I just acquired a 220 swift for varmints what load/loads would be best (sendero).

Check your reloading manuals. Lyman is a good source.

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Welcome to the Shooter's Forum.

If that rifle isn't new, the first thing I'd do is have the barrel borescoped. I usually keep my eyes open for used Swifts. Of the ones I found, none got a clean bill of health. With a shot out throat it's almost impossable to get any accuracy. If it's a new rifle, I'd recommend not not pushing for highest velocity..... just my 2 cents.

Mine liked IMR4350 behind a 55 grain Sierra.

Like Kdub mentioned, if you don't have a reloading manual get a couple. I like using one from the bullet manufacturer and another from the powder maker.

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Thanks for the advice it is a new gun so I'll probably go for a 55 grain bullet.

Years ago I found an article in Gun Digest that said there was never a 220 Swift that didn't like 38.5 grains of IMR4064 behind a 55 grain bullet. As far as I'm concerned, they were right. That's the load that shoots tiny groups in my old Swift. That's up near max, so work up to it carefully. And if I wasn't so happy with 4064, I'd give Reloader 15 a try.

Hornady's testing showed their best results with VV N-140, H4895 and Varget. 55 and 60 grain bullets are the prefered weight. Just something else to consider....

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whats the twist on your swift. if its a 9 it will handle heavier bullets which would be an advantage. im using 69 gr bullets in my 9 twist 22x250 ackley and they perform much better
than the lighter ones.

Sendero???

As already suggested the Swift had a tendency to burn throats, certainly those I have knowledge of here in the UK. One way to certainly ruin the throat on your Swift is to rattle off multitude of rounds and overheat the barrel. Of course that applies to all calibres but the problem comes in 'spades' with the Swift. Shoot three and let it cool would be my advice. I have knowledge of one such, who blatted away for best part of half and hour until you could fry eggs on the metal, then wondered why he couldn't group the thing.
A great calibre if you look after it.

The Swift is still on my wish list. Looking to rebarrel a Savage action that I have. I plan to use 50 grain bullets and load them to around 3900 and allow to cool betwixt shots. Pushing them to 4000 is cool, but unhealthy from what I understand. IMR 4064 is a good place to start powder wise. I hope you find a good load for your rifle.

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I had my Swift rebarreled when the throat finally got shot out (the lands got further and further away), but it was just years of use that caused the erosion, not just because it was a 220 Swift. It interests me that folks still talk about how a Swift will burn up barrels, but they rarely say that about 22-250 barrels - which are the same steel and almost the same powder and amounts of powder. The present barrel on my Swift has lasted longer than the previous barrel did, but I don't shoot the rifle as much as I used to. I doubt I'll wear this one out in my remaining lifetime. It's a great caliber, and I think part of the reason I like it so much is because not just everybody has one.

Guess I'm not one of the guys you are talking about. I've toasted several barrels in 22-250. The first one surprised me and those thereafter i shoulda known better.

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