The Alaska Wolf Man on The 220 Swift

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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion – the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me – from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.

Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[plainguy]

The bullet is so fast that it causes a hydrostatic shock wave that is phenomenal. I've seen other testaments to the amazing knock down power of these screamers.

[GetMeThere]

I killed my first whitetail with my dad's 220 swift -- in 1969. It went down like the proverbial "ton of bricks, " and best I could tell, it was stone dead before it even hit the ground. I soon "graduated" to "better" deer cartridges, but I don't recall any of them that terminated whitetails quite that fast. For a long time now I've had great success on whitetails with my 25-06 AI.

[gutv]

Ah the .250-3000 savage. I have 2. My dad's and my grandpa's. They killed a lot of antelope in Wyoming in their day. I love the .220 swift but I'm happy hear the .250 mentioned : )

[bryanjones]

My grandma was woodchuck slaying machine with her .220 swift . An occasional dry doe too lol

[therhino]

Thanks for mentioning this book. I'm not from Alaska but lived there for many years while in the AF. Definitely my favorite book and oh do I miss the Northern Lights dancing...

[BradLivingston-hnhp]

Ron Spomer is a modern day hunting legend, no doubt

[bluedogsalvage]

I picked up a 220 Swift in '83 when I was 14. I read a lot of the miracle gun/magic killer ammo stories about that cartridge. There's a lot of fact and pure bullshit in these stories. I like it a lot. For me it's a nice flat shooter for long range head shots.

Fact is, 220 swift is apectacular at any range a 30-30 could be used at on the same type of game. Game where bullet penetration and or holding together isn't so important. If penetration is needed, as in the ability to get through bone, heavy muscle or cartilage forget it unless you use a real mono metal bullet like a Barnes X.

All the 22 cal centerfires have the 1 common failing: bullet construction. 22s are mostly varminters, and the bullets designed to disintegrate almost immediately on impact, and this works fine on pests, or where a lung is a inch or 2 below the skin, or big game neck shots, head shots.

The worst 220 Swift kill I had was a away quartering shot. That bastard ran, and later found both shots connected, but it was a fall that killed it. Both shots ripped his guts to pieces but failed to get to the lungs. It was dead no matter what. So if you like 220 Swift or any other 22 centerfire, keep in mind 3 things to never ignore: bullet construction, range, and direct broadside. Its our obligation to ensure a clean kill. Most people hate head shots for some reason, but it's the best way to go.

[johndoe]

I have the book. Tough guy. In those days it wouldn't be easy

[peterallen]

More important than the cartridge is bullet selection.
A 220 swift or 22-250 ai with a solid brass bullet, no telling what you could kill with it.

[randmayfield]

Check out the book: "The Last Mountain Man" about Sylvan Hartt who lived on the main fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. He built all his rifles by hand. Before he begged out of civilization he was a mechanical engineer. A good read. Keep it in mind.

[falconcowboy]

wasn't so good on little chuckle at the

[lylewalters]

They make a 220 swift barrel for AR 10 now with 1-10 twist. I do believe it will stabilize a 70 to 80gr bullet and still be very very fast. a 80gr balistic stip would be a great deet cartridge.

[tomschumacher]

Highly recommend this book if you love the outdoors! Very good read 👌🏼

[TucoDog-hofw]

I like all your videos Ron, but especially these concerning notable people. 👍🏻🇺🇸

[williamstapleton]

Love my .220s. I have a Savage 110 with a 1:8 twist, a Savage 111 with a 1:12 twist, and a Remington 700 with a 1:14 twist

[DavidSmith-ebpb]

I’m an Alaskan. I think this is my favorite book about that period

Dave Egdorf turned me on to it

[fgonzalez]

I guy I know out of Brownsville, TX, drops 500lb Nilgai Antelope with the 220 Swift. The 22-250 is also a popular rancher truck rifle in deep south Texas. The city folks he guides bring 300 WM & 338 Lapuas 😆

[haroldenglish]

Man... this sure doesn't fit with today's craze on unneeded new cartridges.

[joebeach]

You remember the Glazier Safety Slug? I had a box of them once. It's a mix of hollow point and snake shot.

[Rick-bclt]

My dad has a Remington 700 CDL in 22-250 I cant wait to inherit some day