THE .220 SWIFT IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST maligned cartridge in history. At least, I can’t think of one that compares. But it also is loved—almost worshipped—by members of the above-mentioned cult. I call it a cult because admiration of the Swift always involves some degree of the supernatural, and a cult is, by definition, out of the mainstream.
Since its introduction by Winchester in 1935, .220 Swift ammunition and brass have come, gone, and come again, but always with one feature: It’s expensive. Since varmint shooters and rifle nuts and experimenters, all of whom were attracted by the Swift, shoot a lot of rounds, it was handload or go broke.
Over the years, I’ve known half a dozen Swift devotees, and they are definitely a breed apart. Jim Carmichel, the…
