so... is the 224 Valkyrie worth it?

[Niles Coyote]

A bit off topic but interested in opinions from those that have both. I already have a 6.5 Grendel. Reasons why I might consider a .224V?

Comparing my 18" JP grendel barrel with my favorite LR load, 123 Lapua scenar at 2450fps
VS
18" Rock Creek Valkyrie with a good 90 smk node located at 2680fps

The Valkyrie shoots a little over 2 mils flatter at 1k while needing .3 mil less correction using the same environmental data.

I'm still working on the 95smk with my valkyrie and if I can get it to work well with a temperature insensitive powder it will be even more awesome.

I've also got a 6mm grendel and using temperature insensitive powders with the 105's I have yet to break 2550fps with out pressure signs, and that is from a 20" barrel. But using that velocity with the 105 Berger Hybrid for the above comparison, it would match My 18" Valkyrie in the wind yet still require .8mils more elevation.

The Tac 6 intrigues me... if for no other reason as it would make a more reliable hunting rifle. I love my grendel's but anytime I run a mag containing more the 10-12 rounds, feeding becomes troublesome. Is anyone chambering this is a premium custom stainless barrel, non-nitrided?

 

[flyer]

Were the bullets able to penetrate the paper at 1,400?

 

[Constructor]

Comparing my 18" JP grendel barrel with my favorite LR load, 123 Lapua scenar at 2450fps
VS
18" Rock Creek Valkyrie with a good 90 smk node located at 2680fps

The Valkyrie shoots a little over 2 mils flatter at 1k while needing .3 mil less correction using the same environmental data.

I'm still working on the 95smk with my valkyrie and if I can get it to work well with a temperature insensitive powder it will be even more awesome.

I've also got a 6mm grendel and using temperature insensitive powders with the 105's I have yet to break 2550fps with out pressure signs, and that is from a 20" barrel. But using that velocity with the 105 Berger Hybrid for the above comparison, it would match My 18" Valkyrie in the wind yet still require .8mils more elevation.

The Tac 6 intrigues me... if for no other reason as it would make a more reliable hunting rifle. I love my grendel's but anytime I run a mag containing more the 10-12 rounds, feeding becomes troublesome. Is anyone chambering this is a premium custom stainless barrel, non-nitrided?

No, the Melonite barrels last twice as long as stainless being 60 Rockwell VS 32 of the stainless and are just as corrosive resistant. Federal says they are working on a 6mm of some kind. They have the TAC 6 print. The TAC 6 is like a 6mm Valkyrie improved, case blown out and shoulder moved forward.

 

[flyer]

The Tac 6 intrigues me... if for no other reason as it would make a more reliable hunting rifle. I love my grendel's but anytime I run a mag containing more the 10-12 rounds, feeding becomes troublesome. Is anyone chambering this is a premium custom stainless barrel, non-nitrided?

I'm not sure if Constructor is sharing the TAC 6 reamer specs but he sells a damn nice barrel.

He also held back his .224 barrels until he figured out the chamber/PTG reamer issue and now he's scrapping them instead of selling them and letting it become someone else's problem.

Basically what comes out of his shop is going to be as advertised.

I'm curious to see what throat errosion looks like with a nitrided barrel but I don't think nitride is going to be an accuracy issue.

 

[lash]

Were the bullets able to penetrate the paper at 1,400?

It was at steel. They were nice clean impacts with round center surrounded by the normal halo of splash. Not sideways hits. We all watched the impacts as they happened on live feed from the camera. I even had a picture of that screenshot that I forwarded to the shooter's email that evening.

 

[AZgeek]

That's dam impressive. Do you remember what length barrel he had on his rig?

 

[lash]

No, I do not. But from memory alone and guessing, I'd say about 20". It wasn't extraordinarily long. In all honesty, he surprised himself with those hits as well. We were out shooting at distance and he put his 6.5 Creedmoor away since he was having trouble with it. I think that we were at 1200 at that point.

Anyway, he happened to have his Grendel in his truck and said what the heck. After a couple sighters, he made impacts and we were all impressed. Then, when we moved to 1400 yards, he took it out again, with the attitude of "why not?". When he made those three shoots, which hit in the bottom right corner of the 2'x3' plate, we were all pretty damned excited and amazed.

Even he says that he probably couldn't do it again. But from my perspective, those 123s may not have the numerical BC of other better and newer bullets, but they certainly didn't have any problem transitioning to subsonic on that day. Maybe it was just perfect conditions. Whose to say?

 

[Constructor]

I'm not sure if Constructor is sharing the TAC 6 reamer specs

.

I am not but I did send the TAC 6 and 6mm Grendel Improved specs to Federal. Nosler said they had a whole building full of engineers and didn't take out side recommendations and some woman at Hornady said I would have to have 500,000 cases made for them to produce brass for a new cartridge. Federals coming out with some new stuff and said they are working on a 6mm so lets see what they can do.

 

[TJAndriesen]

I picked up a CMT 224 Valkyrie to shoot as a carbine for team field matches. Very nice gun. It shot sub MOA with Federal 90 gr ammo at CMT. After shooting factory ammo for the brass, I started doing load development for it and the best load for me was a Berger 82 with Varget at roughly 1/2 MOA, pushing 2,850 out of a 24' barrel. For local matches and the field matches I won't be shooting over 600 so I'm not that concerned with the lower BC. For the one local match I shot , it shot well - or at least as well as I could shoot it.

I also tested the 90 SMKs which were 1 MOA ish and I started playing with the Hornady 88 ELDs with slightly better results. Both using Varget. Plan to work on this more later when I get time.

I typically shoot matches with a 6.5 CM bolt gun. This is a fun cartridge and gun. Not as accurate but very respectable. With a break there is little to no recoil so second shots are amazingly quick. On one stage I had a second impact as the RO was calling out the first one.

As others have pointed out, this is still a work in progress to sort out what works and what doesn't. If I didn't have a specific need I'd probably wait a bit but it not likely this will turn out to be bad.

 

[nfngun]

I just want 1000 yard SPR the idea of a 20" 22" with brake ... Shorter is better.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I just want 1000 yard SPR the idea of a 20" 22" with brake ... Shorter is better.

IMO you couldn't pick a better chamber for that purpose.

 

[AZgeek]

Pondering over this question after shooting a PSA 1-7 twist 20" barrel. For me to make it worth it (vs. my Grendel as my baseline) must have's are:

1. A minimum of 22" barrel, preferably 24"
2. A quality barrel, several steps above a PSA product
3. Correct SAAMI chamber spec

A heavy profile barrel might help shorten time to fined a good load. If the gun can't shoot 85 - 95 gran bullets extremely well, its a waster of time and money .