Savage 110 Prairie Hunter 224 Valkyrie - a stranger rifle than you might think.

With 22-250 Remington and 243 Winchester dominating the market for high velocity cartridges, is there a place and purpose for a 224 Valkyrie bolt action rifle? Yes indeed.
The Savage 110 Prairie Hunter 224 Valkyrie is a stranger rifle than you might imagine at first glance. I figured eventually we would see a Savage 224 Valkyrie bolt action rifle, and I wondered what configurations we would see. So far we have the Mossberg MVP 224 Valkyrie with its AR magazines and unique bolt for picking up double-stacked rounds. The Savage Prairie Hunter 224 Valkyrie heads in a different direction, however, using a new 4-round box magazine and the usual solid bolt head. That bolt head and magazine alone are a big deal, meaning that Savage can now set up rifles for 6.8 SPC or any other future rounds that use the 0.422" head. And the magazine can now allow us to play with Cartridge Over-All Length. This could mean new projectiles and a higher velocities.
As for the rest of the Savage 110 Prairie Hunter 224 Valkyrie, expect the same threaded muzzle, configurable furniture, Accutrigger, and action as the other Savage 110 rifles. This one includes a 20-MOA base, too. The 22" barrel features a 1:7" twist, so expect solid performance with the heavier projectiles, but maybe not the 90-grain SMKs. We'll see. So far they seem to prefer a 1:6.5" twist.
Since we're now taking the limits off with a bolt action rifle, why might someone choose 224 Valkyrie vs 22-250 Remington? First, the rifle and ammo are set up for heavy projectiles. Sure, 22-250 is faster, but most 22-250 rifles and rounds are built around 45-grain to 60-grain projectiles. If you get a 22-250 barrel that handle the heavier projectiles, the consumables get expensive. 224 Valkyrie is actually pretty darn cheap by comparison.
And 224 Valkyrie vs 243 Winchester? Again, 224 Valkyrie is cheaper, and 243 rounds generally only come in two types: lightweight varmint loads and 100-grain spire-point hunting loads. If you want solid long-range performance from 243 Winchester, you'll probably have to roll your own.
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Kyle Broderick, The Social Regressive

[@mikep32]

I do hope savage does start manufacturing a bolt action in 6.8 spc. I'm glad you mentioned it and I hope it gets people asking for it.

[@RevM]

I'm just waiting for them to drop the 224 Valk magazines from this gun as spares. I built my own 6.8 on a 110 that shoots lights out and just want a reliable, properly designed mag rather than tweaked 22-250 or 308 ones.

[@bryanheimann5370]

What you are missing about this cartridge: Sectional density. There is no other centerfire rifle cartridge that offers factory ammo, with .250 sectional density, 1,400 fpe and less than 5 pounds of recoil. Good example is the 90 grain federal fusion load. In .22-250 you can't get those good heavy high sectional density bullets in a factory load. Even if you could the slow twist would kill them. You need that good sectional density to penetrate through shoulder bones and still pass through the vitals. .224 valkyrie looks like about the best deer cartridge for children or elderly, recoil sensitive people. Completely different than other .22 centerfire cartridges.

[@pjp967]

What is the right twist for the valkyrie then.

[@bryanheimann5370]

@@pjp967 google it wise guy

[@jfox71]

A 220 swift is also a fantastic 224 cartridge

[@oso1165]

love your videos bro

[@paulwatterson5992]

Good point with the 22-250. With the 224 Valkyrie (AR Diamond Back), AR Stoner magazine, and a 62 grain Barnes TSX ... you can reach the lands easily and the bottom of the bullet extends well beyond the bottom of the neck.

[@waynemensen4252]

TSX's are designed to be well off the lands.

[@scottc3165]

This is great info. I was looking into the 22-250 but got sidetracked on the .224. Mostly wanted it for varmints.

[@frankschneider5566]

Good job on your video. I have a Valk in an AR platform and you can bet your arse i will be getting a Savage in the Valk as well. I do love and respect the 22-250 a lot but i believe my 243 is a turbo version on the deuce fifty and I feel it leaves the 250 behind a bit in all categories. So, love the Valk or hate it - it appeals to me in a big way

[@LoadsofBacon]

Great video as always. My favorite part was the tactical beanie.

