.224 Valkyrie

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Got a chance to sneak away to the range today and put some rounds through the new rifle. Nothing exciting but time will tell and I will keep trying!

 
I have tried varget, h4350, tac, power pro 2000, and cfe223...

Mine runs the best with an 80gr eld over 25.7 gr tac... 2880fps and a laser @ 700yds.

It has made a 5 shot sub 5" group at that distance.
 
farmerboy78 said:
I have tried varget, h4350, tac, power pro 2000, and cfe223...

Mine runs the best with an 80gr eld over 25.7 gr tac... 2880fps and a laser @ 700yds.

It has made a 5 shot sub 5" group at that distance.
Click to expand...
Where did you get load data for H4350? Thanks,
Dom
 
TAC meters well,through most measures, nice when you want to load up a lot of practice ammo.
 
Good video Dom. Still not 100% sold on the Valk being as great as they claim. Accuracy seems to be hit or miss, as in a good rifle once you hit your point where you have a load dialed in, you should be seeing 1/2" or better groups on a consistent basis. Most info Ive seen the brass seems to get beat up at higher loads, primer pocket life seems to be down. And in alot of cases, shooting bullets in the 77gr and lower range, guys are having trouble getting much above a 223 load for velocity.

I wouldnt write powders like 8208 or 4895 off too quickly. Might be worth a try as they only just a little slower than Varget and CFE223.
 
Kaldor said:
Good video Dom. Still not 100% sold on the Valk being as great as they claim. Accuracy seems to be hit or miss, as in a good rifle once you hit your point where you have a load dialed in, you should be seeing 1/2" or better groups on a consistent basis. Most info Ive seen the brass seems to get beat up at higher loads, primer pocket life seems to be down. And in alot of cases, shooting bullets in the 77gr and lower range, guys are having trouble getting much above a 223 load for velocity.

I wouldnt write powders like 8208 or 4895 off too quickly. Might be worth a try as they only just a little slower than Varget and CFE223.
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Thanks Kaldor, I just ordered some Power pro 2000 MR, Reloader 17. big game and some win 760, I have 4895 and 8208 so we will try them all :) If I cant get velocities above 2700 FPS with 1/2" groups then its not worth a crap. I will keep an eye on the brass and primer pockets as well. I will keep everyone updated as there is very little out there on .224 valkyrie.
 
It’s kinda silly for folks to condemn the .224 valk based on poor results by a few random straw samples. It’s no harder on brass than 6.8spc ever was, and getting an accurate barrel is a matter of a proper chamber and twist - high precision 22cal rifles is nothing new, and 22 valk isn’t outside of the realm of existing experience. It’s a dog compared to several bolt action cartridges. Many new valk shooters are hot-to-trot bandwagon jumpers, without sufficient reloading experience to produce bughole groups no matter which cartridge they shoot. Others might buy a 1:7” twist and feed it long body 90’s over too fast of powder such they don’t get the speed needed to stabilize. That’s no fault of the cartridge.

Nobody should sell their 223rem to buy a Valk, it’s not that much better. But discounting the ability to buy junk surplus ammo and brass, and discounting any need to shoot factory ammo, there isn’t any reason to say a .223rem is decidedly better than the Valk. If a guy is buying a new barrel or rifle, it’s a coin flip at worst, and all performance advantages lean towards the Valk.
 
TheDomFather said:
Thanks Kaldor, I just ordered some Power pro 2000 MR, Reloader 17. big game and some win 760, I have 4895 and 8208 so we will try them all :) If I cant get velocities above 2700 FPS with 1/2" groups then its not worth a crap. I will keep an eye on the brass and primer pockets as well. I will keep everyone updated as there is very little out there on .224 valkyrie.
Click to expand...

1/2" is my gold standard for my guns that I shoot from a bench, so yeah, that sounds good.

Varminterror said:
It’s kinda silly for folks to condemn the .224 valk based on poor results by a few random straw samples. It’s no harder on brass than 6.8spc ever was, and getting an accurate barrel is a matter of a proper chamber and twist - high precision 22cal rifles is nothing new, and 22 valk isn’t outside of the realm of existing experience. It’s a dog compared to several bolt action cartridges. Many new valk shooters are hot-to-trot bandwagon jumpers, without sufficient reloading experience to produce bughole groups no matter which cartridge they shoot. Others might buy a 1:7” twist and feed it long body 90’s over too fast of powder such they don’t get the speed needed to stabilize. That’s no fault of the cartridge.

Nobody should sell their 223rem to buy a Valk, it’s not that much better. But discounting the ability to buy junk surplus ammo and brass, and discounting any need to shoot factory ammo, there isn’t any reason to say a .223rem is decidedly better than the Valk. If a guy is buying a new barrel or rifle, it’s a coin flip at worst, and all performance advantages lean towards the Valk.
Click to expand...

Random straw samples? Where? I havent seen guys printing groups sub 1/2" or better anywhere on a regular basis. And almost every reloading article or video Ive seen seem to struggle with accuracy, and primer pockets loosening up. Thats a concern. And Im not talking about guys using H335 with 90gr bullets either with a $200 PSA upper.

I want one, but only if it performs, and even then I probably wont build it on an AR platform.
 
Kaldor said:
1/2" is my gold standard for my guns that I shoot from a bench, so yeah, that sounds good.



Random straw samples? Where? I havent seen guys printing groups sub 1/2" or better anywhere on a regular basis. And almost every reloading article or video Ive seen seem to struggle with accuracy, and primer pockets loosening up. Thats a concern. And Im not talking about guys using H335 with 90gr bullets either with a $200 PSA upper.

I want one, but only if it performs, and even then I probably wont build it on an AR platform.
Click to expand...

