lazypengu1n
NES Member
With all the crazy hype about 224 Valkyrie being the next biggest thing for the AR-15 platform, I'd like to share my experiences so far with this cartridge.
I've been shooting long distance for the past 3 years and by no means an expert. I go on a yearly prairie dog hunt in Texas shooting anywhere from 200y out past 1000y at dogs, coyotes, cottontails and jacks. Year 1, my longest shot was 325y at a running coyote and this year was 725y at a various jacks and dogs.
Shooting out that far requires practice and good ammo, reason I roll my own and unless I get 1 MOA or better @ 100y with my ammo I keep developing it. I shoot 17WSM (rimfire) and 22-250 and 6.5 Creedmoor.
This year brought a custom built AR10 in 6.5 Creedmoor (hits at 725y) and it was heavy and required an extra case in which the airline smacked me an additional $150 (on the way home, on the way out the lady was nice and only charged me $35 but did warn YMMV on the return flight) as it was my 3rd rifle case because the first two are $35 each. I was looking for a lighter semi-auto package that could reach out to 1000y so this wouldn't happen again. This is where the 224 Valkyrie comes in.
The only factory ammo I could my hands on is the Federal Ammunition 75 gn TMJ ammo. Listed BC is .35, not bad right for "range" plinking ammo I thought. Zeroing for 25y to make sure I get on paper and WOW!.... right one the money! Zeroing at 100y, I put a few rounds down range and establish a group and make adjustments. I shoot the remaining 4 - 1MOA diamonds with 5 rd groups. Various results, horizontal stringing, 3 out 2 in, 4 out 1 in, 2 out 3 in. Weird, perhaps it's a new barrel, maybe it's me. It's holding at least a 2MOA group ok fine. Whatever, close enough.
Next day I go and shoot Ft. Devens at 600y. I make my adjustments for distance and wind and I get on paper. Fliers left and right in the 7 ring, various 8, 9 10 ring hits and 1 X. Not my best day at 600y but fine whatever. I go back to my range and shoot at 100y after undoing my original adjustments for 600y. Same exact pattern. Fine, good enough to qualify for 200M if it's holding 2 MOA. I shoot 200m and same pattern after I zero and my qualification shots, 5 rds, same pattern. Grouping about the size of a baseball.
Hitting a group the size of a baseball at 200m, not bad but that group is no good if this ammo was going to be pushed out further to 1000y. Looking up various reviews on this cartridge and everyone is raving about how it shoots better than 223/5.56 etc. No where has anyone done any group testing with 5rd groups. I check out Federal's website and look at the reviews and other people have had the same issue with the ammo not grouping. I add my review into the mix. My friend is also experiencing the same results. Reviews online mention a spread in MV at approx 200fps. Blah... I got fed up and decided to shoot all the ammo I had so I can reload and really find out if this cartridge can live up to this hype for the AR-15 Platform.
I ordered RCBS dies, the new Hornady 88 ELD-M projectiles and will be doing load development on this so stay tuned. I plan on loading 53 AMAX (BC .290) for close up and 88 ELD-M for longer distances (BC .485)
Now back to the ammo. There are 5" steel targets at the 200m range I was shooting and I got 38 out of 40 on the targets so the ammo shoots steel just fine, just doesn't group. So as far as the hype and being able to stay supersonic out past 1000y and hitting your targets, it's true of the 75 gn TMJ ammo. Just don't expect it to group. If yours does group, I'd like to know what you are running to compare notes.
Running PSA 20" SS 1:7 with Superlative Arms Adjustable Gas Block and PSA 224 Valkyrie BCG.
So, if you want to be able to shoot heavier bullets, 75+ because they have better BC in the AR-15 platform then 224 Valkyrie is your answer. Cost can vary from $250 (the way I went with just the barrel and bcg from PSA) or a complete upper $499.
I've been shooting long distance for the past 3 years and by no means an expert. I go on a yearly prairie dog hunt in Texas shooting anywhere from 200y out past 1000y at dogs, coyotes, cottontails and jacks. Year 1, my longest shot was 325y at a running coyote and this year was 725y at a various jacks and dogs.
Shooting out that far requires practice and good ammo, reason I roll my own and unless I get 1 MOA or better @ 100y with my ammo I keep developing it. I shoot 17WSM (rimfire) and 22-250 and 6.5 Creedmoor.
This year brought a custom built AR10 in 6.5 Creedmoor (hits at 725y) and it was heavy and required an extra case in which the airline smacked me an additional $150 (on the way home, on the way out the lady was nice and only charged me $35 but did warn YMMV on the return flight) as it was my 3rd rifle case because the first two are $35 each. I was looking for a lighter semi-auto package that could reach out to 1000y so this wouldn't happen again. This is where the 224 Valkyrie comes in.
The only factory ammo I could my hands on is the Federal Ammunition 75 gn TMJ ammo. Listed BC is .35, not bad right for "range" plinking ammo I thought. Zeroing for 25y to make sure I get on paper and WOW!.... right one the money! Zeroing at 100y, I put a few rounds down range and establish a group and make adjustments. I shoot the remaining 4 - 1MOA diamonds with 5 rd groups. Various results, horizontal stringing, 3 out 2 in, 4 out 1 in, 2 out 3 in. Weird, perhaps it's a new barrel, maybe it's me. It's holding at least a 2MOA group ok fine. Whatever, close enough.
Next day I go and shoot Ft. Devens at 600y. I make my adjustments for distance and wind and I get on paper. Fliers left and right in the 7 ring, various 8, 9 10 ring hits and 1 X. Not my best day at 600y but fine whatever. I go back to my range and shoot at 100y after undoing my original adjustments for 600y. Same exact pattern. Fine, good enough to qualify for 200M if it's holding 2 MOA. I shoot 200m and same pattern after I zero and my qualification shots, 5 rds, same pattern. Grouping about the size of a baseball.
Hitting a group the size of a baseball at 200m, not bad but that group is no good if this ammo was going to be pushed out further to 1000y. Looking up various reviews on this cartridge and everyone is raving about how it shoots better than 223/5.56 etc. No where has anyone done any group testing with 5rd groups. I check out Federal's website and look at the reviews and other people have had the same issue with the ammo not grouping. I add my review into the mix. My friend is also experiencing the same results. Reviews online mention a spread in MV at approx 200fps. Blah... I got fed up and decided to shoot all the ammo I had so I can reload and really find out if this cartridge can live up to this hype for the AR-15 Platform.
I ordered RCBS dies, the new Hornady 88 ELD-M projectiles and will be doing load development on this so stay tuned. I plan on loading 53 AMAX (BC .290) for close up and 88 ELD-M for longer distances (BC .485)
Now back to the ammo. There are 5" steel targets at the 200m range I was shooting and I got 38 out of 40 on the targets so the ammo shoots steel just fine, just doesn't group. So as far as the hype and being able to stay supersonic out past 1000y and hitting your targets, it's true of the 75 gn TMJ ammo. Just don't expect it to group. If yours does group, I'd like to know what you are running to compare notes.
Running PSA 20" SS 1:7 with Superlative Arms Adjustable Gas Block and PSA 224 Valkyrie BCG.
So, if you want to be able to shoot heavier bullets, 75+ because they have better BC in the AR-15 platform then 224 Valkyrie is your answer. Cost can vary from $250 (the way I went with just the barrel and bcg from PSA) or a complete upper $499.