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks, Loads of Bacon! I had considered using the tagline "The Worst Hats in Gun Reviews," but then I saw Richard Ryan's videos. :(

[@JustDeeOutdoors]

I have a Valkyrie AR with a 1:7 barrel. I have had a hard time getting a reload recipe that shoots accurately. Finally found that my rifle shoots the 62 grain FUSION bullets really well. These are 'pulled' bullets, but still, I'm getting great groups. I have shot several south Texas whitetail and hogs with the rifle/bullet combo and none have gone very far after being hit. The Fusion bullets, out of my 224, are very effective for hunting. It has become my go to rifle and ammo here in south Texas. I am thinking about the bolt rifle from Savage, just to see if I can get a wider variety of reloads to shoot accurately. I'd prefer to have a 1:6.5 barrel on my AR, I think that would help my groupds?

[@SocialRegressive]

My buddies that shoot .224 Valkyrie report that 1:6.5" is the fix. I'm glad you found a good match for your rifle in the meantime. Sounds like it's really effective.

[@joeltipton6038]

Love the Boyds stock on your project rifle i have 3 of that exact stock glass bedded projects and they are all tack drivers’

[@BornGaming32]

I'd like to know your opinion (or a video review) on the 6mm Creedmoor vs .243 Winchester. Please don't get me started on the 6mm ARC. Hornady would've been better off standardizing the 6x45mm than introducing a new AR cartridge into an already flooded segment.

[@SuperJlarge]

Maybe I missed it, but was the actual performance (Precision, feeding, velocity) ever mentioned or tested as part of this review? It seemed to just be more of “valkyries can be had in bolt guns” instead of anything really about the cartridge in the rifle listed in the description.

[@SocialRegressive]

This rifle has only just been announced. It's more a discussion of the rifle's configuration and purpose. Hopefully I can get my hands on the rifle sometime soon for real-world testing.

[@billyarnold5467]

You have made me spend a lot of money. Savage m10 grs 6mm creedmoor savage 110 224 valkyrie savage a22 pro varmint. They all shot like you said! THANKS AGAIN

[@SocialRegressive]

Now that's what I like to hear! I'm glad I've been able to steer you right. Make sure you catch the huge optics series!

[@rogerurby]

I know there has been serious issues with brass consistency and accuracy related to 224 Valkyrie. Has that been resolved in the last 3-4 months? I can just load an 80 grain amax in my .223 and have almost the same thing at a fraction of the price and much better accuracy. I want this caliber to be good but I've heard nothing good about it really.

[@StreetbeatDesigns67]

Right around 6:46 you mention a few things about bullet quality, including the quality of the brass. I'm fairly novice in the firearms world and I feel like I have heard a few different people mention "good brass", but I haven't ever heard anybody elaborate on what makes brass good or bad. Maybe you could make a quick video on this? (There doesn't seem to be anything that is terribly detailed on the subject already on KZbin)

[@blacksaxcam]

This would be a great topic for a video. Mostly it comes down to consistency. Sorry to plug another channel, but I think 6.5 Guys did a video on high quality brass. They tested some, measuring for consistency (weight of case), and tried to see how many times they could load it (they gave up before it failed). I think it was Lapua brass they were using

[@SocialRegressive]

@@blacksaxcam nailed it.

[@Dustysa4]

It actually seems like people are having great success with this cartridge out of bolt actions. It's too bad Federal didn't just introduce a new cartridge like this, without trying to make it work within the constraints of the small frame AR. Then they probably wouldn't have the brass issues, velocity issues, and stability issues that people have been complaining about. Truth be told, I think a lot of people would be interested in a low recoil ELR cartridge just for bolt actions.

[@morgansilva7681]

6mm creedmoor or 22 creedmoor . Proper twist rates; fit in the short action properly; with the heavies with 30 degree shoulders. Just a thought all factory to.

