223 VS 224 Valkyrie
- Thread starter spudgun
- Start date
Yeah I think I'll wait till stronger Lapua brass comes out for the 224V before I abandon 6mmFatRat, if even then. 2870 fps with 6mm 95 SMK has been a good combo for me.
It'd be interesting if someone did a 224V AI so we could see how much velocity gain would come forth!
Seems some 224V shooters are transitioning to the 80's vs the 90's, like I did from 105's to the 95 in my 6mmFatRat. They go a little faster and often have similar wind drift.
The last batch of Lapua brass I sold with my old 6mmART40 upper had 8-10 reloads on it and was still holding a primer.
It'd be interesting if someone did a 224V AI so we could see how much velocity gain would come forth!
Seems some 224V shooters are transitioning to the 80's vs the 90's, like I did from 105's to the 95 in my 6mmFatRat. They go a little faster and often have similar wind drift.
The last batch of Lapua brass I sold with my old 6mmART40 upper had 8-10 reloads on it and was still holding a primer.
Understood - AR10 chambered in .308 with 20" barrel just doesn't cut it.
The 224 Valkyrie is a knockoff of a 6.5 Grendel necked down to 22 caliber. It is a marketing game for Federal Ammunition... create a "New" round and name it … shooters will come. Go ask Wilson Combat about relabeling existing rounds in order to push gun and ammo sales with the "new" 300 Ham'r, which was previously known as the 7.62x40mm. I think that there are a number of niche cartridges that have an initial splash and then within a couple of years fade away. My bet is the 224 Valkyrie and 22 Nosler will be short lived, which means hard to find ammo on the shelf. The 300 Blackout survived because it was the only round that could run AR15 subsonic, and in the early years when there was no real source of brass you could easily form your own from .223/5.56 range brass. Also, some clever marketing of the 300BO as the preferred Wild Hog cartridge really made it popular with shooters who otherwise would be sporting a 30-30. The 6.5 Grendel is like 20 years old and it almost died due to Alexander Arms patent/copyright stranglehold on the round, which limited shooter's ammo selection, reloading components, and even gun parts. It survived because it is extremely accurate, fires from AR15, and can be used for competition shooting as well as hunting. Now it is commonplace and you can buy any components (barrel, magazine, bullets, etc) from any number of manufacturers.
If you don't already have it - 6.5 Grendel or even 6mmAR (6.5 Grendel necked down to 6mm) might be your ticket. If you are set on a .22 caliber then look at the 22 Grendel. I'm a reloader and the ability to source components is a key element to my decision making. Going with either a 6mm or 6.5mm bullet will provide you with a greater selection of heavier bullets that are readily available for both shooting and hunting applications. The Grendel brass is widely available by a number of major brass manufacturers, including Lapua.
Brilliant! I'd failed to notice the similarity, but you're right - the Valkyrie is in essence an inferior 22 Grendel. The Grendel case has a 20 thou' larger head diameter, and is a bit fatter throughout, but its case OAL and head to bottom of the neck measurements are less offsetting some of the capacity increase. I'd imagine the Grendel ends up with a modest volume increase over the Valkyrie. But throw in the larger choice of makes of case and excellent / strong Lapua brass available, the necked-down Grendel is a superior option, at least in a bolt-gun.
The Valkyrie must offer easier extraction in an AR. Here in the UK, our 'black rifles' are by law manually operated and the 'stiction' factor in the chamber is a key issue. When the 6.5 Grendel became a SAAMI / CIP number and components appeared a few of our Civilian Service Rifle competitors tried it but suffered extraction difficulties well before maximum loads were reached. 6.8SPC and now the Valkyrie don't suffer this for some reason - slightly smaller case diameter maybe, case-taper or something?
Having recently started playing with the 6.5 Grendel in a Howa Mini 1500 (Oryx version) bolt-gun I'm now a great fan of this tiny cartridge. A 224 version in a match quality bolt-gun shooting 90s could be a LOT of fun. Something to ponder on!
