.220 swift whitetail load

[steveNChunter]

I am currently working on a .220 swift build that will be used as a dual purpose rifle. I'll work up a varmint/yote load for it of course but I also want to have a deer load for it for my wife to use as she is rather recoil sensitive but a very accurate shooter. She already has a .243 and has developed a flinch with it.

I know the swift may not be the "ideal" deer hunting round available but I'm not trying to open that can of worms with this thread. Most of the deer around here are 150 pounds or less and well placed shots with a .220 swift should do the job I believe.

I have in mind a 60 gr partition over Win 760(since I have it on hand)

Is there a better constructed .224 bullet for deer than the 60 gr partition?

Also what are some other good powder recommendations for the .220 swift?

[Brian Pfleuger]

I'd be trying the 50gr Barnes TTSX. I use it in .243 and 7mm. It's phenomenal. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a whitetail with it.

[steveNChunter]

The only thing I have against the Barnes is I've heard you need to remove the copper fouling ALOT, like every ten rounds or so. Does it build up that bad or is that an exaggeration?

I have never used them for that reason

[eldermike]

What is the rate of twist on your rifle? The bullet will work if it will group.

[steveNChunter]

1:14 is the twist rate. I know thats borderline being too slow for a 60 gr bullet but the OAL of the partition is .790 which is shorter than some of the available flat base 55 gr .224 bullets. And I'm hoping that the 3700 fps I should get out of the load with Win 760 in my 26" barrel would be pushing them fast enough to stabilize.

I won't really know for sure until I try though.

As for the 50 gr Barnes I'm not sure of the length but I imagine its close to the partition since the Barnes are usually longer for their respective weight than a traditional bullet

[sea2weed]

Please let me know what you come up with as I'm in the same boat. Wife can out shoot me offhand any day of the week out to 500yds with her 223. Problem is I don't have a good round in 22cal for hunting. Tried the Nosler partition in her Ruger M77 but coundn't get it to play right in the 1-12" barrel. I recently got some 64 gr Nosler Bonded Performance to try but haven't worked them up yet. Bought her a new Browning X-bolt 308 as a backup but I would still like to make the 22cal work for our little Sitka Blacktail.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

1. Comment: Use of a 220 Swift it needs to be slowed down for deer a little. Otherwise your bullets may blow up before entrance into the animals cavity.
2. No doubt you need a tough bullet. Nosler would be my first choice normally. But on this occasion with a twist rate of 1-14. You need a bullet that isn't jacketed to lessen the chance of a nasty situation {blow-up} 50-53 gr. Barns TSX or a TTSX would be my best guess. Spendy? but for your wife's application. Why not go with the Best for her benefit.
3. Curious. What bullet weight for your wife's 243 did you choose to use?

S/S

[steveNChunter]

1. Comment: Use of a 220 Swift it needs to be slowed down for deer a little. Otherwise your bullets may blow up before entrance into the animals cavity.

Even with a partition or TSX? I figured they would still hold up at those velocities.

Price of the Barnes really isn't an issue since she wouldn't be shooting but a handful a year after I get the load worked up. Just a little practice/confirm zero before each season and then filling her tags. I may hunt with it every now and then.

She's been shooting 95 gr Federal Fusions. I recently worked up a load with an 85 gr partition in one of my 6mm remingtons, I'd probably start loading those for her .243 if I weren't using the action from that rifle for this .220 swift build.

[steveNChunter]

Just looked up the OAL of the 50 gr TSX. Its .736 so it may have a better chance of stabilizing in the 1:14 barrel.

[Brian Pfleuger]

You wouldn't have to slow down the TTSX. I asked Barnes about it directly and was told "We test them well over 4,000 fps. If they come apart, the whole batch is rejected. The worst that will happen is a petal might come off if you hit heavy bone."

I've seen what the 80gr does from a .243 at about 3500 fps. It's impressive.

I'd drive that that 50gr in a .220Swift with every bit of speed I could get. It'll hit like lightning. Don't under estimate hydrostatic shock at those kinds of impact speeds.

[Savage99]

Don't hunt big game with a .224". It's not even legal in most places because it results in a slow painful death for the game.

"Use enough gun"

[jimbob86]

I'd drive that that 50gr in a .220Swift with every bit of speed I could get.

If it will stabilize ..... the copper bullets are longer than conventional lead core bullets (same weight and diameter yet less dense=longer)

1:14 is pretty slow.....

As for drivin' all copper bullets really fast, I'd be worried about fouling more than them coming apart......

Nothing to do but try it, I guess.

Nosler used a 1:14 twist rifle to develop loads for the 220 swift data in their #5 manual .... and drove a 60 gr Partition to 3600 f/sec ......

[steveNChunter]

I'd drive that that 50gr in a .220Swift with every bit of speed I could get. It'll hit like lightning. Don't under estimate hydrostatic shock at those kinds of impact speeds.

Yes sir, will do. Thanks for recommending the TSX. Your last comment reminds me of the article I read the other night where the late great P.O. Akley did a test where he shot at 1/2" steel with an armor piercing bullet in a .30-06, a spire point .270, and a 48 gr in a .220 swift. IIRC the .30-06 made a .07" indention, the .270 just removed paint, and the swift made a 3/8" hole

"Use enough gun"

I believe I am

Nosler used a 1:14 twist rifle to develop loads for the 220 swift data in their #5 manual .... and drove a 60 gr Partition to 3600 f/sec ......

interesting...

