I finally got a varmit barreled 220 swift Ruger 77 .This was only the third 220 swift I had seen in person .Its in awesome shape .It was made in 1975 had crudy bore but cleaned up very good .I was wondering with its 1 in 14btwist whats the heaviest bullet you can use .My cousin had one says 55 grain .I wonder how many 220 swift tang safey rifles were made.
Finally After 52 years got a rifle I always wanted
- Thread starter dgr416
- Start date
Wow awesome!
I changed the scope put a nikon 6x18 that was new on it .If its super accurate I will put a better Nikon on it .I just bought redding dies and remington brass.I want some norma brass if anyone has some .I am going to try to reload some speer gold dot 55 gr with r17 to get at least 3800 fps from it .
I'd say you'll be fine with 55 grain bullets. Maybe try some Hornady 53 grain flat base. I got good accuracy with those in a 1-14 Swift.
bigbillyboy
Hunter
I agree , I would love to see a swift in a Hawkeye .
First off, congratulations. Fifty-two years is a long time to wait for a rifle, and the fact that you finally found a .220 Swift and a tang-safety Ruger 77 at that, makes it even sweeter. That's not just a rifle, that's a milestone.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2004
- Messages
- 3,931
- City & State/Province
- Alabama, in the bend of the Tennessee River
I had one of these back in the early 80s. It was crazy accurate. I was pretty poor at the time, so I didn't have super high quality glass on it, but even with the Tasco 6-18x I could afford, it shot itty bitty groups with 55 grain Sierras and 4064 powder. The long 26" barrel helps get all the potential out of the Swift. Had a lot of fun on long distance jackrabbits and such!
Mine was stolen out of my truck on a trip. Its current replacement is a tang safety 77 RS in .22-250 - and I can afford a better scope now - it wears a 3-15x Zeiss.
Mine was stolen out of my truck on a trip. Its current replacement is a tang safety 77 RS in .22-250 - and I can afford a better scope now - it wears a 3-15x Zeiss.
Terry Morgan
Single-Sixer
That wood!!
Pretty sure I see a custom single set trigger in the new to you Swift, & dang it, I just can't pull the brand name out of the cobwebs.
No longer made, but were great triggers in the day. Cant be operated as usual or push the the trigger blade forward & let off. That moves a narrow blade out. The blade is the good stuff, & can be set down to ounces of pull.
The brand name might come to me later & I'll be back. Instructions are very likely available on the wab.
FWIW, I ran a 55 out of a 26" barreled 220 at 3900 FPS. It might have been a little hot, but 3800 with a 55 should be obtainable safely. Enjoy!
No longer made, but were great triggers in the day. Cant be operated as usual or push the the trigger blade forward & let off. That moves a narrow blade out. The blade is the good stuff, & can be set down to ounces of pull.
The brand name might come to me later & I'll be back. Instructions are very likely available on the wab.
FWIW, I ran a 55 out of a 26" barreled 220 at 3900 FPS. It might have been a little hot, but 3800 with a 55 should be obtainable safely. Enjoy!
I had a Savage .223 with 1-14 twist, biggest it would shoot was 55 grain. Berger 52 grain were super accurate.
Mine is a 22-250 with 1/14 and it is good to 55 gr fb. I also have a custom Savage with 1/7 twist good for 40g-at least 70 gr pills. I stick with the lighter bullets and for super long range I pull out the 6mmRem #1...use this one all the way up to cow Elk...or perhaps did as I'm getting too weak to haul big game animals out of the Idaho outback....
I thought this was a canajar tigger too .I think its just a tigger shoe.I am going to try r17 in it with the two pounds I have left .I hope I can find some older Norma brass its awesome .The original owner was 80 when he died had a ton of Ruger 77s .I love the tang safety rugers best of all .I think Ruger could sell a bunch of Ruger 7hawkeyes in 220 swift with 1 in 7 twist .The 220 swift will be a 100 in 2035 would like to keep it around .I hope this one shoot the 55 gr gold dot speer bullets good .I am going to have to reread Alaakas Wolf man Frank Glasser .He lived right below where I did and was hired by the state to kill wolves .He loved to use the 220 swift for wolves dall sheep caribou and even moose .The 220 Swift is a legendary round that needs to stay around a long time .
Terry Morgan
Single-Sixer
Had Kepplinger SST triggers put on my Ruger No. 1 and No. 3 years ago. Love 'em.
OK, when I blow up the photo it gets a little blurry, & got prematurely optimistic for you.
ANND, thanks for the brand name soupy! I just couldn't remember it. Canjar! Come to think of it, I had one once & ironically it was in a tanger 220.
ANND, thanks for the brand name soupy! I just couldn't remember it. Canjar! Come to think of it, I had one once & ironically it was in a tanger 220.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2017
- Messages
- 409
Now you've made a mistake, as everyone here wants that gun now.
What's your selling price? :oops:
We are all very happy that you've crossed such a good find off your list. I love to see good news shared.
We don't get enough of that these days.
What's your selling price? :oops:
We are all very happy that you've crossed such a good find off your list. I love to see good news shared.
We don't get enough of that these days.
The 220 is a burner and was pretty rough on older barrels erosion wise in exchange for being a laser.
Great varmint/predator round. Overshadowed by newer stuff these days but it will still do the job on Ground Grizz and yotes just fine. Sierra BKs are hard to beat on preds....Vmax on Ground Grizz.