"Case capacity has been measured at 34.5 grs H2O"
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2017/11/new-hot-rod-224-valkyrie-cartridge-from-federal/
30.1 seems very low. I'd double check.
That sounds like the chamber reamer or the reloading dies were not sized correctly for smooth manual extraction. I can't imagine the case design inherently causing those results!
I'm not a big black rifle guy. I think a 22 Grendel, being so similar to the 22BR in capacity, would be amazing with heavy bullets in a bolt gun.
My thoughts entirely. Of course, the BR is easier for most people given the wide availability of rifles / actions with 0.473" dia. bolt-faces allowing a simple rebarrel.
You all are correct.
I remeasured this time by simply adding water and subtract the two. Last time I filled and emptied the water into the scale pan and measured it. I don't think I got all the water out.
Everyone: VALKYRIE HOLDS MORE WATER THAN A .223
I was wrong (please don't tell my wife)
The Valkryie will be dead and gone shortly. With no good quality brass available, there won't be much of a future. 
Paul
Paul
Just wait! I bet a 6mm Valkrye is coming. Just when the 224 sales sag, the new 6mm will show up: "Superior ballistics with minimal recoil, the new 6mm Valkrye hits harder and will stay super sonic longer! A favorite caliber of PRS winners and benchrest shooters alike, you too can now realize the advantages of a 6mm in your AR-15 platform with the 6mm Valkrye."
What velocity and bullet do you use Bill?
With a Nosler 55 gr SP and CFE 223 my load is running 2890 fps. A 90 grn fusion SP is running 2740 and the Fed 75 gr FJ is running 2950. The 55 gr SP is the most explosive of the lot on animals.
But I will be working up some loads now with lead free bullets due to my state banning lead on game and non-game animals 7-1-19. Most likely will start with Nosler 50-55 grain Varmageddon and one of the heavier bullets by Badger Bob or a Barnes.
If you looking for a shock bullet, check out DRT bullets. Non lead bullets and have great knock down power due to the way the penetrate and then explode creating a cavity inside.
https://drtammo.com/
dcali
Bullet Maker
Always seemed kind of gimmicky to me, or at the very least, a niche product of dubious value. The AR is not a good 1000 yard gun, no matter what you do. You can go through contortions to make it a mediocre 1000 yard gun (like the Valkyrie, single loading, longer barrels, etc), but it's a whole lot simpler and better to just use something designed for the task.
Agreed - I feel the same way about the AR10 chambered in .308 Win. with 20" barrel (most common length offered with 24" reserved for 6.5 Creedmore?!). Nobody wants to put a 27"-30" barrel on an AR10, but that is what you need to squeeze out every drop of velocity from a .308 to improve its performance at 1000 yard . Time proven by F-class shooters.
TravisC
Silver $$ Contributor
Even before the Valkyrie was announced as Saami spec, I had a reamer made for the 6mm Valkyrie. Straight neck up and using a bushing die, it's super easy. It's fun, in a 16" barrel though, there is no difference between it and the 6x45. The edge goes to 6x45 in that instance since I don't care about ruining .223 brass in 2 firings. I also have a 22" 6mm Valkyrie barrel and again, with the powders we have now, and brass sources, no difference. Now if Lapua gets on the 224V program, maybe then can we really see the spread in performance. Mine is a 1-8 and it's kinda fun to lob a 105grn bullet at my 400yds gong and hear the impact (way louder than my .223 and 6x45).
Enjoyed reading the comments regarding the .224 Valkyrie. I was thinking about ordering an upper in this caliber. However I think I'll stay with my Rock River Arms Predator Pursuit .223/.556. I shoot competition targets (group & score) out to 400yds at my local gun club. Based on what I'm reading I don't think the Valkyrie will compete with what I have. Attached are a couple of examples of the accuracy my RRA puts out. No changes made, rifle is as it came from RRA.
Attachments
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.