MY .224 Valkyrie and 85.5 Berger Load Development

[IHFarmer07]

Ok I have lurked on here, here and there, I've noticed some here playing with the Berger 85.5 and I thought I'd contribute to the great community here as well. For those looking for more information on the Valkyrie there is a special "Valkyrie" forum and various threads on snipershide, and a facebook group "Valkyrie ascending" and others for more information.....most of the information has been for AR15's but it still can give a starting point at reloading for the Valkyrie.

Starting from the beginning, I had a .223 rem 700 sps varmint that didn't shoot well, so I decided to do a remage build with its action. I did my research and decided to go with NSS for the remage conversion, bought all the tooling to take the Remington apart and bring it back up to a Valkyrie, ordered a new bolt from PT&G with a sako extractor, small firing pin, a lug lapping tool. I started to use it with factory ammo and factory hinged floor plate with the NSS remage conversion using a criterion 24" 1-6.5 SS LT varmint barrel. Worked good but I wanted to take all variables out with using a boyds thumb hole stock and hated the hinged floor plate so I ordered a PT&G detachable mag bottom metal, acis accurate mag 308 mag and all tools necessary to pillar bed the stock. I inlayed the stock myself "NOT FUN" pillar bedded it and fitted everything together. Using the BR mag conversion sold by Primal Rights I finally got the mag to function flawlessly. I had very good luck with the factory 60gr shells with accuracy and functionality but ran into issues with any of the other load offerings so I decided to reload for the FIRST time in my life and I was going to start with this chambering. So I ordered this and that, made some buying mistakes, sold those and moved to bigger and better equipment: forester co-ax, AnD fx120I, forester dies and a lot of different reloading practices.

Been learning a lot along the way, I started out using federal brass and now at starline, I've tried Reloader 15, 17, Hodgdon varget, H4895, CFE223, AA2520 and Aliant Varmint. Best so far has been Hodgdon H4895 and I'd say so far AA2520 a close 2nd(Temp stability Not the best), I haven't done much with the Aliant Varmint but probably will down the road. Tried CCI400, 40, 450, BR and federal GMM, I have some Remingtons but the CCI450's has been the most consistent for me. Started out using 88 eldms but read the the 80 eldms can and will outperform the 88 eldms so I switch to those. I ended up around 25-25.1 gr H4895 and the 80 eldms to give me around 2970fps, but now the Bergers has my attention.

Here's how I started load development on them and I know the amount of grains is a very hot load to some and such but my rifle seems to take more grains of powder to get the velocity others' get...

I started by calling Berger for load charges and so I loaded one round per powder increment from bottom to the top in .5gr increments. I never reached pressure signs so I loaded more up but in .3gr increments until I reached a sticky bolt. In the mean time I have had reoccurring issues with neck tensions and I had posted those questions up in another category here and I think with the help of the great community here and Joe Regina we had figured out some of the issues and process problems an I'm in the process of fixing those issues. In the mean time I tested the grain charges the looked good and flat and went a few tenths up and a few tenths down. I think I have found the charge weight that is good for me, I just need to confirm the seating depth and charge weight.
I will be using a redding type-s bushing die from here on out as I did some measuring to see how much the forester was working the brass vs the type-s and the type-s works the brass less in all the right places. I have around 5-6 loadings on the starline now and I have been fixing some of the pimer pockets but it really is not too bad and fixing them with a 3/8" ball bearing and a pin gage and its been working good and sealing. I have around 1,600rds on the barrel now and climbing. I'll be starting on the second box of Berger bullets soon with the next reloads.

fireformed brass at the neck-.258, body/shoulder junction-.4075 and base ahead of the rim-.422

Forester die: neck-.249, body/shoulder junction-.401, base-.4195

Redding die: neck dependent on bushing-.247, body/shoulder junction-.402, base-.421

 

[garandman]

My 224 V .



Ive begun load development with CFE223 and AR- Comp... I also called Berger. Their load data was *super* light. CFE223 produced half inch at best groups. AR- Comp is much better so far.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Yeah that's what I started out with as well, temperature stability are issues I want to stay away from. CFE223 and some of the others are not the greatest on temp stability, I found out with AA2520 I was shooting 80eldm's around 3000fps and the other day I shot some across the chronograph and they was down to 2940 or so, have to look, but H4895 has worked best for me and most others that have been shooting the Valkyrie.

 

[garandman]

With AR-Comp, I've been testing the 80.5 and 85.5 Bergers. Thus far I've gotten velocities of 2900 and 2830 respectively. Kinda flattened primers , but easy bolt lift so far. Its been tuff to finding much data on the Valkyrie, so I'll go back and read your post more carefully, when I have more time. And I'll check out H4895. AR-Comp is spozedly temp stable.

I'm pretty sure the Berger test load data is super conservative, and I've been well north of it with no troubling pressure signs .

 

[IHFarmer07]

not having luck with pictures of my gun for some reason.....

 

[IHFarmer07]

With AR-Comp, I've been testing the 80.5 and 85.5 Bergers. Thus far I've gotten velocities of 2900 and 2830 respectively. Kinda flattened primers , but easy bolt lift so far. Its been tuff to finding much data on the Valkyrie, so I'll go back and read your post more carefully, when I have more time. And I'll check out H4895. AR-Comp is spozedly temp stable.