[@AlmightyThor82]

An advantage to having a bolt Valkyrie over an AR platform- no gas getting spit in your face while shooting suppressed.

[@SocialRegressive]

Good point.

[@sweet65mustang]

As someone that shoots AR's supressed I have to say if you were to shoot it as slow as you would a bolt gun you shouldn't get much gas in the face if your gun is set up right. I don't really notice it until I bang out rounds and then it does suck.

[@ScooterLee-ei1ep]

Then you suck at building ars

[@shauntucker5145]

i've wanted to take a savage 22.250 swap the barrel out to a 1:6.5 or 1:7 twist and shoot the heavy bullets out of it.

[@mikekupetsky6879]

I have been planning that for years

[@cs_yt]

The Mossberg MVP 224V doesn't exist. They advertised back in Jan 2018, but none came to the retailers yet. I'll be buying the 110 224V, for few reasons, 1. I have sub-moa loads developed for my AR 224V, so it will likely shoot well. 2. You can put it in a chassis and use AICS magazines, which I will be doing. 3. I think it will be a good option for PRS, less recoil (easier to spot the shots) and lighter to carry, so I plan to take it to matches, if it all confirms.

[@sweet65mustang]

I have some nice AR parts laying around to build a 224v but lost confidence when JP informed me the barrel I ordered wasn't able to shoot consistent groups. Then as I read being rumors that they figured out the accuracy I started hearing the cases were stretching out the primer pockets and could only be reloaded twice at best. How are things going for you?

[@cs_yt]

@@sweet65mustang The problem is that the early barrels were cut with a reamer that has chambers out of spec (too much free bore). After 5 barrels I finally had one cut to SAAMI specs and the problem was solved. The primer pocket issue still happens, but there are ways to fix it and Starline brass is better than Federal. I have 6 reloads on Federal brass and it is still good, after few primer pockets getting fixed. There is a lot of misinformation on 224V out there. Check my shooting channel CShooter for how to deal with the pockets and shooting sub-moa at 550Y.

[@eggbert191]

Know nothing about 224 but bolt action able to give you more room to play with over all cartridge length for the 224?

[@eggbert191]

This is what happens when I comment before the end of the video lol.

[@SocialRegressive]

@@eggbert191 :D

[@robertrousseaux1059]

I am attempting to stretch it out without the fur damage, but hopefully a clean kill on coyotes .

[@joechrisman8257]

I'd think the Speer Gold Dot 75 grain bullet would be hell on deer, coyote, pigs @ about 3000 fps. DRT

[@SocialRegressive]

They have a 75-grain now?! I want it! Heck, I NEEDED it yesterday. The 75-grain BTHP bullets did OK on hogs, but I'd prefer neater kills.

[@TheChristonline]

224 V barrel life is 5 times greater than 243 and 22-250, both of those rounds are awesome but burn barrels quick. Bought an upper and out of the box 1/2 " moa at 100 / at 300 got 1.25" shooting federal premium 78 grain

[@SocialRegressive]

Hot dang. That's impressive.

[@daverodkey]

I like the looks of the Mossberg much more, it doesn't have that huge manhole cover bolt shroud that requires an indersized , anemic looking stock in that area.

[@sandygravitt2451]

Another factor to keep in mind is barrel life. .22-250 and .243 are not known for longevity. Especially if you use enough velocity to be able to reach out to longer ranges. The barrels in the Federal demo Valkyrie rifles are said to have near 6000 rounds down the tube and still drive 90 grain bullets to over 1000 yards with good precision. Most .243s are shot out between 900 and 1500 rounds if you believe what “they” say on the internet.

[@shaadydog1]

I think everyone is missing the point of this being way better than 223, and especially the cross compatibility here. 224 Bolt and AR, and with both platforms you could very easily swap either over to a 30 cal cat thats on the market and out do any 300 black/7.62x39 or go the 6.8 if you prefer. 6.8 AR loses little performance in shorter barrel configs. Handloaders pushing the AR COAL to 2.295 and obviously the Bolt allows you to seat even a little longer for the better long range rds. This could be the best cross platform caliber available, 6x6.8 pretty awesome too.... just do some research as to what is being done, Starline also sells basic brass for wildcatters too

[@basilstaros5730]

1:7 barrel twist. Id rather see it in 1:6.5

[@SocialRegressive]

I'd like to give it a try and see if the longer barrel keeps the bullet stable all the way out to transonic and beyond.

