.224 Valkyrie

The .224 Valkyrie (5.6×41 mm)[5] cartridge is a .22 caliber (5.6 mm) rimless bottlenecked intermediate rifle cartridge, developed by Federal Premium Ammunition to rival the performance of the .22 Nosler, while still being compatible with modern sporting rifles.[4] .224 Valkyrie uses the same bullet diameter as 5.56×45mm NATO, but has a shorter case length with a larger case volume, allowing for heavier bullets and higher muzzle velocity.

.224 Valkyrie
From left: 6.8 SPC (110gr VMax), 6.8 SPC (90gr JHP), .224 Valkyrie (88gr ELD), .224 Valkyrie (75gr FMJ)
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerFederal Ammunition
Designed2017
Specifications
Parent case6.8 SPC
Case typeRimless, bottlenecked
Bullet diameter0.2245 in (5.70 mm)
Neck diameter0.2560 in (6.50 mm)
Shoulder diameter0.4031 in (10.24 mm)
Base diameter0.4207 in (10.69 mm)
Rim diameter0.422 in (10.7 mm)
Rim thickness0.049 in (1.2 mm)
Case length1.60 in (41 mm)
Overall length2.260 in (57.4 mm)
Case capacity34.5 gr H2O (2.24 cm3)
Rifling twist1 in 7"
Primer typeSmall Rifle
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)55,000 psi (379.2 MPa)
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.)405.0 MPa (58,740 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
60 gr (4 g) Nosler BT 3,459 ft/s (1,054 m/s) 1,594 ft⋅lbf (2,161 J)
75 gr (5 g) ELD Match 3,013 ft/s (918 m/s) 1,512 ft⋅lbf (2,050 J)
90 gr (6 g) Fusion SP 2,638 ft/s (804 m/s) 1,391 ft⋅lbf (1,886 J)
Test barrel length: 24 in[1][2][3][4]
Source(s): Hodgdon Reloading

Development

In order to fill a need for long range small platform modern sporting rifles, the .224 Valkyrie was developed by Federal by taking their proven 6.8 SPC case and necking it down to utilize a .224 diameter projectile. Prior to this, the ability to compete at long range (1000+ meters or yards) was dominated in competition by the large-frame MSR's, primarily in .308 Winchester and 6.5mm Creedmoor.

Performance

There are several factory loads available for this cartridge from the factory. Those loads include amongst others:

  • Federal 60 gr (3.9 g) Nosler ballistic tip with a muzzle velocity of 3,300 ft/s (1,000 m/s) and a G1 ballistic coefficient (BC) of .270. This was also one of the original four factory loads offered.
  • Berger Gold Medal .224 Valkyrie loaded with a Berger boat-tailed (BT) target 80.5 gr (5.22 g) bullet with a velocity of 2,925 ft/s (892 m/s) and a BC of .441 in G1 format (.226 in G7 format).
  • Barnes TSX .224 Valkyrie. This cartridge is loaded with an all copper hollow point 78 gr (5.1 g) Barnes Triple-Shock X bullet with a velocity of 2,850 ft/s (870 m/s) and a G1 BC of .383. In states that do not allow lead projectiles to be used for hunting purposes this is advertised as a good choice since it is all copper and is claimed to retain near 100% of its weight upon impact.
  • Federal Gold Medal Sierra Match King .224 Valkyrie was one of the original four loads offered by Federal Premium Ammunition. The 90 gr (5.8 g) Sierra Match King has a very high ballistic coefficient at .563 G1 BC (.274 G7 BC) for a .224 (5.6 mm) caliber because of the bullet being very long and heavy for its caliber. The high BC allows the bullet to resist wind effects better, while its mass makes it retain velocity longer. It has a rated velocity of 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s). The 90 gr (5.8 g) Sierra Match King had a rough launch however, with reported inconsistencies in the ammunition produced by Federal. Federal has since rectified these inconsistency problems with a second generation of the 90 gr (5.8 g) Sierra Match King load. This load is intended for use in the PRS Gas Gun Series and similar small frame AR rifles.
  • Federal Fusion MSR .224 Valkyrie 90 gr (5.8 g). This particular load is interesting in the fact that it was originally supposed to have a 100 gr (6.5 g) bullet. However, it had stability problems in 1:7" (178 mm) twist barrels, hence the change to a 90 gr (5.8 g) bullet. Recently there has been a trend towards 1:6.5" (165 mm) twist barrels that may be able to stabilize the 100 gr (6.5 g) bullets, leading to some speculation that the original 100 gr (6.5 g) load may return to production. Its G1 ballistic coefficient is rated at .424 with a muzzle velocity of 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s). This particular load is meant for hunting medium game such as white-tail and black-tail deer, prong-horn antelope, and feral hogs.
  • Federal Varmint and Predator .224 Valkyrie. This cartridge is loaded with a Hornady 60 gr (3.9 g) V-MAX bullet with a velocity of 3,300 ft/s (1,000 m/s) and G1 BC of .265, and is intended for, as the name suggests, varmints and predators such as coyotes.
  • American Eagle Rifle .224 Valkyrie. This is the plinking/economy load of .224 Valkyrie with a full metal jacket 75 gr (4.9 g) bullet traveling 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s) with a G1 BC of .400. It is one of the original four loads released for the .224 Valkyrie.
  • Hornady .224 Valkyrie 88 gr (5.7 g) ELD Match. This is Hornady's extended range cartridge firing a 88 gr (5.7 g) ELD Match bullet at a velocity of 2,675 ft/s (815 m/s) and has a .545 G1 BC (.274 G7 BC). This bullet is meant for long range target shooting and competition.
  • Hornady .224 Valkyrie 75 gr (4.9 g) BTHP Hornady Black. This cartridge fires a 75 gr (4.9 g) BTHP bullet at a velocity of 3,000 gr (190 g) with a G1 BC of .395. This cartridge is meant to be used for target and competition shooting.
  • Hornady .224 Valkyrie 60 gr (3.9 g) V-MAX Varmint Express. This load is not to be confused with Federal's 60 gr (3.9 g) V-MAX (which uses the same bullet), the specifications from both manufacturers are the same.

Applications

Precision Rifle Series competitors benefit from having a bolt action rifle and MSR platform rifle in a common caliber.

See also

References
  1. "VELOCITY AND PRESSURE DATA – SAAMI New Cartridge & Chamber" (PDF). Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  2. "C.I.P. TDCC 224 Valkyrie" (PDF). Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  3. "New Hot-Rod .224 Valkyrie Cartridge from Federal". Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  4. "224 Valkyrie: Comparisons and Capabilities". Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  5. [http://www.municion.org/Menu/Fc01.htm Menú del sitio MUNICION.ORG
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.