I'm pretty sure the Berger test load data is super conservative, and I've been well north of i with no troubling pressur signs .

I forgot to post about Bergers load data, it is very conservative I do believe. Whatever you do work up slowly on powder charge weights, I have been told that my charge weights are high and with quick load I'm high...I have quick load but I don't want to put it permanently on to my lap top as I've not had best of luck with lap tops and idk if a person can take quick load off a lap top and put it on another computer or how it all works, can't find much information about quick load.

 

[garandman]

I forgot to post about Bergers load data, it is very conservative I do believe. Whatever you do work up slowly on powder charge weights, I have been told that my charge weights are high and with quick load I'm high...I have quick load but I don't want to put it permanently on to my lap top as I've not had best of luck with lap tops and idk if a person can take quick load off a lap top and put it on another computer or how it all works, can't find much information about quick load.

I went up from the very bottom Berger load in 0.3 gr increments. I'm a full grain (and more) over their max in both 80.5 and 85.'s I look for pressure signs... some primer flattening is OK, but I stop with any signs of heavy bolt lift. There may be a better way, but I don't know it.

When asked Berger, they had no idea when they would finish testing and release published load data on these new Berger bullets.

But then even their published data is very conservative on their 140 gr 6.5 Bergers.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I went up from the very bottom Berger load in 0.3 gr increments. I'm a full grain (and more) over their max in both 80.5 and 85.'s I look for pressure signs... some primer flattening is OK, but I stop with any signs of heavy bolt lift. There may be a better way, but I don't know it.

When asked Berger, they had no idea when they would finish testing and release published load data on these new Berger bullets.

But then even their published data is very conservative on their 140 gr 6.5 Bergers.

I haven’t had any pressure signs other than a sticky bolt, hell the primers look great and the primer pockets haven’t been fried as bad or often as it could be with how hot I’m running the loads.

I call Berger as well after my finding and Berger told me that I was running way over their findings and said to be careful. I said that chamber dimensions and and every gun handles things differently.

They told me me with H4895, starting at 22 grains max charge was 23.5 and for AA2520 23 was starting charge and max charge was 24.5gr at a saami spec of 2.260.
Now in a bolt gun I can run longer but I can’t really run to the lands in mine, at max cbto of 1.770” in my chamber, .015” is as far out as I want and I actually don’t feel comfortable with it that far out as there is not much in the neck(don’t know exact measurements) so I went from 1.745(.025 off) to more off the lands. I did the Berger seating depth test and then refined from there. I shot more yesterday and by far the 1.710” is the best I’ve had at 25.3gr of h4895, target is on the first post and last target I believe.
This is the first time using Berger Bullets and I like them so far other than the price lol, but they’re of great quality from what I’ve seen so far and seating depth seems to not vary as much as the eldms.

I have not used Berger’s load data before so I can’t speak about that.

 

[garandman]

First load tests with AR Comp:

 

[garandman]

AR - Comp has had some excellent velocity SDs....

 

[IHFarmer07]

AR - Comp has had some excellent velocity SDs....

DAMN yes I noticed, impressive!!!! what the specs of your build/barrel? I have wrote a process down that I NEED to use to keep things the same and consistent, but I'm still modifying and adding too to try and get the most out of everything.

 

[garandman]

Bighorn Origin action, Bugholes 1:7 barrel. TriggerTech at 8oz pull. XLR chassis with DIY paint. Athlon ETR scope.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Bighorn Origin action, Bugholes 1:7 barrel. TriggerTech at 8oz pull. XLR chassis with DIY paint. Athlon ETR scope.

The next barreling get I think I maybe will go with a 1-7, maybe. Surprised at how well the 1-6.5 handles things though. Probably just go with a different barrel maker in a 1-6.5”.

 

[garandman]

@IHFarmer07 ... how bout some pics of that rifle ??

 

[IHFarmer07]

I FINALLY GOT PICTURES TO UPLOAD!!! My internet was crap Sunday, been awfully windy at home.

 

[garandman]

Nice hits at 1000+ I *wish* I had a range anywhere near me for 1000 yards.

BTW.... how ya like that brake? I bet the muzzle doesn't even move with 224V.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Nice hits at 1000+ I *wish* I had a range anywhere near me for 1000 yards.

BTW.... how ya like that brake? I bet the muzzle doesn't even move with 224V.

Thanks! Those hits were with the 80eldm’s. Also I was wanting to go a mile with both the prc and Valkyrie this year but I don’t think that will happen for a little while but I can go farther yet on our farm, 2000yrds probably easy but much past that I’d have to cut some woods/trees out

I like it a lot.....no it don’t really move and I can watch a lot through the scope.
I should’ve bought one for my 6.5prc off the bat but I thought I’d try a different one first, but now I’m selling it to buy another of those brakes for it.

 

[garandman]

Recent work :

 

[IHFarmer07]

Recent work :

View attachment 1150675 View attachment 1150676

Looking good....have you tried cci 450’s?

I’ve been shooting mine at 1.710 CBTO, I may have to seat them in farther than that as the boat tail is in the neck a tad yet.

 

[garandman]

No, just the CCI and Remington bench rest primers.