[@chrissliger2871]

It is hard to find a 22-250 with a twist in 1n7 or 1n8 to put a heavy bullet to nock a deer in the dirt or have to do a head shot

[@landonagee4488]

Use a Winchester 55gr ballistic silver tip in the 22-250. That deer won’t ever blink again. I use a Thompson center encore and I don’t have any issues taking deer.

[@NoBrakes23]

Interesting. If the bottom metal could take AR mags, I'd be more on board. Having 30 rounders isn't the appeal so much as taking advantage of mags that I already own.

[@SocialRegressive]

I get it. I imagine the Mossberg MVP will sell pretty darn well.

[@ibanezsmith7317]

I like the ability to buy one ammo for my ar15 and my bolt gun

[@shaadydog1]

A great selling point.

[@NewfieCRF]

It sure is strange . Can’t even buy a spare magazine from Savage for the Prairie Hunter 224 I now have a one shot rifle

[@hornet224]

How can you comment on the Savage Prairie Hunter when you don't have one to test??? The Savage PH is exactly that - Dogs, coyotes and hogs. It is expected to be super accurate and lowest cost to shoot from an affordable bolt gun. My AR-15 224VLK is awesome because I can see the bullet on impact. A bolt gun in the same caliber is handy while my smoking AR cools down.

[@justa3v619]

My ruger American 243win really likes the hornady 95gn sst, which are like 23$ a box but I did just find some on sportsmans guide loaded by fiocchi for 16$ a box I really hope they are as accurate as the hornady loads. In the process of doing a few mods cant decide if I want the at one or the pro varmint w/ adjustable comb. Im wanting to upgrade eventually from the factory sporter barrel but Im not sure what barrel I need. I was actually hoping you could point me in that direction. Ive googled ruger American replacement barrels but theres so many and I don't know which one will work. Are most bolt action rifles like ar15s and the barrels are interchangeable? Like will a barrel that says its for a stevens ,Mossberg, savage, or so on work on my ruger? Ive got a 20' 224 valkire ar15 also with the 1/7 twist and I haven't even had a chance to run some good ammo through it but when I ordered it 6 months ago I ordered 300 rds of the federal 75gn fmj and they do ok averaging just over 1 inch groups at 100yds but Im hoping with some match ammo or handloads I can tighten that up a bit. My 18" Grendel mops the floor with that valkire so far but Ive been shooting and loading for the Grendel for over 2 years now for some reason the 100yd groups aren't that impressive from my Grendel it hovers between .75 to 1.25 inch groups but once I stretch it out to 450 yds its consistently shoots 2.5' to 3' in groups. I don't really have the room to shoot any farther than 450yds but Id really like to get it out to at least 600yds and see how it does.

[@joechrisman8257]

Ppv .243 $11 box online 100gr

[@justa3v619]

Joe Chrisman yep I’ve got over 450rds of 100gn soft points. Most of those are federal but I have a hundred or so of Remington and Winchester mixed in. My local Walmart has the federal 100gn sp for 11.99$ it’s almost as cheap to shoot as my 223.

[@LSMG2004]

Lol, I was your 224th like on this video

[@michaellewis5624]

Received mine from classic firearms this week. I love this bolt 224 valkyrie! Trigger breaks clean at 1.5lbs, stock feels great, came with extra butt pad and cheek pad. I added a muzzle break, vortex 3x12x56 hog hunter scope. Using 78gr barnes bullets I'm getting 3/4 to 1.25 groups at 100 yards. 2-2.5 at 200. Dead on at 100y 4in low at 200. Good enough for me! I'm very satisfied. I will try other loads later.

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks for the report! Sounds like a fun little rifle.

