220 swift vs. 22-250 AI

Timberbeast7

Timberbeast7

New member
I'm looking for the best rifle to launch the 75 gr. AMAX's with. I think I have it narrowed down to the 220 swift or the 22-250 AI. Anybody have any experience comparing these two cartridges first hand?

Thanks
 
yep, 3 swifts and two AI's. They are ballistic twins. The both hold the same amounts of powder and both achieve the same velocities.

Swift advantages-non custom rifle and no need to fireform.

AI advantage-brass life will be great and easier to come by.

Since you threw in the 75 grain requirement, the swift will have to be custom built also. You will need a 1 in 8 twist may can get by with a 1 in 9 due to the velocity but err on the safe side and say an 8. Since you are going custom, go with the AI. As much as I love my swifts, the 250AI will outperform it in the accuracy dept and brass life department.
 
I don't own either, but I would think that the 22-250 AI will have less stretch, since it's a AI, so you will not have to trim as much as with a swift.
 
I was already kinda leaning towards the 22-250AI, if for no other reason than I don't have any ackley calibers yet. Either caliber will be custom built...not only because the faster twist, but I haven't found a 'perfect coyote gun' and don't think I will in a factory rifle so I'm heading into the custom realm and see if I can design one myself. I was thinking 1:8 twist also, that way I could shoot the 80 gr AMAX if I wanted.

Ragn:
Let me pose another question...Any experience with the 22-6mm? And how does it compare to the 22-250 AI?
 
Can't speak to the Swift but I really like my 22-250AI. Another upside is that you can shoot factory or standard ammo and mine is nearly as accurate as with FF ammo.
 
I do not have any experience with the 22-6mm. The 22-250 AI is about as near overbored as I want to go in a varmint rifle. I run both my swift and my 250 AI around 3800 FPS on 52-55 grain bullets. One of my swifts is getting long in the tooth when viewed through a borescope. It has about 1500 rounds through it. I can imagine the 22-6mm would be even worse.
 
Or... go with a 220 Swift Ackley Imp. eliminate case stretch on it too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I love my Swift, but am limited to 55 bullets with the slow twist.

The 22-250 is not a rimmed case like the Swift and feeds a lot better. So I personally would do a 1 in 8 22-250 AI 26" barrel. The bottom metal selection is greater too with the 250.
 
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I do not have any experience with the 22-6mm. The 22-250 AI is about as near overbored as I want to go in a varmint rifle. I run both my swift and my 250 AI around 3800 FPS on 52-55 grain bullets. One of my swifts is getting long in the tooth when viewed through a borescope. It has about 1500 rounds through it. I can imagine the 22-6mm would be even worse.




Yup... 800 - 900 rounds and the throat is history !
 
I don't own them but have looked at a few over the years when trying to decide what I wanted. I think once you start getting into more case capacity than the 22-250AI ie. 22Middlestead, 22-6mmRem, 22-284, 22-06, there is such a small gain in performance and more wear and tear on the equip that it isn't worth the effort. For a hot 224 I shoot a 22-204, if I want to reach out and touch something I have a 243 and if I'm calling larger pred. I've just built a light 250-3000 bolt gun.

AWS
 
AWS....

That is why my calling partner and I shoot the 243 AI's.

The wind never stops in WY. We get so much better performance from our fast twist AI's with the high BC 105 - 115 range bullets.

And I still get $10 - 12 for a coyote weather it is shot 50 Vmax out of my .223 or a 105 from my 243AI. So fur damage is not an issue.

But with his original Question... fast twist 22-250 AI is the better choice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I am looking for something to buck the wind better than my 22-250 as the wind blows non-stop in central montana as well. I have looked at the 243 AI (that was actually what I was going to build) and then I started looking at the 22-250 AI. Too many choices, I'll just have to build one for me and one for my wife. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yotes2call:
What bullets are you shooting in your 243AI and with what twist rate? Also...barrel length and velocity?
 
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Yotes2call:
What bullets are you shooting in your 243AI and with what twist rate? Also...barrel length and velocity?




I am using the 105 Amax in this one. 7.75 twist, 26" barrel, 3260 fps. Only 19 MOA at 1000 yards.

I would build my next one with a 7.5 twist to shoot the 115 Dtacs and still shoot the 105's great.

I found the altitude/air density threshold here won't stabilize the 115 below 27 degrees. Therefore, the faster twist next barrel /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yotes, have you shot any prairie dogs or rockchucks with the Amaxs? Just wondering if they would be a good (explosive) bullet for little varmints.
 
I have shot prairie dogs, ground squirells, and coyotes with the .22 cal 52 gr. amax...they perform very much like the vmax. And in reality, i have heard they are virtually identical (amax has a boat-tail) in the lighter bullets.
 
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