220 swift vs. 223

binder

Can anyone enlighten me on the highs and lows of these two calibers for prarie dog hunting and or target shooting at say 1-300 yards?

JustC

If 300yds is all the shot you plan on taking, I would follow saxons advice and stick with the 223. For 500+yds and medium sized game (not mentioned) I would suggest the 220 swift. It will break the 4000fps mark, however, all actions have equal and opposite reactions, therefore, think about the barrel throat. Erosion is much quicker in the swift, just like in the ultra mags and 30-378wthby. Barrel life for the swift would decline, THIS IS A GUESS, at about 2-2 1/2k rnds. 223 is good for many times that number, at a fraction of the cost.

When in doubt...empty the magazine!!

Wild Turkey

My brother has terminated many prarie dogs with his Swift. He has it sighted in at 400 yds; closer than that it's overkill.

One time he was shooting with his 12 power scope and the image blanked out with a tan blur. He looked up, couldn't see anything and set up his next shot. Same thing, except he pulled the trigger.

Prarie dog mist at 40 yards.

Bottom line--Swift is overkill at the ranges you are looking at. You can handload the .223 cheaper and easier.

But if the 'dogs get wary the Swift can reach out---

just my too scents



Wild Turkey"if your only tool is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail"

Iconoclast

I don't know how many rounds I've put through my circa 1975 Swift, but I know it's a lot. I have had no problems w/ erosion or declining accuracy. OTOH, 95+% of those rounds have been handloads in the 3600 fps range. Don't have prarie dogs in NH - crows at 300 yards is about the best we get. At that range, the Swift leaves a swirl of feathers. I love it. But the .223 is a fine cartridge and the ammo is much cheaper to buy and somewhat cheaper to reload. I think that if I were going to plant myself in a gopher town & shoot all day as a regular thing, I might possibly lean toward the .223 - but not if I had to give up my Swift.

jager22

the barrel erosion problems they had with the 220 swift isnt that big of a deal with todays sronger barrels, non corrosive primers and moder propellents..if you hand load you can have 223 ballistics out of a 220 swift and then when you need it you can have up 4000 fps...
i have both 223 and 220 swift i like em both....that 220 seems to group up better and do better against wind drift though...
http://www.accuratereloading.com/22250ai.html

groundhog devastation

Get one of both!!! Use your 223 for up to 300 yds and get the Swift out to reach out and touch one farther out. I used to carry 2 guns all the time, a 22-250 and a 25-06. Used the heat seeking missle firing 25-06 if they were over 400 yds. You can never have too many fine varmint rifles so get all 3!! Might even want to add a 243 or 6mm to the lot!! GHD

cpermd

Agree with most of above.
While some of you were at the Tulsa show,I was a bit bit NorthWest.
I have a Kimber 223 Factory Laminated gun sighted for 225 yds and a Custom Shilen Barrelled 700 in 220 sighted at 400 yds.
We killed many dogs and the gons are for different ranges.
The Swift rules though.
cpermd@centurytel.net

Freedom Casull

Either one would be fine but i prefer the swift. I have one in a Ruger 77 with the heavy barrel and the old tang style safety. I would like to have one of those Remington model 700 VSSF in 220 swift or a model 700 VS in 223. They are both great guns.

leeblackman

The only advantage I see in the .223rem over the .220swift is the guns that cartridge is offered in. Face it, no one makes an AR-15 that shoots a .220swift. And .223rem is a heck of alot cheaper and more readily available. A wider variety of factory loaded .223rem is available.

On the flip side, the fact is the .220swift has more case capacity. You can fit more powder in a .220swift than in a .223rem.

If you are planning or already handload, and you want a bolt rifle, get the .220, but if you don't handload, and want something else get the .223rem. Just my 2cents.

Visit me http://www.geocities.com/gunsmithlee

dobieman0690

whats all this stuff about 300 yds for a 223 does the bullet just lose its way when it gets to 300 yds?.my 223 shoots very well out to 600 meters I have shot p-dogs at this range all day long and it is much more plesent to shot all day than any swift

super chicken

I would go with the swift as it can be loaded down to .223 standards and then you could switch ammo to whatever range you are shooting. The .220 is generally faster and flatter shooting.





Of course if you have a .223 and a elk or elephant wanders onto the field you can kill them with the most damageing woun channel know to man (well at least one man)