I owned a Ruger 77 Varmint in 220 Swift just like that quite a few yrs ago. Sold it after a lot of the farms where I hunted chucks ended up getting sold off and developed. Wish I’d kept it. It got a steady diet of Hornady 53 gr Match HPs, CCI Bench rest primers, and if I remember right, 37 or 38 hrs of 4064 powder. Neck sized cases.
That gun would put that load into 1/4”-3/8” groups, @ 100yds, all day, every day, and was deadly on woodchucks out well past 400 yds.
That gun would put that load into 1/4”-3/8” groups, @ 100yds, all day, every day, and was deadly on woodchucks out well past 400 yds.
KIR
Sparks, NV
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2022
- Messages
- 2,771
Any Winchester.
Purchased 11-1-17
Model#1894 Lever Action Sporting Rifle with a Solid frame. It is not a take down!
Mfg.1907-1909 (depending on 3 different sources, but prob 1908) Rifle was manufactured prior to July 1908 / Winchester by R.L. Wilson, p.149-150.
Cal.: .30 WCF
Octagon Nickel Steel Barrel 26”
Magazine:9 + 1
Buttstock is a Crescent type.
Rifle Barrel Address is a Type 2
Tang is a Type 2
Most people refer to the pre-1964 guns as 1894's.
and post 64 guns as 94's.
The difference is in the receiver pre-64s are steel and post 64s are winloy. It is an alloy that doesn't blue well, so they flash copperplate them, then blacken the plating.
That's also why there's a big difference in price between pre and post 64guns. Most collectors consider post guns as shooters only.
Hammer has no “widow's peak”, which were on the early hammers.
Oval with VP inside on the underside of barrel. This stamping is not on the frame.
Rifle appears to have been worked on before. It had two holes drilled into the left side of the receiver to mount a side scope. Bought two screws to close them up.
Barrel has a plum patina. Possibly brought on by a poor bluing job. Has several other new parts on it though.
Went shooting with it and fired three rounds. The metal butt plate was hard on my shoulder and left a bruise.
Despite all advice to keep it as a collector's item. I feel that it has been worked on too much.
Removed stocks and sanded them a little. Used an Ebony Black stain on them, then a clear coating.
WINCHESTER1894
Purchased 11-1-17
Model#1894 Lever Action Sporting Rifle with a Solid frame. It is not a take down!
Mfg.1907-1909 (depending on 3 different sources, but prob 1908) Rifle was manufactured prior to July 1908 / Winchester by R.L. Wilson, p.149-150.
Cal.: .30 WCF
Octagon Nickel Steel Barrel 26”
Magazine:9 + 1
Buttstock is a Crescent type.
Rifle Barrel Address is a Type 2
Tang is a Type 2
Most people refer to the pre-1964 guns as 1894's.
and post 64 guns as 94's.
The difference is in the receiver pre-64s are steel and post 64s are winloy. It is an alloy that doesn't blue well, so they flash copperplate them, then blacken the plating.
That's also why there's a big difference in price between pre and post 64guns. Most collectors consider post guns as shooters only.
Hammer has no “widow's peak”, which were on the early hammers.
Oval with VP inside on the underside of barrel. This stamping is not on the frame.
Rifle appears to have been worked on before. It had two holes drilled into the left side of the receiver to mount a side scope. Bought two screws to close them up.
Barrel has a plum patina. Possibly brought on by a poor bluing job. Has several other new parts on it though.
Went shooting with it and fired three rounds. The metal butt plate was hard on my shoulder and left a bruise.
Despite all advice to keep it as a collector's item. I feel that it has been worked on too much.
Removed stocks and sanded them a little. Used an Ebony Black stain on them, then a clear coating.
Donnieweps
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2018
- Messages
- 293
Nice, it was the velocity king for many years and maybe still is.
Take it out and disassemble some vermin like armadillos!
brucew44guns
Bearcat
Always nice to find a gem you've wanted a long time. My dad bought a model 71 Winchester--a Deluxe .348 from the son-in-law of none other than Howard Hill, a worldwide famous archer of the 40's and 50's in about 1948. He gave it to me in 1962--I was 18. I Killed elk, many deer, and I love a .348 Winchester, and know you will cherish finding and getting this rifle of yours. Congrats.
model70man
Bearcat
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2016
- Messages
- 60
This is somewhat humorous to me. About 20 years ago, my Brother-in-law bought an old two-story house on the street below me. It had the old knob and tube wiring, so on my evenings and weekends, I spent the summer rewiring his house. It was very difficult because it had the old Jenny Lind walls, which were a pain in the rear to cut the outlet box holes with a reciprocating saw. I told him that I would not charge him (beware of dealing with family). It even had four (4) switches for the kitchen entrances. I was a journeyman electrician.
He owned a flat bolt M77 with a heavy barrel in .220 Swift, which he had never shot and had no interest in firearms.
When I finished, he said, "How can I EVER repay you?" I said, "Well, will you sell me that Ruger Swift that you will never use?" He said, "NO, I CAN NEVER DO THAT!"
In-laws will get you every time.
He owned a flat bolt M77 with a heavy barrel in .220 Swift, which he had never shot and had no interest in firearms.
When I finished, he said, "How can I EVER repay you?" I said, "Well, will you sell me that Ruger Swift that you will never use?" He said, "NO, I CAN NEVER DO THAT!"
In-laws will get you every time.
Love the stock.
