Testing a New Varmint/Target Cartridge
John Haviland
Unless you’ve been in a coma for most of the last year, you’ve no doubt heard of Federal’s new .224 Valkyrie cartridge. Federal states the Valkyrie is based on the 6.8 SPC case necked down to .224 caliber, beats the ballistics of all other AR-15 cartridges and offers comparable performance to larger cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor with about half the recoil. Those are substantial claims.
At the outset, Federal offered four loads for its Valkyrie that focused on heavy, .22-caliber bullets, and stated the following velocities fired from a 24-inch barrel with a 1:7 rifling twist: Federal Premium Nosler 60-grain Ballistic Tip Varmint, 3,300 fps; Federal American Eagle 75-grain Total Metal Jacket, 3,000 fps; Federal Premium Gold Medal Sierra 90-grain MatchKing, 2,700 fps; Federal Fusion 90-grain soft point, 2,700 fps.
The popularity of a cartridge depends initially on the availability of rifles. Savage Arms, Federal’s sister company, chambers the cartridge in its MSR15 Valkyrie and Recon LRP rifles. Airborne Arms, Barrett, CMMG, CMT JP Rifles, Mossberg and LaRue Tactical are also offering ARs for the cartridge. Palmetto State Armory is making an AR upper and Masterpiece Arms a bolt-action rifle, and there are probably others.
The Valkyrie Case
Federal employees searched through Norse folklore for a name for the cartridge. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries chose who died and who lived in battle. These female figures took those who died and brought them to Valhalla, the afterlife hall of the slain. Valkyrie goes along with Beowulf, as in .50 Beowulf, and Grendel, as in 6.5 Grendel, two other cartridges chambered in AR rifles.
This story is from the Varmint Rifle & Cartridges Fall 2018 edition of Rifle.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Varmint Rifle & Cartridges Fall 2018 edition of Rifle.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
CIMARRON .32-20 Short Rifle & Carbine
In the heyday of Winchester Repeating Arms Company lever guns, it offered muskets, standard rifles, short rifles and saddle ring carbines.
Remington's Model 722 and .222 Cartridge
It's easy enough to define what a varmint is, those pesky critters that tear up pastures, flower beds and all kinds of expensive crops people need for various reasons - most importantly, to make a living and/or something with which to feed themselves.
Coyote Bullets
What is Best for You?
Remington's 5mm Rimfire Magnum
Shooting a Classic
Winchester's New Wildcat
The Ultralight Rimfire Varmint Rifle
.223 Remington from .30-30 Winchester?
Multitasking for Varmints
LOADS FOR A .22 TCM
The .22 TCM first appeared commercially in 2012, chambered in a Rock Island Armory 1911-style handgun.
Everybody Loves Velocity
The 4,500-fps WSSM Project
A BOLT-ACTION FRANCHI 224 VALKYRIE
Testing New Loads
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire
Shooting Revolvers