220 swift and 50gr tnt?

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bobjoe

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I recently obtained a custom rifle in 220 swift with a 1:14 twist. I know with the twist I’m limited to lighter bullet which I’m ok with. I also plan to load it as a swift. No point buying a super car and never taking it out of first gear.

I wondering if the Speer tnt bullets will hold up to swift loadings going at 4000+ fps. I’m drawn to them as several dealers have then for a fair bit less than other brands.

Thank you in advance.
 
You shouldn't have any problems unless you are shooting in the rain. I've had 32 gr. bullets come apart at those velocities from my 204 in the rain.
 
I have an accurate load I developed for mine. 38gr 4064 behind the 50 tnt. Very accurate at 200 yard zero but haven't shot anything with them yet.
 
prairie lover said:
If I remember correctly the 50 gr tnt was made for 223 velocities and conventional twists and the 55 hr tnt was made for 22250 speeds and conventional twists.
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That is what I am wondering. There are other posts that say just that, but I have not found any actual written documentation supporting it. I have the 13th edition reloading manual and the tnt are not listed in it.

It seems to be about 50/50 on if they can be used or not. Lots of good reviews on their terminal performance. I would like to go 50gr or lighter as a fair bit of the 55gr seem to be on the edge of stability.
 
I know its not much help, but why not just buy a box and push em to the limit and see what they do?

Even if they wont hold up to the speed you can still use them up easy enough at a lower velocity...

When I had my swift (Ruger 77 tang safety) I had excellent luck with 55gr Nosler BT so just stuck with them, but truth be told it shot everything decently.
 
Yes the speer reload manual states on the 22-250 intro page, that the 50gr tnt " is not generally recommended at max 22-250 velocities, but we know of a number of reloaders who can get 3600-3700 ft/sec"....."the newer 55gr tnt was designed for the 22-250 and 220 swift"
 
I forgot to mention that I've used 55gr tnt in my 1:14 22-250 and were very accurate. I'm buying a lot of speer these days as the price & accuracy is good. I have 70gr speer on the way for the same rifle.
 
scotteboy said:
I forgot to mention that I've used 55gr tnt in my 1:14 22-250 and were very accurate. I'm buying a lot of speer these days as the price & accuracy is good. I have 70gr speer on the way for the same rifle.
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You may have problem getting 70gr to stabilize in 1-14 twist I tried 69gr in my 22-250 1-14 twist and they wouldn't shoot worth hoot, let us know how they shoot
 
waldo54 said:
You may have problem getting 70gr to stabilize in 1-14 twist I tried 69gr in my 22-250 1-14 twist and they wouldn't shoot worth hoot, let us know how they shoot
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Yeah I'll give a report on how they fly. My rifle loves 60gr hornady sp so hopefully.....Apparently 70gr are designed for slow twist so I thought I'd give em a try. I also have a 1:9 22-250 and 2x 223s so they wont go to waste if they don't.
 
scotteboy said:
Yes the speer reload manual states on the 22-250 intro page, that the 50gr tnt " is not generally recommended at max 22-250 velocities, but we know of a number of reloaders who can get 3600-3700 ft/sec"....."the newer 55gr tnt was designed for the 22-250 and 220 swift"
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The interesting thing is that the online manual lists the 50gr tnt at high 3900 for the swift.
 
scotteboy said:
The 50gr sp is a good bullet too if you don't mind a soft point
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I am also not opposed to a soft point. I have the 55gr hornady sp already, but wanted something lighter.

I will buy and try the 50gr tnt. Worse case, I have a .223 and can shoot them out of it at a lower velocity, so they will not be wasted.

I will report back once I have an answer.
 
I had a couple of rifles with 1:14. They would shoot 63 gr Sierra semi Sptitzer just fine. This got some power to longer ranges (coyotes) with less wind drift. There was also a 60 gr HP that worked well, but I forget which one. Probably a flat base.
 
Considering Speer tested them and would know that, won't hurt to e-mail them as long as you aren't in a hurry. May be worth a call to them the week after New Years too, hard to say how fast they'll answer an e-mail this time of year. Used 50gr Nos Solid Base Expanders in 22-250, still have some, worked great at 39+ change, they got replaced by Varmageddons or a Ballistic Tip.
 
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