[@CQCMachine]

I've killed several deer with 22-250, all within 100 yards. Only one with no exit wound but that one dropped like a rock

[@SocialRegressive]

Rock on. What bullets do you use?

[@CQCMachine]

@@SocialRegressive Winchester ballistic silvertip, 55gr I believe. Ruger m77 with a 22 or 24" barrel. Killed my first 2 or 3 deer with it! I was 10 or 11 at the time in '08 here in Missouri! Hunting close to the Lucas oil speedway in Wheatland 🤘. The first deer was facing towards me at about 65yds, shot in the neck on the low side of the white patch, second two deer were broadside within 50yds. Only one had an exit wound, but the heart and lungs were completely blown out. Only the one with the exit wound ran about 50ish yards before she piled up. Great videos! I love cartridge discussions! Any news on the 6.8 western?

[@CQCMachine]

@@SocialRegressive just called my uncle, it was the 55gr silvertip

[@MrJtin69]

Fun fact p.o. ackley said if he couñd only have one rifle it be 220 swift for deer and under at up to 400 yards

[@102Montana]

SO…four years later …what do you think now???

[@timothyrushman2452]

22-250 with a 1-9 twist shooting 60 to 69 gr would be faster and reach as far

[@waynemensen4252]

You just have to buy almost twice as much powder!

[@sjohnson1776]

I think Federal is keeping the price point low to sell ammo and bring new enthusiasm (low cost, low recoil, decent performance on small game) to the shooting sports. Oh...and they're also trying to hoover up some of the air out there at the expense of the 6.5 Creedmoor fan club. Savage just wants to sell rifles :-) BTW...I picked up a 12FV in 6.5 the other day at Cabela's. $319.97. I really dislike that stock!

[@halfdollar86]

Consider it a barreled action for 319 that you can shoot until you get a better stock / chassis.

[@SocialRegressive]

@@halfdollar86 Exactly right.

[@beretta989]

The federal brass in junk. 2-3 reloads and the primers fall out. Starline brass is much higher quality brass.

[@tinncan]

If savage would come out with a fast twist 22-250 instead of this they would probably sell better...

[@posjoey]

tinncan you misspelled "22 Creedmoor".

[@marshallwarden4240]

For the life of me I can't figure out why this hasn't happened. 22- 250 would be a world beater with 7 twist & a roomy throat.

[@SocialRegressive]

They do have one. It's in the 12 series, I think.

[@JacksonMalcolm]

The problem is with the bullets, lots of people try and find the jackets are too thin and separate. It's almost easier to over come by using a slower twist and using velocity to help stabilize.

[@Mike-xi4zt]

@@JacksonMalcolm revolutions per second is what stabilizes. most modern bullets can handle high rates of twist. They use better jackets now rather than reformed 22 rim-fire cases for jackets like Vernon Speer did after WW2.

[@marshallwarden4240]

I know ppl who deer hunted for long time with 223 years. Never had one take a second step. 223 has little recoil & is inherently a little more accurate for that reason. Head shots are child's play with correct type of ammo, quality ammo & a little practice.

[@joechrisman8257]

I hand load 80 grain soft points in my .223/5.56 22" barrel 2750 fps. H4895 1moa. DRT

[@SocialRegressive]

@@joechrisman8257 What bullet are you using? Just yesterday we were hunting hogs with 75-grain BHTP, and while they did the job, I'd like to try a bullet that expands neatly.

[@joechrisman8257]

80 gr soft point. Got 500 while back. Cheap but work good. Midway label, not sure manufacturer ? Seem to work good 70-80 % weight retention. Maybe Serria GK or similar

[@koonnuts89]

Thank you. proper shot placement and bullet choice is what matters. Seen a deer shot five times with a 7 mag before it died. Been millions of deer killed with a 22 rimfire in front of a spot light. it's all about shot placement in my opinion.

[@Mike-xi4zt]

@@koonnuts89 I doubt "millions..with 22 rimfire". However you are correct that accuracy beats trying to scare them to death with a big boom.

[@randywhite6468]

So does a 220 Swift, make no mistake about that. But if you really want volatility, look at a wildcat cartridge that basically a 308 neck down to a 224 Called a 22 Cheetah..... Its a rocket.

