224 Valkyrie

[redriverhunter]

My buddy has the hunger for a 224 Valkyrie. he would most likely use it for hunting hog and deer. I have no interest in the round and always wonder is it whole of hype. I read this article https://www.chuckhawks.com/224valkyrie_compared.html
The article supported my thoughts. He asking my opinion and I really don't want to give mine. Has anyone hunted with this round does perform well? thanks rrh

[M-Tecs]

As a hunting round for deer and hogs IMHO it is marginal. I have taken both deer and antelope with 22-250 and 220 Swift and with proper bullet selection and shot placement they both worked. The issue I have with the .224 Valkyrie is it's fast twist to stabilize the long heavy bullets. Since these bullets are so new not sure how well the will work on deer and hogs. If they don't perform as expected the next questions is will the lighter more traditional bullets withstand the RPM's from the quick twist?

I have never hunted hogs but 22 Cal would not be my first, second, third or fourth choice.

[PBlover429]

If you MUST use a 22 for pigs, the Barnes 70 TSX is by far the best bullet.

[white eagle]

I am building an AR rite now in that caliber
I have an AR in 6.5 Creedmoor and it out shoots most bolt guns I own
and if you ask my wife I have to many
I no nothing of Hype I like that its new and offers new opportunities
when your the new kid it seems to draw unwarranted criticism for what ever reason
but being fairly new is probably the reason
treading on the heels of one's tried and true is also cause for these feelings as well

[white eagle]

Chunk Hawks comparison is one of the most slanted I
have had read in a long time he forgot to compare it to
the 30-06,338 wm and the 375 HH mag
starts of he should have compared it to the 223 which is
really a more fair comp.
the AR15 platform need certain parameters to function and
that is why the Valkerie was made

[Texas by God]

The most oomph for .224" heavy bullets in the AR15 mag limitation is its reason for being. The 22 Nosler exists for the max velocity from lighter .224" bullets. Either one will kill pigs and deer with proper placement. The .223 does. Yes there are better choices.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[shooter93]

I have never really understood the seemingly rush of so many to use smaller and smaller calibers for larger game. Yes if used properly they can work but we all know how many "hunters' don't hit the best place on an animal. I have nothing against the caliber but to me any 22 caliber is very marginal for larger game.

[DukeInFlorida]

I occasionally see 224 Valkyrie brass at my gun club. Please send me a PM IF you would like me to start hanging onto that brass for your buddy. I don't have any opinions about it's actual performance, but I am always leery of new "FAD" chamberings where brass becomes like "Hen's Teeth"

[Hamish]

.224 Valk has been outstanding for killing hogs for a friend and his father in Victoria,Texas, using the 75 gr. TMJ load. "It punches way above its weight class" he says. Dad will use nothing else to kill hogs now.

https://www.federalpremium.com/224-valkyrie/

Not sure about the "new bullets" thing....... Sierra and Barnes are pretty well proven.

[M-Tecs]

.224 Valk has been outstanding for killing hogs for a friend and his father in Victoria,Texas, using the 75 gr. TMJ load. "It punches way above its weight class" he says. Dad will use nothing else to kill hogs now.

https://www.federalpremium.com/224-valkyrie/



FMJ's or TMJ are not a legal hunting bullet in most states. Never looked at the Texas regs. The Barnes Triple-Shock X
78-grain should be outstanding hunting bullet. It was introduced for the 224 Valkyrie. Before that I believe Barnes heaviest 22 Cal hunting bullet was 70 grain.

Sierra's heaviest hunting bullet in 22 Cal is 77 grains so the 90 and 100 grain hunting bullets are a new thing.




Not sure about the "new bullets" thing....... Sierra and Barnes are pretty well proven.

When the 224 Valkyrie was first being pushed they were claiming a 100 grain Fusion for hunting. https://www.ammoland.com/2017/10/224-valkyrie-long-range-shooting/#axzz5lg8n7VNb

That apparently didn't work as planned since it was replaced with a 90 grain. 90 grain match bullets have been played with for a long time in 22 Cal competitors. Due to various issues the 90 grain and above bullets have a very limited following. No real surprise they dialed it back to 90 grains.

