.220 Swift Barrel Life

S

Swifty

Guest
Hey guys, I know there are a thousand factors that will affect the useable life of a given tube but how long can I expect my barrel to last? I am shooting 50 gr. Sierra Blitzkings right at 4000fps. This gun is a Remington with a factory barrel and is not used for prairie dogs and is never shot more than once or twice at a time; no rapid fire. It shoots about .5" - 4 shot groups at 100 yards. How long till I can expect to see it taper off to 1"? Now my next question is, how much of a difference in barrel life would it make if i was to tone the same load down to about 3800 fps? Any input is appreciated and please, no bashing the .220 Swift!! :D
 
Swift Barrel Life

My Remington 220 Swift lasted about 2,000 rounds before it started shooting patterns instead of groups. I was using IMR 3031 and 55 gr bullets at around 3700 FPS. I used it for about 8 years to hunt chucks and it acquitted itself in excellent fashion. After the throat moved so far forward I couldn't seat bullets to the proper length, I made the mistake of sending the rifle back to Remington for a re-barrel job. They kept my action and trigger and installed a barreled action that has not yet shot satisfactorily in two years of off-and-on load development and a trip to a very well-known BR gunsmith in central Pennsylvania. The Remington barrel is going to be replaced by a real barrel, real soon.

My advice is: enjoy it while it shoots! The Swift is a truly great varmint rifle. You'll eventually toast the barrel, though, and from what I can gather about 2,000 rounds is typical. When you fry it, get a good custom barrel installed and chambered in 220 Swift so you can have all that fun all over again. I won't be without one!
 
I've got a pre-64 model 70 with a factory barrel that has approximately 1500 rounds thru it and it still shoots pretty well. I have noticed the groups have opened up a touch in the last 300 rounds.
 
I'm with Mr. Bill - I think . . .

It's a SWIFT - it was made to, "live fast and die young" ! :eek: Why settle for .22-250 speeds?! A worn-out barrel is nothing a NEW one can't cure!:D RG
 
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"Live Fast and Die Young" I like that quote!! I guess that is a good way to look at it, like you said if I want 22-250 speeds I could just shoot my 22-250, I guess I may as well just not worry about it and load this gun like a Swift is made to shoot; Fast!!
 
The barrel life on my 220 Swift was about 2000 rounds...which I thought was appropriate for such a high intensity cartridge as this.

The Swift is a cartridge that performs best when loaded right to the pressure limits...accuracy and high velocity peak together in this great cartridge. My favorite load was the Nosler 40 gr. BTip over a bunch ;) of AA2700. This gave a bit over 4250 fps. in my rig. With a 200 yd. zero, you only needed two holds on fox out to 350 yds: either dead center or where the fur met the sky.

The Swift is The King of the big 22's. :) -Al

P.S. The best 22-250 is a 223 Ackley! ;) Or a 22BR. ;)
 
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Then answer is to not worry about it. If you want to shoot 4000+ fps you should simply consider your barrel part of the expense of shooting. It's not unlike buying tires for high perfomance vehicles. If you race in the Baja 1000 don't expect to get 20,000 mile tire life. For drag racing tires may not last five miles. Barrels still cost less than ammo on a per shot basis. Be happy when your factory barrel shoots out and you get to replace it with one from Shilen, Hart, or Kreiger. Those will shoot out as fast, but will likey give better accuracy in the process.
 
Get to know a Gunsmith...

alf said:
Al,

My 22-243 Middlested (40's at 4600) makes your King a Queen !!!!!!

Al.
Click to expand...

Wow.... Lotta RPM's there...!:eek:
Some chronographs won't even see them WIZ by!



Then answer is to not worry about it. If you want to shoot 4000+ fps you should simply consider your barrel part of the expense of shooting. It's not unlike buying tires for high perfomance vehicles. If you race in the Baja 1000 don't expect to get 20,000 mile tire life. For drag racing tires may not last five miles. Barrels still cost less than ammo on a per shot basis. Be happy when your factory barrel shoots out and you get to replace it with one from Shilen, Hart, or Kreiger. Those will shoot out as fast, but will likey give better accuracy in the process. Louis
Click to expand...

