.224 Valkyrie

The 224 Valkyrie (5.6×41 mm)[5] cartridge is a .22 caliber rimless bottlenecked intermediate rifle cartridge, developed by Federal Premium Ammunition to rival the performance of the .22 Nosler, while still 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 a long range "small platform" Modern Sporting Rifle, Federal took their proven 6.8 SPC case and necked it down to utilize a .224 diameter projectile. Prior to this, the ability to compete at long range (1000+ yards) was dominated in competition by the large-frame MSR's, primarily in .308 Winchester and 6.5mm Creedmoor.

Performance

There are several loads available for this cartridge from the factory.

Those loads include a 60 grain Nosler ballistic tip with a velocity of 3300 ft./s and a G1 BC (ballistic coefficient) of .270. This round was also one of the original four.

Berger Gold Medal .224 Valkyrie loaded with a Berger boat-tailed (BT) target 80.5 grain bullet with a velocity of 2925 ft./s and a BC of .441 in G1 format and a G7 of .226.

Barnes TSX .224 Valkyrie. This cartridge is loaded with an all copper hollow point 78 grain Barnes Triple-Shock X bullet with a velocity of 2850 ft./s and a G1 BC of .383. In states that do not allow lead projectiles to be used for hunting purposes this would be an Excellent choice since it is all copper and retains near 100% percent 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 grain Sierra Match King has a very high ballistic coefficient at .563 G1 BC and .274 G7 BC because its very heavy (and thus long) for its caliber. This high BC allows the bullet to resist wind effects better, while its mass makes it retain velocity longer. It has a rated velocity of 2700 ft./s. The 90 grain Sierra Match King had a rough launch however, with inconsistency in the ammunition produced by Federal. To Federal's credit, they have since rectified the inconsistency problems with a second generation 90 grain Sierra Match King load which seems to have fixed the problems with the previous generation. This round is intended for use in PRS (Precision Rifle Series) and similar small frame AR rifles.

Federal Fusion MSR .224 Valkyrie 90 grain. This particular cartridges is interesting in the fact that it was originally supposed to be 100 grains However it had stability problems in 1:7 twist barrels, hence the change to a 90 grain bullet. Recently there has been a trend towards 1:6.5 twist barrels that may be able to stabilize the 100 grain bullets, leading to some speculation that they may return to production. Its velocity is 2700 ft./s and a G1 BC of .424. This particular cartridge 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 grain V-MAX Bullet with a velocity of 3300 ft./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 cartridge is the plinking/economy cartridge of .224 Valkyrie with a full metal jacket 75 grain bullet traveling 3000 ft./s with a G1 BC of .400. It is one of the original four loads released for the .224 Valkyrie.

Hornady .224 Valkyrie 88 grain ELD Match. This is Hornady's extended range cartridge firing a 88 grain ELD match bullet at a velocity of 2675 ft./s and has a BC of .545 (G1) and .274 (G7). This bullet is meant for long range target shooting and competition.

Hornady .224 Valkyrie 75 grain BTHP Hornady Black. This cartridge fires a 75 grain BTHP bullet at a velocity of 3000 ft./s and a G1 BC of .395. This cartridge is meant to be used in target/competition shooting.

Hornady .224 Valkyrie 60 grain V-MAX Varmint Express. Not to be confused with Federal's 60 grain 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
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