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/10/224-valkyrie-long-range-shooting/#axzz5lg8n7VNb

[bruce drake]

Texans have been hunting deer and hogs with 22 caliber wildcats for years. I've got a 22 Wildcat rifle based off the 6mm Remington case that I rechambered a 22-250 barrel with a 1-14" twist barrel too a year back. I shoot paper with it so I don't intend to shoot anything heavier than 55gr with it but the guys who use the wildcat for hunting use 1-8" or tighter twist barrels for their 69-90gr bullets.

regarding the 22 Nosler, I'm not a fan of rebated rims and the 224 Valkyrie is simply a 6.8 SPC case necked down (so is the 22 Nosler but with a rebated rim so AR15 owners wouldn't have to replace their bolts if they just rebarreled their AR15 upper to the new caliber and bought the required 6.8SPC magazines).

22 Nosler is a single-source brass at this point and the guys who brought out the 224 Valkyrie banked on folks willing to convert over for the extra powder space in the 22 caliber chambering using the 6.8SPC brass wouldn't be phased by paying $90 for a new bolt for their AR15s in addition to the barrel and magazine change over. And having the ability to reform the 6.8SPC cases means folks can still make cartridges if their local gunshop can't get in 224 Valk brass on a regular basis.

Me??? When I saw the 224 Valk /22 Nosler cartridges coming out, I knew it was time to build an AR15 in 30 Herrett Rimless cartridge off the 6.8SPC cases as I knew that the case was now here to stay.

And I like the bigger 30 caliber AR15 cartridge.... ;) After experimenting with 300BLK and 7.62x39 AR15 carbines, this one is the best of the three.
240164

[Lloyd Smale]

Valkyrie reminds me of the 6.5 creedmore guys. It is what it is. Its not magical. It was designed as a longer range varmint and target round that was more powerful yet fit in an ar15. It wasn't designed as a deer or pig killing caliber so why compare it in that aspect. If I was shooting prairie dogs at 350 yards id pick it over a 223 in a second. Will enough people feel the need for its extra power. Probably not. Its still not a 22-250 heavy barreled bolt gun. My guess is it will fade into the history books along with the short mags, 6.8 and 30 rem. and the Grendel (the one that I think makes the most sense) . Creedmore is a bit better. Ammo will be available for it probably till im in the ground because the marketers went full out on that one and got many more to drink the koolaid.

[Hickok]

My biggest complaint with any small caliber gun used for deer, is after making the shot, if the deer runs (as most do) then you have to track the animal. Small calibers do not usually blow out a nice big exit hole, and tracking can be difficult.

I never subscribed to the "Berger hunting Bullets" theory of total bullet disintegration will always stop an animal dead in its tracks. Deer shot at 30-40 yards in heavy cover/brush/timber or at 300 to 400 yards away with heavy calibers, can still run a good distance in the 10 to 45 seconds it takes for circulatory system to shut down. I want a good exit hole so blood is pumped out on the ground for tracking.

I am not talking about head shots, neck shots, spine shots, or shoulder bone shots,.... Lung and heart area shots from various angles under hunting conditions.

If the 22 Nosler or the 224 Valkie can drive a good bullet through a deer's chest cavity and out the other side, leaving a nice exit hole, then I would be agreeable to using them on deer.

[lightman]

I have no experience with the cartridge so I won't promote or bash it. I am however slow to load up on the band wagon of the newest and greatest. Thats just me.

The 223 is adequate for shooting pigs. Shot placement is important and head shots are preferred. Pigs are considered pest here in Arkansas and are not regulated by Game and Fish. No season or bag limits and I don't know of any ammo restrictions. We host a pig hunt at our deer club and most of the guys shoot AR's in 223.

[dverna]

My buddy has the hunger for a 224 Valkyrie. he would most likely use it for hunting hog and deer. I have no interest in the round and always wonder is it whole of hype. I read this article https://www.chuckhawks.com/224valkyrie_compared.html
The article supported my thoughts. He asking my opinion and I really don't want to give mine. Has anyone hunted with this round does perform well? thanks rrh

Maybe just ask him why he thinks it is better than X, Y, or Z. I am in the camp that none of the "new and improved" cartridges offer much in terms of improvement (for the cost of getting a rifle and setting up to load for it) but I honestly have never looked at the .224 Val. I am OK with the .223 and have no need for something better.

BTW, if he is asking your opinion, he may be questioning already. Not sure why you would not voice your opinion and help him. I did that with a buddy (who shoots a box a year) who wanted a 6.5 CR to replace his .270...now that would have been silly.

[MaryB]

I looked at this before settling on 6.5 Grendel... Grendel has more energy on target, parts are now readily available for a bunch of rifle platforms...