Big Game Hunting With A 220 Swift?

Can you really hunt big game with a 220 Swift? Yes and no. I'll explain everything in this episode 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.

Produced by: @red11media

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.

[mpeters]

Shot 3 caribou over the years with my m77 tang safty 220 swift. Barnes 45gn bullets using H380 powder. DEADLY.

[rossfelton]

I have never shot a 220 swift. But one of my favorite cartridges is the 22-250. This little cartridge is very, very accurate and very destructive. I have punched some big holes in thick steel. I have seen mule deer devastated with one shot. More deadly than some 3006 hits that blew through and left a wounded animal running away to track down.

[spencerbookman]

The 220 Swift was my grandpa's go-to round for "ranch rifle" duty and black-tailed deer.

[ronbrown]

It's been a while since I've heard anyone shine light on the amazing 220 Swift. I'm an old guy. In my youth this was one of the most talked about cartridges. I live in ground hog country. If you were a serious ground hog hunter chances were that you had a 220 Swift. It could reach out there where others fell short. I would often take two rifles with me when hunting ground hogs. A 222 Remington for the closer shots and the Swift when they were out there a ways. My pre 64 Winchester model 70 in 220 Swift will never be sold by me.

[stevenlord]

Some people I could listen to all day regardless of the subject. Uncle Ron is one of them. ❤

[okthennone]

I inherited my great-grandfather's 220 swift. 1894-1977. He bought it in the late 30's early 40's from what we can tell.

[mikepaul]

Another cartridge that was ahead-of-its-time is the 6.5x55. It is an excellent cartridge for deer. Loaded with Hornady SST 140 grain bullets it drops deer in their tracks. At least in my experience. I shot two deer last season at about 200 yards and dropped both of them where they stood. I was using a Sauer 100 classic XT.

[michaelhennegan]

Jack O’Conner said something like this: the Swift is waisted on inept riflemen. I have a Swift, it is truly amazing. It shoots like a ray gun and is the most accurate rifle that I have owned. Ragged one hole groups are the norm. Yes, it will kill big game, but there are better choices.

[johncrosser]

220 Swift is my #1 Caliber & Cartridge of Varmints.
Growing Up in South Dakota, 220 Swift is KING on Killing Coyotes!

[BrodyBradshaw]

I've had my 220 swift for about 30 years, great shooting gun.

[garytellep]

My dear old timer friend Andrew arrived in Alaska in 1938 intent on becoming a Sourdough. He was from upstate NY and had sold his 30/30 for traveling money and arrived in Cordova and started putting together an outfit of which a rifle was an absolute necessity. To his horror there wasn't a single rifle for sale in town new or used. By luck he bumped into the town's only cabbie who himself was a sourdough of sorts (sour on the country with enough dough to leave) AND he had a rifle for sale too it was in the trunk. "What kind?" A Winchester Model 70, wow the proverbial holy grail. Plus, it had a big German telescopic sight. Andy looked at the barrel and asked "what caliber is this anyway?" .220 Swift kid it's my hair seal gun. Andy had shot his share of woodchucks in upstate NY so he knew a varmint rifle when he saw one but it was the Swift or nothing so the deal was made. Andy mined, trapped, hunted and wandered around the Wrangell Mountains with that Swift several seasons. He was one of the first 6 Fairbanksans to enlist after Pearl Harbor, the Old FE Mining Co. gave a cash bonus to the first six men (it was after fall cleanup anyway and all the workers would have been laid off) Andy figured he'd be drafted so why not turn a penny on it? He greased up his Winchester hoping to see it again and went to war. He survived 25 missions as a ball turret gunner in a B17. I saw the old photos to back up his stories and he shot a ton of game with that Swift all the way into the early 1960s, his only centerfire rifle when he then bought another 70 to go polar bear hunting, a .300 H&H magnum. Several grizzlies, black bear, too many caribou to count, many moose, many Dall Sheep, lots of wolves, wolverines, ducks, geese, etc. Andy was a good hunter; a good shot and he loved that Swift. I knew that rifle would stay in the family so I never offered to barter for it but thought about it many times. Andy's been in the Happy Hunting Ground quite a while now but I'm sure he's been chasing Heaven's Dall rams with the Swift as usual.

[blackpowder]

I have a Winchester Model 70 in .220 Swift with a 26" barrel. The twist rate is 1-in-12. It stabilizes 60 gr Nosler Partitions at nearly 3700 fps no problem. I haven't tried heavier bullets because these are deadly. We can't hunt big game (legally) with anything less than .243 here so I can't tell you how it might work on deer. It puts coyotes down like they were hit by lightning. It's accurate to boot.

[bugler]

The book about Frank Glaser called the Alaskan Wolf Man was in Alaska from 1915 to 1950 said the Swift killed big game quicker then any thing else. I love my swift.

[JuhEffRee]

My Ruger 26" BB I've had since the 80's is still a tack driver to this day. Even after over 3k handloads I've put through it. 99% of those squawking about burned out barrels never owned a .220 and I bet 95% of those they heard it from never owned one either.

[interrestrial]

For years and years, caribou beyond counting, one of my hunting companions used a 220 Swift and I used a 22 PPC. Clean, rapid kills out to 400 yards with the 220 Swift, I kept it inside of 400. The caveat is: shot placement. We used 300 Weatherby and 7mm R.M. before this mainly due to possible grizzly bear encounters. But once the grizzlies took a nap and before they woke up it was the 22's.

[kalbfleisch]

Love my swift Ruger m77 varmiter stainless with a beautiful blond laminated stock with a flat beaver tail forearm. It’s topped with an old Williams guidepost 3-9 X38 post and crosshairs scope. It’s wicked on crows and woodchucks out to 300 plus yds and even had some 400 plus yd kills I’ve used it on many a yote and have had great success on whitetail with 55 grain pills and a well placed lung shot drops them in there tracks. I have also neck and head shot a few but the lungs work so well I opt for that placement unless I only have the head or neck as a choice. A heart shot works very well also. Well that’s my 2 Pennie’s worth. Have a great day and keep hunting and keep posting your great videos

[beverlyhurd]

When Ruger came out with their M77V in .220 Swift back over 45 years ago I bought the first one I saw. Took my first Texas deer with it that year too. PO Ackley sure was right.

[kennethbailey]

I had a 220 Swift back in the 70s and it was my go-to rifle for prairie dogs and coyotes for many years. I bought it in a Ruger 77 when they first chambered for it. I had always wanted one and sadly it was destroyed in a house fire.

[ogdensloan]

First rifle I learned to shoot was my grandfather’s Winchester model 70 220 swift with peep sights. After he passed, I inherited the rifle and it sits in the safe now. I love to shoot it and continue to reload for it with the Barnes 50 grain TSX.

[bradbo]

My older brother has had a 220 swift rifle for years…..and at first only used it on coyotes or varmints. But he finally took a chance and took a whitetail with it…HOLY COW the damage was way more then he thought. The bullet basically disintegrated but pretty much liquified the lungs. We only found tiny bits of jackets and lead. The deer took 3 steps and dropped. His gun is a Ruger M77, but not a factory model…its a custom, a laminated camo stock and a Bull Barrel…..its the heaviest gun Ive ever held. But 25+ years later….still is a tack driver…but to heavy to take into the woods routinely. We sometimes just sit out on a hill and take out groundhogs….and hit routinely out to 450 yds…using 55 grn…usually remington or hornady when we can find it. Even though its his gun…if i see ammo at the store I pick him up a box or two.