224 Valkyrie 18” too short?
- Thread starter NY700
- Start date
Is a 20" .300 Win Mag too short?
It's 1,000 yards buddy. This rifle of yours probably isn't going to kick doors, and despite the Internet effect around the cartridge right now, it's not gonna somehow be a 50" round.
Stick with 24"...you'll need it.
It's 1,000 yards buddy. This rifle of yours probably isn't going to kick doors, and despite the Internet effect around the cartridge right now, it's not gonna somehow be a 50" round.
Stick with 24"...you'll need it.
I recall watching some of Savages videos on the Valkyrie and the rep saying performance dropped off sharply going from 22" to 18" with the 90 grain rounds.
There's going to be a lot of disappointed folks if they listen to the hype surrounding this cartridge. It never ceases to amaze me how things just get repeated over and over without anyone questioning the data. From Federals website, "stays supersonic past 1,300 yards". At sea level on a standard day it is supersonic until 1164 yards, impressive for sure but not 1300 yards. I'm sure there is some fine print somewhere that says something like "stays supersonic past 1300 yards if you're in Denver and your rifle has a 24" barrel". On a standard day in Denver, the Federal load (2700fps) is supersonic until 1360 yards.
Anyone know how this bullet does through the transonic regime?
Anyone know how this bullet does through the transonic regime?
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I didn't realize it is a new bullet, Litz has it on his custom curve database. We're talking about the 90g Matchking, right?
Interesting, this from Federals web site:
"Transform your MSR 15. Loaded with the 90-grain Gold Medal® Sierra® MatchKing®, all-new 224 Valkyrie provides less wind drift and drop than all other loads in its class and stays supersonic past 1,300 yards. The cartridge is the new choice for both long-range target shooters and hunters."
I noticed the ballistic solver on Federals website doesn't have the 90g bullet listed. Perhaps Federal has hired James Carville to write their press releases
.
"Transform your MSR 15. Loaded with the 90-grain Gold Medal® Sierra® MatchKing®, all-new 224 Valkyrie provides less wind drift and drop than all other loads in its class and stays supersonic past 1,300 yards. The cartridge is the new choice for both long-range target shooters and hunters."
I noticed the ballistic solver on Federals website doesn't have the 90g bullet listed. Perhaps Federal has hired James Carville to write their press releases
.
You may be over estimating the target audience. The guys I see that are most excited by the 224V have never heard of much less owned a chrono, never shot past 400 yards other than all the deer they shot at 900, and their entire understanding of the basics of ballistics and trajectories begins and ends with whatever is printed on the ammo box. They've got plenty of people suckered already and those people cannot be dissuaded by data or facts.
The thing that pisses me off most about the marketing is the direct comparison to 6.5CM, as if energy is not a factor at all. Same with 22N pretending to be a 22-250.
I have one ordered, but have no delusions about it's capability. My purpose for it is local matches that go out to 700 yards. I competed with .223 last year and did decent.
I agree the hype is bullshit. 1300 yards is meaningless to me unless they give a DA. Anyone with a ballistics calculator can see it does not match 6.5 CM ballistics.
What I do hope to get however is to match my .223 bolt gun ballistics out of a semi auto. And also not have to spend so much time on the reloading bench. Factory match ammo is actually the main reason I chose it. On more than one occasion last year, I was up late the night before a match loading for the match because I didn't have time sooner.
I agree the hype is bullshit. 1300 yards is meaningless to me unless they give a DA. Anyone with a ballistics calculator can see it does not match 6.5 CM ballistics.
What I do hope to get however is to match my .223 bolt gun ballistics out of a semi auto. And also not have to spend so much time on the reloading bench. Factory match ammo is actually the main reason I chose it. On more than one occasion last year, I was up late the night before a match loading for the match because I didn't have time sooner.
I think it may have its applications, like PRS where the light recoil would be beneficial.
Obvious, the marketing gurus are all over this one like flies on horseshit as would be expected.
I have two questions...
Gotta be a throat burner, designed for heavy pills, hot...a lot of powder/gas for a skinny hole... estimated barrel life before the throat is toast?
Any real advantage over the 6 Grendel using Berger vld's?
Obvious, the marketing gurus are all over this one like flies on horseshit as would be expected.
I have two questions...
Gotta be a throat burner, designed for heavy pills, hot...a lot of powder/gas for a skinny hole... estimated barrel life before the throat is toast?
Any real advantage over the 6 Grendel using Berger vld's?
With respect to barrel life, JP has at least one demo gun with approximately 5k rounds through it that is still sub-MOA.
I don't think JP makes chrome lined barrels. Their claim to fame is cryogenic treatment and thermal disappators.
I'm not convinced how effective those are in extending barrel life, but I have one on order to try out.
UNLESS...the cartridge is not nearly as high-speed as claimed, OR they made a CM-V barrel for it...
....I'd just be VERY surprised if .224 Valkyrie barrels will go 5,000 rounds with accuracy (not that 1 MOA is tough to achieve in an AR).
Most cut-rifled AR-15 match barrels chambered in the lowly .223 are cooked by 4,500-5,000 rounds. Buttoned are even fewer.
...
-Nate
....I'd just be VERY surprised if .224 Valkyrie barrels will go 5,000 rounds with accuracy (not that 1 MOA is tough to achieve in an AR).
Most cut-rifled AR-15 match barrels chambered in the lowly .223 are cooked by 4,500-5,000 rounds. Buttoned are even fewer.
...
-Nate
Esp in a gasser, I can't see 5k in a high-pressure, small bore round like that.
I've got a link to an Excel spreadsheet barrel life estimator somewhere, going to see if I can find it to punch in some numbers.
I've got a link to an Excel spreadsheet barrel life estimator somewhere, going to see if I can find it to punch in some numbers.
I was fortunate enough to be at SHOTSHOW last week, and every gun manufacturer was pushing their Valkyrie. I was wondering, and still am: who decided we needed a Valkyrie? I don't know that I have ever seen a Valkyrie round. Do we need another cartridge?
Maybe I was just fat dumb and happy (well two out of three), but the 5.56, 7.62 and .300 WM were serving me well. I have been thinking, 'maybe someday a .338...' and more recently, 'hey, I should at least try the 6.5,' then I realized I had to pick between Creedmoor and Grendle, and maybe .260 Remington (because someone died and made the 6.5mm measure .260 cal).
Now, I need a Valkyrie? Shit, I spelled it wrong three times. (pls wait while I spell check.), Okay, got it. V-A-L-K-Y-R-I-E.
Maybe I was just fat dumb and happy (well two out of three), but the 5.56, 7.62 and .300 WM were serving me well. I have been thinking, 'maybe someday a .338...' and more recently, 'hey, I should at least try the 6.5,' then I realized I had to pick between Creedmoor and Grendle, and maybe .260 Remington (because someone died and made the 6.5mm measure .260 cal).
Now, I need a Valkyrie? Shit, I spelled it wrong three times. (pls wait while I spell check.), Okay, got it. V-A-L-K-Y-R-I-E.
What you are forgetting is that the Valkyrie is operating around 50k psi. Not 55-62k of the 223/5.56...
For those who explore handloads north of 50k I doubt they will see the long life trend, and we will get to hear about how bad brass life sucks as they push 10, 20, 30% past saami max pressures. It will be sort of a Creedmoor 2.0 challenge while pleading for Lapua to develop and release mirco primer brass.
I am respectfully extremely skeptical that that figure will be representative of the barrel life of the general public who do not get paid to promote products in the shooting industry.-Nate
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