.220 Swift Barrel Length

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Building a new .220 Swift. What’s the shortest barrel y’all would go with? Want something compact like a truck gun.Will be taken to the deer stand every now and then.

[chrisk]

I would think you might pick a different caliber. .220 has a lot of powder to burn.

[sierracharlie338]

Powder burn has nothing to do with anything of value in this post.

I’d look at a 20inch barrel for a balance of handy-ness and accuracy. That said, I’ve never shot a swift with that short of a barrel but have shot one with a 22inch barrel.


Sierracharlie out…

[Artos]

I wouldn't want a swift without a 26" tube...would pick a 22-250 with a 24" but nothing shorter for those two cases, all that unburned powder & what I consider their proper application vs bbl length. Muzzle blast would irritate me especially in low light with something short as 20". Would be happy with a 204 or 223.

I've been using a 22" 17 Fireball for the truck & take a vs / vssf swift to the blind for doe work.

[Phillip Fields]

On a Swift I would go no shorter than 26"

[Mike D]

I wouldn’t want a Swift with a short barrel.


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[WyoBull]

On a Swift I would go no shorter than 26"

This ^^^. I have been shooting a 220 Swift for 43 years and have never shot anything less than a 26" barrel. I don't know if mathematically you could get the same performance (velocity/accuracy - especially at distance) from a short barrel but my gut tells me no.
If I were going to build a short barreled varmint rifle the 220 Swift would not jump out at me. I am not a ballistician but do have a lot of years sitting at the reloading bench working up 220 Swift loads.

[duckhunter175]

22 Creed has a larger case capacity and plenty of guys running that cartridge in 16-18-20" lengths-- mostly suppressed.

I wouldn't be scared to run one short. BUT- unless you're choosing that cartridge for nostalgia I would run a 22-250ai or 22CM with a fast twist barrel and a 75-90gr projectile.

[M16]

I'd go fast twist 223AI if you want a short barrel 22 centerfire.

[softpoint]

I have had several .220's over the last 50 years. Always with 26 inch barrels. I wouldn't want a Swift with anything shorter than 24 inch. I would likely just use a .223 for any barrel shorter than 22 inch. The Swift is notoriously hard on barrels, and I can confirm that. I've shot out two of them. If I were going to give up the ballistic advantage the Swift has with the long barrels, I'd choose a different cartridge.

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Thanks for all the input. Kind of confirmed what I was thinking.