Range report on my new Ruger KM77VT MKII .220 Swift

[SAWgunner]

I used all factory loads (which in turn gave me alot of brass to have reloaded).  I didn't have a ruler on me, and my Leatherman has no ruler, so I used change in my pocket, knowing that a quarter is about an inch from tip to tip.  My largest group was covered up by a quarter at 100 yards with some Winchester 50 grain soft points.  My smallest was within a nickel (meaning that no holes were visible with the nickel over them) and were all touching) with Federal Premium 52 grain Boattail hollow points.  The 40 grain Winchester Ballistic Silvertips produced a great group that was just noticeably larger than the smallest group.  All of this was done on sandbags with a stock rifle and a gentle breeze blowing.  By the way, I knocked the snot out of an old oil filter that someone nailed in the ground at 350 yards.  3 out of 5  rounds in the oil filter.  The 1' by 2' steel targets at the 350 yard mark were hit 12 out of 12 times off sandbags.  I am very impressed by this rifle.  It is also a great crow gun out to about 200 yards, but a little too expensive for crow control.  heh heh.  When I get back to the range, I will take a ruler and get the actual group sizes.  One further note, this rifle has a sweet trigger in case anyone cares.

Oh yeah, all of these were 3 shot groups due to the fact that I was breaking in the barrel.  

SSG G.

[RWH24]

:wink: When you get thru breaking in the barrel, shoot it again and tell us how she really shoots. Sounds very good so far to me. Enjoy. What kind of optics did you put on top? If you said I didn't read it?



Randy
 

[SAWgunner]

I have a Bushnell 6-18x50 on it.  I was amazed how much lower end scopes have changed since I was a kid.  They are amazing.

[Zachary]

Sounds like you've got a great rig.  Accuracy like that, especially when it's just in the initial break-in process - sounds promising.  In my personal opinion, I would rather have a .22-250 over the swift, but, after hearing your experience, if I had your gun, I would probably never let it leave my hands!! :-D

Zachary

[SAWgunner]

Yeah, I am thoroughly impressed with it.  I can't wait to see what she starts shooting like after a few hundred rounds.  Eventually I will buy one in .22-250, but I had to have the swift now.  heh heh.

[Skeezix]

SAWgunner:  You done good!  And I agree with you.  The Ruger 77 varmint rifles and the Swift just go together.  When I buy one, it will also be a Swift.  When I was in college, there was a guy that used to hang out at the range and he used to win a bunch of money off the unsuspecting and gullible.  He'd lay a Coke bottle on its side on top of the 100 yd target stand, with the neck towards the firing line, and then shoot down the neck of the bottle and blow out the bottom of the bottle, leaving the rest of the bottle intact.  He paid for his groceries and beer that way.  We used to varmint hunt together and he would regularly whack groundhogs and coyotes out past 400 yards.  He was a good shot, but he couldn't have done it without a good rifle and cartridge combo.

[SAWgunner]

Yeah, Skeez, a Swift is something special, unlike the .22-250 (which is a very good round, but it is utilitarian).  When someone mentions that their rifle is chambered in .220 Swift, people begin to ask questions (even if they know what one is).  People just don't do that for a .22-250.  That is one of the reasons I like the Swift, plus it is a barnstormer and an explosive round.

[dbuck]

Is the 220 Swift for short action or long action rifles.  I might be interested in using this round for my project Remington 700 which is long action.

dbuck

[jhm]

dbuck:  I have always thought that the 308 was the line from long action to short since the 308 is 2.800 and the 220 swift is 2.56 that would put it in the same action as the 308 which isnt the long action   JIM

[OOBuckshot]

.220 SWIFT IS KING. A swift was the first center fire rifle I bought. I bought it while I was in college back in the early seventies. It has killed a lot of gound hogs in its day. When Remington came out with the 700 classic chambered in the .220 swift, I bought one of those. If I do my part in relaoding and shooting, it will print holes under a quarter of an inch. Mine loves H-380 powder.  I bought an RCBS set of 22-250 competition dies thinking I would use the seating die for my swift. The only problem was she " booster" shell holder for the 22-250 would not fit the rim on the swift case. I called RCBS and they custom made one for the swift. It cost $25.00, but now I can seat bullets to .001"

I love my Swifts, but I ran across a Ruger #1 in a 6mm with a Leupold 6.5-20x  scope and it had been restocked with some extra fine wood. When I bought that rifle, I did not know what a 6mm was. It has turned out to be one fine varmint rifle. If I was not such a fan of Swifts, 6mm would be my first choise in varmint guns. OOBuckshot :grin:

[Dana3of5]

I have a VTs in .308 and .243 and they shoot just like that.  I have a gunsmith that has a vt in .223 and has the very same results.  It is a great out of the box rifle.  Check what gun-test.com has to say about these rifles.  Under "tools and tech."

[SAWgunner]

I agree, it is a great gun.  I will be going back to the ranch to shoot it again here within the next couple of  weeks.  I will let ya'll know.

[varmintman]

I too have a ruger#1b in 6mm remington and it is my favorite varmint rifle. I reload for it.