[reynolds357]

The Barnes will hold up. I have never had any more CU fouling issue with the TSX than I have had with any other bullet. The orig Barnes X fouled moderately bad, but not the TSX. If you do have a problem, Moly coat the TSX. If you still have a problem, moly coat the barrel.

[jimbob86]

Nosler used a 1:14 twist rifle to develop loads for the 220 swift data in their #5 manual .... and drove a 60 gr Partition to 3600 f/sec ......

interesting...

39.5 gr of IMR4350 for max load .... amd most accurate load and powder tested for the 60 gr partition .....if you were interested.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Barnes hasn't updated their data for the TTSX but for the TSX FB (same bullet, no pretty plastic tip, no boat tail) shows 50gr data at about 3,950 with a 24" barrel and the 45gr over 4,100.

I've seen the results of a 55gr Nosler from a 243 at 4,000... Thor's Hammer. No reason the Swift wouldn't do the exact same thing.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

My 14 yr old smallish frame granddaughter shoots my Ruger 77 in 243. Hornady 75 gr. HPs Never have to worry about tracking. If its brown its down with that bullet. There is a very fast and dime size accurate loading with IMR-4831 use.

S/S

[bamaranger]

I've read some very good things about the .22 Nosler Partition. My buddy used the bullet in .223 from a Mini-14 for his grandson to take several whitetails. I worked up a load in 22-250 but never shot a deer with it.

The hot .22 centerfires are not ideal deer rigs, but they will work when applied correctly in good circumstances with the right slugs. But if you cannot or will not pick your shots and angles, and insist on varmint slugs from the cheapest source, I'd stay away from the .22's on deer.

Bamaboy killed his first whitetails with .223 and bonded bullets, and they got just as dead, just as fast as if shot with anything bigger. I'd expect the Swift with good bullets to be more of the same.

[603Country]

I've shot a few deer with my 220, and I probably won't do it again - at least not with anything less than a great bullet. The 60 gr Nosler Partition won't stabilize in my rifle, though it appears to be just on the ragged edge of stabilization. I have shot quite a few pigs with the 220, and the 63 gr Sierra SMP stabilizes and shoots tiny groups and does a good job on pigs. The 65 gr Sierra GK will not stabilize (darn it). My latest bullet to try on pigs is the Sierra 55 gr GK, but it's been so hot in the woods that I haven't hunted lately and have no real world performance data on that bullet.

If I just had to shoot deer with a 220, and if the Partition won't stabilize, I'd go for a Barnes bullet or the 55 gr GK or the 63 gr SMP. And Speer has a 70 gr stumpy bullet that might be a good choice.

One other thing to consider is the barrel. If you already have one in a 1 in 14 twist, then you are probably limited to the same things I've experienced. But if you are going to order a barrel, just get a faster twist.

As for powder in the Swift, that caliber loves IMR 4064 and R15.

[reynolds357]

603, the Barnes X re-wrote the rule book. You do not have to worry in the least about an X launched from a .220 Swift failing in a deer.

[Tom Matiska]

Nosler has online load data for 220 Swift/14" twist/60gr partition , so it must work......bottom of this page: http://www.nosler.com/220-swift

[eldermike]

Not sure if the velocity increase would make the difference but I can't stabalize a 60 grain bullet in my 22-250's one with the same twist as your swift.

[603Country]

Tom, I was pretty much sure that the Partition would work in my 220 and I went to work testing loads. I got a few that shot pretty good, and certainly good enough to hunt with. We'll call that Day 1. Some time later I went to load up 50 rounds of that chosen load and decided to shoot a few more of them. Wasn't even on the paper. What...how can that be, I say to myself. So I shot some more. I was stunned. It absolutely was not stabilizing. I cleaned the bore real well and tried again. Nope. Now you might ask how can the bullet shoot Ok on Day 1 and not shoot Ok a few days later. Darned if I know, but that's why I said that it appeared that the bullet was on the ragged edge of stabilization in my rifle. Climatic conditions had changed a good bit from Day 1 to the next day of shooting, but I don't know if I can blame non-stabilization on that. That's all I can think of to blame it on.

And yes, to check the rifle I did drag out my go-to loads with the 55 gr Nosler BT's and they shot wonderfully - as always.

The problem?: not the scope; not the rifle; not the case, primer or powder, so I just know that I can't use that bullet. Darn it.

So I'll try the Sierra 55 gr GK on a few pigs and see what happens. The 55 gr Nosler BT will kill the pigs, but I usually have to do a little tracking. I'd rather just be able to walk over and observe the dead pig and not track it. I've heard that the Sierra holds together pretty well, and I have a couple hundred of them. No point in buying Barnes bullets yet.

And as to shooting deer, I won't use the 220. I'll go to the 260 or 270 for that.

[BigD_in_FL]

A very fast 22-250 can have as much recoil as a 243............ the 243 has better ballistics....you may want to work a better load for her current rifle.......JMO

[reynolds357]

The .243 is flatter at long range. The .220 Swift is a laser until it starts dying.