220 swift project - opinions ?

CV32,
I've owned and shot swifts for what seems like forever, and have never owned a 22-250, but have shot plenty. The swift is a great cartridge if you reload with good equipment. As far as brass flowing into the necks, I just run an inside neck reamer into the case mouth each time before I resize. You can do a hundred cases in just a few minutes. When you compare it to deburring flash holes and uniforming primer pockets, inside neck reaming is very little bother.

B.C. is B.C. no matter what diameter your bullet, or it's weight! You'll be fine with a .224 if you twist it accordingly for your intended bullet weight. If you go to a 1 in 8" or 9" for the heavier bullets, I'd personally not go any lighter than 55 grainers, YMMV. The downside to burning a lot of powder through a small bore diameter is barrel life, you can't escape it! The way the swift "earned" it's reputation as a "barrel burner", although somewhat of a bad rap, was by using the factory 48 grain bullets at over 4100fps. Shooting 55's at 3800 will extend barrel life significantly.

I've not been completely hooked on the AI thing, although the performance is definitely there, you've got to burn up some barrel life fireforming brass. If you're satisfied with the ballistics of the parent cartridge that you'll shoot to make your AI cases, why not just stay with the parent round to begin with? Some folks like to tinker, and that is as enjoyable as using the final product to some, but I'm not one of them. Just let me do enough R&D to get the performance I'm after, and I'll load a pile of it and concentrate on killing stuff!YMMV... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

As far as light stocks for your carry around rifle, the Mickey light weight Edge stocks can't be beat, but are very pricey. I've used several Bansner's at around 20 oz's. They require a lot of clean up, bedding and painting, but they're light and pretty tough. Jim Borden also makes a good tough stock, Brown's are very rough for their price. HS's are heavy and you've got to bed them to keep them stress free, that aluminum bedding insert does more harm than good,IMHO. GOOD LUCK!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
F1
 
the swift in the Ackley Improved version with it's straight body and sharp shoulder angle, will be a very different cartridge. The 22-250AI is a great choice for brass cost and availability,..but the 220AI will outrun it just as the parent cartridges. I was thinking or running 75gr a-max's when I build mine,..but now I think the new 90gr match king might be the cats azz.

A 3 groove, 6.5 twist tube with the swift improved powder capacity would be amazing.

the reason for the AI change would be because of the reduction of brass flow and neck thickening. Even IF it didn't pick up any velocity, the savings in brass and trimming time would make it worth the switch.
 
Forgive me, as I had never even heard of Ackley Improved until the Internet came along, but I'm assuming that my smith would need to cut an AI chamber to start with, and I can "fire form" regular 22-250 brass ?
 
You have the gist of it. A proper Ackley improved chamber should be a touch shorter than the chamber of the parent cartridge so that the case head spaces on the neck/shoulder junction. This is so that when you fireform the firing pin strike doesn't drive the catridge case forward. If it does as the pressure rises, the brass is expanded to the chamber walls and the case head is pushed back against the bolt face while the case grips the chamber walls. This causes stretching of the case just forward of the web and will result in weakening the case. Any smith worthy of doing such a project would/should know this and properly chambered this is a non issue. There should be the slightest of a crush fit when you close the bolt on a unformed case.
If you want to come in under 8 pounds with a decent scope I would go with a #1 contour, 1 1/2" of exposed shank, Talley one piece LW rings, and whatever scope you deem fit. Leupold is hard to beat in the weight game apples to apples.
My Mcmillan Classic and Mountain Rifle stocks with a light fill, 1" decelerator pad, and two studs come in at 32 oz. on the button. The Edge would certainly save some weight for the added expense. From what others have told me savings on other stocks are made up in added work to make them fit and often aren't as rigid in the end so I started with Mcmillan so will continue to do so.
 
Thanks, chuckaholic. You and the others you have replied have been very helpful. I started thinking about a 220 Swift because I knew the ballistics were great and my smith already had a 220 Swift reamer. Now, with all the talk of wildcat cartridges, I'm leaning that way. My smith was going to build a wildcat for himself from a Sako IV action, but hadn't decided on a caliber, so maybe we can trim some costs by making the same choice. Maybe 22-250AI, or how about 223AI ? A little research tells me that the 223AI has great barrel life, with similar performance ?
 
With 40's I get 3900 fps and a 22" barrel. Mine isn't a fast twist though were I to do it again it would be. 3000 fps is doable with 75's. If you can handle that it is a great round as far as barrel heating/life and ability to shoot a bunch more during a session. Here is a pic of mine.
3f5b4978.jpg
 
Pretty rifle, chuckaholic. We don't have sod poodles or chucks here on the island, and we probably wouldn't be allowed to shoot em if we did, so maybe I shouldn't be too concerned about barrel life. I don't have the action yet, starting from scratch, but yeah, a different bolt face is a factor to consider. (Isn't the 22-250 bolt face actually .480 ?) Maybe I should start a new thread about the pro's and con's of the 22-250AI and 223AI ?
 
300 fps and and a bunch more powder vs. -300 fps and shoot to your hearts content. For big coyotes, wind, and 400+ yards I'd go 22-250AI and 75's. For pleasure and good enough most of the time a fast twist 223AI.
I like shooting sod poodles but I also shoot alot of big coyotes myself. They can break 60 lbs. in these parts.
 
My 22-250AI has a .254 tight neck, with Winchester brass, I have to trim about .001~.003 off the neck, so I would think .244nk would be a turn neck. Loaded with 40.3g of I-4064, my gun will push a 55g just over 4k'fps, I love the gun and the round but brass prep and fire forming can be a chore, I usually fire form 100 brass and I can get about 3~4 reloads out of each brass before the pocket gets too big to hold a primer, that's about what I'll shoot in a season with that gun.
I just send off another gun to be barreled and it will be a 22BR based on the Lapua brass with .252nk. It won't be nearly as fast as the 22-250AI, but it will push a 50g over 3800fps and that's equivalent the standard 22-250 velocity.
 
the 223AI is a great round,..it is fast and burns little powder charges. The bolt face is the only issue in your case. the swift will burn a tube in about 3000rnds if treated correctly. I know folks with 4000 rnds down the tube and still managing 1/2" groups. Keeping them cool and running the newer powders makes the swift a whole new ballgame.

as a side note,..my rem700 VSSF in 220 swift has won me benchrest matches in the factory class,..against 223's and sako 6PPC's. The swift is a VERY effective round when loaded right. And I was using v-max pills,..not even custom bullets.
 
From a design standpoint Id rather go with a 223 WSSM, steeper shoulder angle- less trimming and should be more efficient. But Id consider geting the barrel put on a WSM action for the extra magazine length.
 
I have a Rem. M700 ss fluted Swift and it's a very acurate rifle. My only kick is that in a short action the action is a 2 shot action. More an that in the magazine and there isn't room to stack the rims properly to keep them from jambing.
The standard 22/250 is only 150ft. slower and in the field one cant tell the difference. Pedro
 
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