Which is the better cartridge for hunting varmints, the .220 Swift or the .22-250 Remington? Particularly when it comes to hunting ground hogs.
.220 SWIFT OR .22-250 REMINGTON FOR HUNTING VARMINTS..........
yukon_870
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With the 220 swift you might encounter premature barrel and throat erosion. Not so much as with the 22-250
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Yes.
Have hunted and competed in contest ls with both of those calibers. The 220 seemed to have a bit more punch for me. In the end I bagged the 22 calibers all together and went with the 243 or some type of variant
Hard to beat the 243 that's shoots nearly as quick qith light bullets and at the end of the day put some 100grainers through it to hunt deer sized game. Much more versatile in my opinion
Hard to beat the 243 that's shoots nearly as quick qith light bullets and at the end of the day put some 100grainers through it to hunt deer sized game. Much more versatile in my opinion
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Echo Mike's post on the 220 swift, over time a barrel burner. I shot ground hogs for years; 22-250, 223 Rem and 204 Ruger. The 204 Ruger was my favorite, not as loud as 22-250/.223 and much flatter shooting for a .40 gr bullet, kills DRT. The recoil was light enough could see the hits even under 100 yards so didn't have to check the kills. The .204 does NOT generate the heat in the throat like the Swift and 22-250 so don't have to worry about barrel life.
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I love my 22-250. I also love my 222 and 204. Both are very effective but I’d lean towards 204, 222 or 223 for smaller Varmint.
IMHO, the velocity advantage of the 220 over the 22-250 is not worth the decreased barrel life, the difference in cost of the cartridges, and their availability in typical sporting goods stores, the last two moot if you reload, aside from 22-250 brass being more readily available than 220 brass. Additionally, you'll probably have more choice of rifles chambered in 22-250 than in 220 Swift. IMHO, in 22 centerfires, the 5.56x45 is more than sufficient if your primary target are groundhogs out to 300yds. Beyond that range, I'll opt for the .243/6mm/.25 cartridges with their heavier pills.
The stories about reduced barrel life in the Swift, were based on the steel used in the barrels of yesteryear. With modern steels, there isn't a dimes worth of difference. If one is still worried about barrel erosion in the Swift, just download it to 22-250 velocities.
The ground hogs won’t know the difference, but anything flatter shooting once ranges get long is helpful in hitting them, particularly if you’re not using target turrets. I shot a .22-250 for years, my best friends shot .220 Swifts, I can’t say any one of us did any better with one gun versus the other.
I've shot a 220 swift for years. It's an old single shot savage. It's had a bunch of rounds down the chamber and it finally needs a barrel. I've got enough brass to keep me going for a long time but if I was starting again I'd go with a 22 250. Much easier to get brass now a days.
Handloading is one of my hobbies so I wound up shooting a22_250 Ackley because I got tired of listening to my buddies brag about their Swifts! It was great for long distance prairie dogs. There are so many good calibers to choose from. Pick what you want.
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They both are great. You will probably have to reload for the Swift. Many, many prairie dogs have met their maker with those calibers.
Try the 35 grain berger. Super accurate with benchmark behind it and works awesome on coyotes.
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