Any .220 swift users out there?

Keelan

Before i go back to the Hornet, i might just take a look at the Swift.
What is the best ammo for this caliber?
Is it a barrel burner?
From what i hear its loud, more than the .243 or the same?
How expensive is ammo, whats the cheapest brand?
What brands of factory ammo are available for this caliber in this country?
Would the .22 Hornet be a better round for lamping at night, as its quieter?
Thanks for any info.

Rovi

Keelan wrote:

Before i go back to the Hornet, i might just take a look at the Swift.

I don't have a .220 Swift, but I'll have a go at a few of your questions-

Keelan wrote:

Is it a barrel burner?

It has something of a reputation for this, but a LOT depends on how it is/was used.
There's a full sized case of propellant pushing a bullet down a relatively narrow pipe here, so things get hotter, quicker, than more 'sedate' chamberings.
In a hunting rifle firing a shot or two at a time with plenty of cooling off time, I'd expect a barrel to last for thousands of rounds.
If someone were to go crazy pumping rounds through it as fast as they can, it'll burn up in very short order! As would ANY barrel/chamber combination if subjected to the same brutality.

Keelan wrote:

From what i hear its loud, more than the .243 or the same?

I have a .243 and have fired a .220 Swift a few times, but not both at the same sitting so I can't do a direct comparison. They are both plenty loud though, and I wouldn't fancy firing more than an odd 'hunting' shot with either one without hearing protection.

Keelan wrote:

How expensive is ammo, whats the cheapest brand?

I'll leave the actual prices to others with more specific knowledge, but it's generally perceived to be on the expensive side (even by Irish ammunition price standards!). Reloading would change the economics considerably, but it remains to be seen how that will pan out in the future.

Keelan wrote:

Would the .22 Hornet be a better round for lamping at night, as its quieter?

The Hornet is certainly quieter, and unless you're planning to lamp stuff at much over 100 yards, is plenty good enough.
The Swift will throw heavier bullets farther and flatter, but at the cost of much more noise and Euros. It's up to you to decide if the pros outweigh the cons.

.

jaycee

I have a Swift , Love it to bits ...

The original barrel burner reputation was really a factor of poorer quality steels , hot ammo and as Rovi pointed out ...how it was used ...

It´s not a new calibre by any means , but for varmints and the like it will hold it´s own
with the best of them and give some of the heavier stuff a run for their money too.
I havent got them to hand at the moment but if you compare Federal´s ballistic figures with their .308 loads the little .220 swift shoots flatter .

It does come unstuck a bit when a crosswind is factored in , but other than that it is a very accurate round .
As far as cost is concerned , by the time you start using lighter projectiles in other calibers , in an effort to match the swift , the costs seem to equalise.

The rounds are more expensive than others , but I guess you get what ou pay for .
Reloading is an option too...try that with a .204 HMR ..(Not an option).

I wouldn´t trade mine for anything..

thelurcher

One of the lads has a swift - very expensive to shoot - but a great gun.
Drops fox in his tracks.
At the price of the rounds I wouldn't go shooting crows or rabbits with it - overkill anyway!