220 swift Ruger

BrownTrout

Hi lads,

I have a chance to get my hands on a Ruger M77 in 220 swift from a friend who's getting rid of it.

I'd only really be interested in it for deer stalking and I know with 55 and 60 grain bullets it's deer legal.

My questions though are what is the effective range for the swift on deer and also is there any chance of it becoming illegal to use on deer in the future?

Also I think it's 1 in 14 twist, would this stabilise 60 grain bullets ok?

Markhor

I would say the high velocity .22 centrefires are too light for general use on deer,
unless the ranges are kept short and shot placement is precise.

If you are considering a good rifle for deer then the .270 win or 30-06 are way better choices than the swift.

Of course the Swift would be a fine long range calibre for vermin such as foxes etc.

BrownTrout

Thanks for the reply! The only reason I am considering the swift is that a friend will sell it to me cheap and I know for a fact the gun has seen very little use. What would be regarded as short range for deer shooting?

Markhor

The light 50 to 60 grain bullets used in the Swift may break up if they strike the shoulder bone of a deer causing a surface wound and the animal may run off and escape.

If the bullet is placed just behind the shoulder it should be ok up to 150 yards, beyond that I would not consider it reliable. A shot to the base of the neck where it joins the shoulder is a good spot to down a deer with light calibre rifles also.

Best of luck.

paddy2008

Had a swift for number of years! Mostly fox shooting . Got deer permit for it on 60grain bullets ! 60 grain was all over the place! And the rest of ammo is very expensive . The rifle I had was too heavy for stalking also!

BrownTrout

paddy2008 wrote:

Had a swift for number of years! Mostly fox shooting . Got deer permit for it on 60grain bullets ! 60 grain was all over the place! And the rest of ammo is very expensive . The rifle I had was too heavy for stalking also!

Would you need a faster twist rate to stabilise 60 grain bullets?

Cass

Before anyone feels like bragging about dropping deer with bullet below 55gr know that it's illegal and you're admitting to an offense on a public forum.