I would have to say with the little bit that is out there I am not seeing amazing success either. I spent a good bit of money on the upper alone, not too mention all of the other crap I bought to reload for a new caliber. Of course there is always the most complex part of the problem which is my shooting :) I am getting better. I am not discouraged by this first test I will get better each time I go out as I get used to a new rifle. I think we will make this a winner!
 
Folks,
I am struggling here trying to find some accuracy. Now 6 powders tested with 5 charge weights each and cant find anything close to accurate with the 90gr SMK. Anyone have any ideas, suggestions or shooting .224 accurately? It seems there are many people struggling with .224 valkyrie. Take a look below and please let me know your thoughts. All loads shot with a CCI 41 primer, 2.260", FC brass on its second firing all trimmed perfectly to the trim to length.



Thanks for the help,
Dom
 
What's the twist rate on the barrel? Have you measured it?

Note that Sierra says the minimum twist rate for their 90 SMK is 1-in-6.5. Berger says their 90 grainer requires a 1-in-6. It's possible that you are only minimally stabilized.
 
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ATLDave said:
What's the twist rate on the barrel? Have you measured it?

Note that Sierra says the minimum twist rate for their 90 SMK is 1-in-6.5. Berger says their 90 grainer requires a 1-in-6. It's possible that you are only minimally stabilized.
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Twist is 1:7 this seems to be the problem, Spoke to Sierra a short while ago and they told me "most" barrels with a 1:7 twist will stabilize the 90gr SMK above 2650 FPS.
 
One of Brian Litz's books has a chapter on how stablization is not a yes-no binary thing as previously supposed. You can stabilize a bullet well enough to get round holes, but not well enough to achieve nominal BC or great accuracy.

Note that I know very little about precision rifle stuff - it's all hearsay based on what I have read. I am just starting to play around in this space. I'm whatever you are before you are a novice.
 
Berger’s calculator shows the 90 SMK at 2650 to be more than sufficiently stabilized in a 1:7”.

Something is wonky. The Valkyrie is new, but the 90 SMK is not. Lots of us have been shooting that bullet for a few years now out of long throated 223rem Match and Service Rifles. I’ve had happy groups with the 90 SMK out of 1:7” 223rem’s without even pushing the gas pedal, running something around 2500fps (can get quite a bit faster).

In other words, I’m not buying the “1:7” twist is the problem” theory. If that Valk isn’t running fast enough, then our 223’s certainly would not be either - but they ARE.
 
Varminterror said:
Berger’s calculator shows the 90 SMK at 2650 to be more than sufficiently stabilized in a 1:7”.

Something is wonky. The Valkyrie is new, but the 90 SMK is not. Lots of us have been shooting that bullet for a few years now out of long throated 223rem Match and Service Rifles. I’ve had happy groups with the 90 SMK out of 1:7” 223rem’s without even pushing the gas pedal, running something around 2500fps (can get quite a bit faster).

In other words, I’m not buying the “1:7” twist is the problem” theory. If that Valk isn’t running fast enough, then our 223’s certainly would not be either - but they ARE.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I am going to work up loads only at the higher end of the data which should all be over 2650 and we will then see if we find some accuracy. I called Sierra and thats what they told me. I will also work up the 88gr ELD-M. Hornady tells me they are designed to work in a 1:7 and the BC is very close to the SMK.
 
The depth of the rifling and the number of lands, the leads all come into play too. I've seen barrels with shallow lands not stabilize a bullet of the same twist rate.

I would think a 1:7 is what's needed to stabilize the 90gr SMK.

What jump to lands are you using? Magazine fed?
 
Blue68f100 said:
The depth of the rifling and the number of lands, the leads all come into play too. I've seen barrels with shallow lands not stabilize a bullet of the same twist rate.

I would think a 1:7 is what's needed to stabilize the 90gr SMK.

What jump to lands are you using? Magazine fed?
Click to expand...
Magazine fed, I have yet to measure depth to the lands. I will need to make up a dummy round for that. I have been running at 2.260"
 
I'm unable to play videos since my internet connection at times sucks = 24k dial up speeds. If a simi auto (can't tell by the lighting) may try single feeding them. I was talking to a engineer on the 224 Valkyrie on their bolt. As I'm in the process of profiling a Shilen 1:7 SS blank and had a question on their bolt. He told me I may have to open the barrel extension up to keep it from gouging the brass as it enters. I had already dehorned it, so I checked for that. Sure enough the bullet was getting scraped as it entered.
 
After watching some of Dom’s videos of late, I’m half tempted to start a gofundme just to cover the cost of the barrel to run the Valkyrie myself. I have too many other projects going to sink the ~$500 for the barrel, dies, and brass into a project rifle I don’t want, but I’ve been shaking my head at this kind of bad press so much lately, my neck has gone sore. So many guys are jumping on the Valkyrie hate train, using this kind of information as evidence. Seems like they’re completely ignoring all of the successful Valkyrie shooters out there and focusing on the few folks who have struggled with it.

It sucks that you’re struggling with it, but I also don’t see any real science behind what you’re doing in load development, and it seems like you’re grasping at straws.

I don’t own one myself, but I shot a Valk at 500 this weekend on 6” plates with cheap Federal AE ball ammo. I was running through transitions, still making impacts. I didn’t shoot groups, but I can say it wasn’t shooting more than 1moa of raw potential.
 
Varmint', have you ever posted your thoughts or processes on working up a load for a new rifle/cartridge from absolute scratch? As someone who is just starting to dabble in trying to reload rifle rounds for precision (I'm much more of a handgunner), I'm curious as to how you work through the variables. You don't happen to have a flow chart handy, do you? :p
 
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