Yep, especially with the Fast calibers... Ya gotta expect low barrel life...
Find a quality smith in your "area" and your set.. Wait times may vary... But if you have your own reamer and do the work in Jan-Mar time frame, I'll bet the work can be completed in a very timely manner. If accurate quality work is recieved then after a couple jobs and good relationship, rebarreling will probably take only a week or even a weekend (one day) to complete.

Knowing and maintaining a good relationship with a competent gunsmith is a real good thing!
cale
 
Swifty: My good friend Irv took a liking to a Remington 40XB-KS in 220 Swift that I used on Rock Chuck and Prairie Dog Hunts we went on together.
So he bought one just like it!
His 40XB-KS in 220 Swift would shoot .500" groups at 200 yards! I saw him do that several times!
He had never owned a Swift before - mostly he had used 223's both in AR platforms and bolt guns!
Well 2 years and 1,600 rounds later the rifling in his Swifts barrel did not even appear until 3" in front of the throat! It now shot 1.500" groups at 200 yards!
Despite my repeated warnings Irv had kept firing his Swift in the Colony Varmint fields even after his barrel was HOT!
We compared (using a Siebert Bore Inspection Tool) my Swifts barrel with his and even though I had way more rounds down the barrel of my Rifle his was much worse for the wear!
He sent his Rifle back to Remingtons Custom Shop and $400.00 later he had a new barrel on it. The new barrel would only shoot 1.000" groups at 200 yards and that miffed him a bit but I am sure he treated that new (and expensive) barrel with a little more TLC!
I have, and shoot, 5 Varmint Rifles in caliber 220 Swift and I use them a bit more than what you describe but I have as yet to observe any noticeable loss in accuracy. I am also a notorious NON-HOTRODDER of my handloads.
My 40XB-KS shoots 55 gr. bullets at an Oehler chronographed 3,679 F.P.S.!
This is a very accurate load in that Rifle but is also a rather moderate load. Sierras Manual (Fifth Edition) shows ONE 55 gr. load they consider safe to be doing 3,900 F.P.S.!
So moderation in speed of the bullet as well as keeping an eye on the barrel heat I am sure will extend your Swifts barrel life quite a bit - its hard for me to give any exact figures to my musings about barrel life but I have seen that one Swift barrel that was noticeably damaged in 1,600 rounds!
I would though, venture a guess, and say your Rifle will still be shooting at or under 1.000" groups for 3,000 to 4,000 rounds. Especially if you turned down the throttle just 100 or 150 F.P.S.! I noticed in the same manual that 4,000 F.P.S. is the maximum safe speed the Sierra folks advise.
Best of luck with your Swift!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
 
alf said:
Al, My 22-243 Middlested (40's at 4600) makes your King a Queen !!!!!!

Al.
Click to expand...

I second that one, Al. Talk about not having much hold over, right?

My 243 Ackley with Nosler 55gr. BTips shot it's best with enough H414 for 4,300 fps. When you compare the .224 40 gr. BTips .221 B.C. with the 6mm Nosler 55gr. BTips B.C. of .276.....the 243 Ackley with Nosler 55's is a 'Super Swift'!

See 'ya this Summer. :) -Al
 
I am shooting a 220 Swift AI with a heavy Kreiger 9 twist. I get it out for windy days in SD prairie dog fields. I had teh barrel fitted to my HBR rifle. I use it sparingly and have about 800 rounds through it, still shoots great.

Mike
 
Mike,
I'm building a 9" twist Swift right now. Would you mind telling me your favorite bullet and powder?
 
