40 grain HP as my top pick.

[texasshooter]

ninhorses,

Just curious as the velocities that you are getting with the SXSP bullets out of your Swift. They fall apart if I load them too hot in my 22-250 so I never even considered using them in my 220 Swift.

[ninehorses]

texasshooter,

On a cold day the H4831, 43 grain, load runs around 3650, and when it's hot, it will croud 3700 with the 55 grain SXSP. It will still hold 10 shots into .47. In this rifle this is about as hot as you can go. There's no sticky bolt, or flattened primers. This is a Rem. VS. Hogdon web site list 46 grains as maxium, but I can't get anywhere close to that. Tight chamber I guess.

[yotecaller]

Texasshooter try 39 Gr of RL 15 with a 55 Gr Sierra Blitz King bullet.

[exitwound]

I know this is an old post but just in case Texasshooter is checking. Try 40 gr A-max or bal-tip I had a 1 in 14 twist in a rem 700 that just loved them.

[MaBell]

texasshooter said:

I have taken a whole lot of wood out of the channel and it still takes the thickness of 4 business cards under the action to float the barrel. I really think this rifle has potential, but it's still gonna take some work.

texasshooter,
I would start bedding under the action with accu-glass or something like it, and rework the whole area. If you are not comfortable doing the work yourself, find someone that can do the work for you,,,,wish I were close to you, I would be glad to fix it for you myself. That rifle will shoot if you get it bedded right.

[texasshooter]

First off... thanks to everyone for the load data and sugestions... I haven't checked this post in a while. A quick update... I finally got enough wood out of the barrel channel to get the barrel floated. The only other "problem" is that I had to shim the rear of a one piece base to get more than 10MOA of elevation out of several different scopes that I tried. I guess that's no big deal, cause I either shim or use a tapered base on all of my long range riggs.

The finish on the stock was just an oil finish and I haven't had time to "seal" it with anything. Well, I took the rifle to Lubbock, TX opening weekend of Pheasant just in case a coyote wandered out in front of me. I guess the extreme temperature changes (12 degrees at night and 60 during the day) caused a lot of condensation in the hard case that I had the rifle in. I didn't even take the rifle out of the case until I got home, and there was water damage on the stock. Made me sick to my stomach. I am going to re-finish the stock over the holidays. I will post pics when I get it done. Again, thanks for all the load data and suggestions.

I have seen a lot of load data for this rifle that uses Reloader powder. I have never tried any Reloader powder... this looks like a good opportunity to give it a try.

[POP]

38 gr H4895 with a 52 gr bullet. 1/3" all day long in my Rem 700 VS!

[C1PNR]

texasshooter,

Need to get that rifle properly bedded and the barrel floated. Then work up some loads.

Had the same problem with a Ruger .257 Roberts. I did this, tried that, did another thing, tried MANY loads - all without success. The Bob just refused to group inside 1 1/2" no matter what I did.

Took it to a competent gunsmith who glass bedded the action and floated the barrel. What a difference!! ;D

You can even have the barrel channel glassed to seal the wood.

Interested to see final pics and hear about the next trip.