[@spartan7404]

Seeing a scout scope on an AR15 is painful.

[@SocialRegressive]

It was an interesting test, but certainly not my favorite setup. Turns out it's great for folks with certain eye problems, though.

[@sideshowbilly3755]

Fast-forward to 2023.... 224 unavailable, or expensive if you find it 6.5 Grendel, unavailable, or expensive if you find it 22-250 unavailable, or expensive if you find it 243 available, pricing not too bad

[@clintonandrus5217]

Meh it's a 22 if I want to shoot a 22 I will pull out the Henry lever action. That said I will purchase one of this so I can jerk the barrel and bolt out sell them online and get a savage ptg ppg bolt head and rebarrel it as a long throated 264lbc and have even more energy then the 22 cal valkrie could hope to make. Might buy 2 and turn the other into a 22 grendel and smoke the valkrie's backside with the same bullets it uses. Ain't no replacment for displacement.

[@billharvey9959]

Here in NH you can't shoot a deer with anything with a bullet under 6mm

[@Mike-xi4zt]

A deer is not more dead because it got shot with a 80 grain 243/6mm than with a 80 grain 224/5.56mm bullet. There is no animal on this planet that would know the difference and die differently.

[@MyLonewolf25]

25-06 6.5-06 Never look back

[@ScooterLee-ei1ep]

25-06 can be beat by a 25-08 all the 06 spin offs can be beat by 308 Wildcats.

[@rileyneufeld7001]

.25 caliber bullets just don't have the BC to compete with the 6mm 6.5mm and 7mm diameter bullets. I would rather get a 6.5 PRC than a wildcat 6.5-06 and have to be stuck with reloaded ammunition. Even a standard 7mm rem mag is very well equipped for 1000+ yard shots with eld and Berger pills.

[@TommyboyGTP]

6mm Valkyrie... hmmm... i'm thinking 60 grain ballistic tip varmint bullet would rip from that.

[@LSMG2004]

Prairie dogs get blown apart by .224

[@ansebbianvonhessen7570]

The thing is a .224 diameter bullet gets to long (past the sweet spot) when it gets past The 80gr mark, its like having a .17 cal bullet that's 3 inches long, its not going to fly right to its proportion...... only way to make the bullet heavier is to make it longer until it get tooooooo long to stabilize!

[@pjp967]

why would a deer be tougher to kill than a hog with this .224? I thought that a good size hog would be much tougher than a medium size white tail

[@SocialRegressive]

Hogs are the tougher animals in my experience, but supposedly its muscle density is less than deer muscle. I think I should eat more meals of both and deliberate on it.

[@samlantz3116]

Hey bud, 6mm Remington is better than 243, just sayin.

[@shaadydog1]

LOL ya if the barrel twist is right, and any 06 based chambering trumps an 08, in stock, Ackley, or Gibbs form.

[@Mike-xi4zt]

6mm rem and 243 win are ballistically equal with modern powders. 60 years ago that may not have been true. 243 fits in a short action easier to find and cheaper ammo.

[@MrJtin69]

And 220 swift kicks 22-250 ass

[@msb2948]

6arc is better than 6 valk.

[@gsh341]

Honestly, the only thing the 224 Valkyrie does better than the 6.5 Grendel is punch paper. In every other way the 6.5 Grendel is a far superior AR length round. Using published data for standard Hornady ammo and the Hornady Ballistics calculator for the 6.5 Grendel 123gr SST and the 224 Valkyrie 88gr ELD-M and the following settings and standards; speed of sound = 1,100 fps, scope center is 1.5" over the bore, zero is 200 yards, altitude of 1,500' ASL, temp is 70°F, minimum velocity for consistent bullet expansion is 1,600 fps, minimum power to humanely kill medium sized game is 1,000 ft/lbs Range at which the round goes subsonic; 6.5 Grendel = 1,150 yards (330 ft/lbs) 224 Valkyrie = 1,300 yards (237 ft/lbs) Max range for 1,600 fps 6.5 Grendel = 650 yards (696 ft/lbs ) (590 ft/lbs at 750 yards) 224 Valkyrie = 750 yards (500 ft/lbs) Max range for 1,000 ft/lbs 6.5 Grendel = 400 yards (1,940 fps ) 224 Valkyrie = 250 yards (2,280 fps) Bullet drop at 1,000 yards 6.5 Grendel = 388.4" (406 ft/lbs ) 224 Valkyrie = 340.8" (346 ft/lbs) Other than a little farther supersonic range which means a little less bullet drop, the 224 Valkyrie lags in power and effective range. As I see it, it's a cartridge in search of a reason to exist.