I would think the distances and shooting situation you are involved with enter into the question. If you just love the "speed" than that answers the question. If backing off the speed is causing you to miss shots that answers the question too, but that hasn't been my experience. I've loaded my varmint cartridges to moderate pressures because when one shoots like a dream another few hundred feet at 200 yds. is not a big issue except in my mind. I finally left the wildcats behind in the 80's because I wasn't using all the powder capacity any way! I believe in lighter bullets at moderate velocities/pressures for accuracy and barrel life. I think before I'd push a 220 Swift to the raw maximums I'd move up to a light bullet in 6MM. I shoot a 223 Sako with a 6.5 x 20 Leupold and I think most of my missed shots were operator error more that FPS at 200 yds.

I shot a 6mm 85 gr, hollow point, boat tail against my hunting partner who shot both a 220 Swift and a 22-250 for decades! For long shots we both preferred the 6mm, but 22 centerfires are more fun to shoot in general! I only shoot a a 223 Sako and CZ 17 HMR with 6.5 x 20 Leupold's! As I said, "Operator error" is my big problem! Like politics, I over think shots at times! :D Just my 3¢ (inflation!)

This is a great forum even for varmint shooters!
 
Who was it who said that when you take into account the interior ballistics, barrels last only a second or two anyway? :eek:
 
John Kielly said:
Who was it who said that when you take into account the interior ballistics, barrels last only a second or two anyway? :eek:
Click to expand...

I don't know who said that but I understand the meaning. The time from ignition to muzzle exit for a 50 gn 4000 fps bullet in a 26" 220 Swift is right at one millisecond, so 1 second of actively using the barrel would take 1000 shots. Two seconds for 2000 shots or for heavier bullets with half the velocity.

Most shooters spread that out over at least several months. Even if you shoot out your barrel with 2000 shots in a month that's a duty cycle actually using the barrel of less than 1 part in a million.
 
Swift barrel life

Swifty,
I have a .22-250 AI that has approx. 1200 rds. through it and is still shooting very well. Barrels, to me, are a consummable commodity as one of the other posters mentioned. When you shoot a fast varmint caliber you do so at the expense of throat and barrel wear and it's an accepted fact of life. My throat and barrel look like the Serengeti during a drought through a borescope. I have a .243 AI with 1500 rds. through it and it's even worse. I just screwed a new barrel on the .243 AI and I've having two more chambered for the .22-250 AI. This hobby/passion has kept me away from strong drink and women of ill repute which cost me more in terms of money, time, and little satisfaction.

Chino69
 
gunsmith relationship

caroby said:
Find a quality smith in your "area" and your set.. Wait times may vary... But if you have your own reamer and do the work in Jan-Mar time frame, I'll bet the work can be completed in a very timely manner. If accurate quality work is recieved then after a couple jobs and good relationship, rebarreling will probably take only a week or even a weekend (one day) to complete.

Knowing and maintaining a good relationship with a competent gunsmith is a real good thing!
cale
Click to expand...


Truer words never spoken.
To me a good gunsmith is like a good tailor. I just gave my gunsmith a project involving chambering three different barrels for two rifles. This is a good time to get work done. The smith I use is 35 minutes from my work location. I call him to see if he's going to be in the shop and walk right in his shop to discuss my plans. I don't waste his time with a bunch of basic questions as I will have done the basic research before visiting; many of my questions answered on these forums. He will fine tune and give advice for my project and has always given me exactly what I asked for. Once all the details have been worked out, I type the details out very specifically. I ask him to read the work order and make sure he understands everything I want and that he agrees to. I don't worry about or quibble on price as I have a ball park figure in my head what the cost will be. I always try to pay with cash money, i.e. dollar bills. He is a great smith, a well known name, and is a real pleasure to work with and never push him for a completion date. Plan your work ahead of time so that you are not bore assing your gunsmith for a completion time; they have to deal with enough morons. He did my first re-barrel job about 8 years ago and many projects since. I've sent many people to him and as much business his way as possible. Good relationships take time to develop. Establishing one with a gunsmith, particularly if you are an avid shooter, is worth it's weight in gold. Walking in and looking a man in the eye has always been one of my hallmarks.
Chino69
 
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