220 Swift

[mydogtwig]

Looking for a rifle that when I take it out to shoot, I am not told "I have one of those."  Currently looking at the 220 Swift.  Been actually looking for about two months.  Locally everyone tells me that it will fit the bill and so far no one has had one.  It's always been I would like one BUT...  Therefore - I have found a sweet Cooper Varminter.  That is looking mighty nice.  What other options are out there that you have seen.  I have been to Sportsmans and Cabelas.  They can get the Ruger Target in 220 swift, have yet to see one though.  Savage I did not care for the looks on that particular rifle. 
**Requirements are heavy barrel, wood or laminate, and bolt action.**
Thanks

[billy_56081]

Sorry I can't help you with another brand of swift. But I have a savage that I rebarreled to 220 swift and I think you are going to love this caliber for the one question "What is a 220 swift?"

Hopefully we get the snow we are being forcasted so I get to test it on some coyotes this week.

Cabelas had a sale on Ruger target 220 swifts a few months ago they are very pretty.

[backstrap]

If your talking about the ruger targer rifle it wouldnt be much of a hunting rifle i had two of them 1 in 220 swift and 1 in 25-06 they shoot great but wasnt a hunting rifle i didnt think, for the 2 stage trigger thay had u could get the trigger adjusted pretty low and that maid them shoot better i thought. and there also very heavy to be carrying in the feild

[mydogtwig]

I like the looks of the Ruger target rifle- on the back cover of the Varmint hunter magazines.  I have yet to find one though.  The shooting that I do would be from a bench.  I enjoy sitting in one or two places and wait -sometimes patiently- for little critters to work on their tan lines. 
Had some friends over tonight and the topic came up on guns again.  i asked the question what they thought about the 220 swift.  One thought it was like a 22-250 and the other did know anything about it.  Now either i need to get some new friends or that is the cartridge that i am looking for. 

[Skeezix]

Your choice of the Swift is a good one.  And those Cooper rifles are awesome also.  You sure aren't likely to come across another one of those in the field either. 

I'm a Ruger nut, but I have to agree that the current Ruger 77 Target rifles are not very good field rifles unless you're setting up in one place over a prairie dog town or a field full of whistle pigs.  They are just too heavy and unweildy to carry more than a very short distance.

But Ruger has made the No.1 Single Shot rifle in Swift in both sporter weight (1B) and varmint weight (1V) barrels. 

And, if you want something REALLY special, find one of the old tang safety Ruger 77's (also referred to as the Mk 1 version, although Ruger never referred to it that way) in Swift.  The tang safety Ruger 77's were made in both sporter weight (M77R) and varmint weight (M77V) versions.  There have been rumors that someone there at Ruger spent extra time on the old M77V's in Swift making sure that each one was a serious tack driver.  I've shot a couple of them and each could easily shoot 3/8" to 1/4" groups with the right loads.

The tang safety varminters had, more or less, the standard sporter style stock but heavy barrels.  They are terrific walking varminters, if you don't mind the extra weight of the heavy barrel.  I've got a friend that has one of the sporter-weight barrelled tang safety Swifts (M77R) and it is a terrific shooter too.  That would be an awesome walking varminter.

Ruger was THE Swift sanctuary for decades and they've made more of them and more versions of them than anyone else, and they took pride in keeping the caliber alive.

[Skeezix]

One story I wanted to add about the tang safety Ruger 77V's in Swift:  Back when I was in college in the early 70's, there was another student that hung around the local shooting range preying on the unsuspecting.  He had a M77V in Swift with a 10x Leupold scope on it. He won most of his gas and beer money betting that he could shoot down the neck of a Coke bottle laid on its side on top of the 100yd target stand, neck towards the firing line, and blow out the bottom of the bottle.  He rarely, if ever, lost.  I never saw him lose.

He would do the same thing with old CO2 cylinders laid on their side, round end towards the firing line, and hit 'em most every shot.  Again, I never saw him miss.

Remember, this was with bullets that are not NEAR the consistency of what we have available today.  And he didn't take any special pains reloadinig his ammo either.  That tang safety M77V Swift of his was an awesome shooter.

[billy_56081]

Here's the result of my re barreled Savage 110 in 220 swift.



First coyote to get in front of my swift. I think it is gonna be a keeper.