[@AlmightyThor82]

Valkyrie is geared towards the target- PRS crowd. For speed, drop, and supersonic distance Valkyrie is superior (your number prove that). And, it makes an awesome prairie dog gun. If I'm going after medium sized game (antelope, deer), I'd want the power of the Grendel.

[@gsh341]

​@@AlmightyThor82 - That's what I said. The Valkyrie is a decent wound for targets and prairie dogs, but that's about it. Additionally, at 1,000 yards with a 90° crosswind of 10 mph, the Grendel has 98.2" (9.4 MOA or 2.7 Mils) of drift and the Valkyrie has 85.3" (8.1 MOA or 2.4 Mils) of drift. That's a difference of 12.9" (1.3 MOA or 0.3 Mils) at 1,000 yards. That's not a big difference, but at 1,000 yards it's enough to affect a score. However, at the max effective range for a Grendel at 400 yards, it's just 1.5" difference. So the question becomes, are you a hunter or a target shooter? If you're a hunter AND a target shooter, then the 6.5 Grendel is the round you should choose.

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks for the data! It's a great comparison.

[@dustinmyeye8752]

So it is a more accurate round in every single way and still lethal at 1000 yards with a lot less recoil. Exactly what is wrong with that ?

[@gsh341]

@@dustinmyeye8752 - If you look at both the power and the velocity necessary to kill a deer sized animal and ensure decent expansion, the 224 Valkyrie just doesn't cut it. If all you want is to punch paper or shoot prairie dogs, the 224 Valkyrie is decent enough.

[@CSLFiero]

224v, can it hit a doggo at 1000+? with the right load and barrel, sure. will anyone ever actually hit a doggo at 1000+ with a 224V?? LOL no. lucky shot only. 224V is a paper puncher. 223 ammo is cheap and gets you to realistic ranges 6.5 has the power to hit WTD at ranges a good shooters could reasonably expect to connect with WTD.

[@CSLFiero]

And look, there's nothing wrong with punching paper. but if you're doing it for a reason, you're probably not doing it with an AR15. if you're doing it with an AR15, the reason is so that you can say "I can hit at 1300 with my ar15".

[@dustinmyeye8752]

If you can hit paper then you can hit a target.

[@jazon9]

6.5 Grendel > 224 Valkyrie.

[@SocialRegressive]

I think I need to test both side-by-side. If I must. :D

[@michaellewis5624]

Who cares? Nothing wrong with trying something new, some say 6.5 is better, maybe so, some say 270 is better than 6.5, I like to try new things sometimes! If I don't like them I will sell it. There is no perfect rifle or cartridge, you can nitpick anything to pieces. Perfection doesn't exist. Some of us enjoy the sport, trying new things and don't sweat the small stuff. I'm very happy with my valkyrie, I have bigger and better, but I really enjoy the valkyrie! JMHO

[@tazoriginal]

Did you really do a rifle “review” with no rifle?

[@randalloc]

How can you honestly review a rifle you haven't even put your hands on let alone shoot?

[@SocialRegressive]

I'm not reviewing the rifle - yet. This is about the concept of a bolt-action in 224 Valkyrie.

[@1hunterdale]

junk caliber like 308

[@TheChristonline]

224 V barrel life is 5 times greater than 243 and 22-250, both of those rounds are awesome but burn barrels quick. Bought an upper and out of the box 1/2 " moa at 100 / at 300 got 1.25" shooting federal premium 78 grain