Lauded for its long-distance capabilities, demand for the two-year-old MSR 15 cartridge has pushed an expansion of ammunition options.
In the fall of 2017, Federal announced its introduction of the 224 Valkyrie cartridge to the world. With a goal of outfitting competitors, long-range target shooters and hunters pursuing varmints up to deer-sized game, the new-fangled cartridge was initially available in four of Federal’s proven product lines. But just a few years later, it was clear the growing popularity of the 224 demanded an expansion of ammunition options.
It’s not hard to see what all the fuss is about; the 224 has no doubt infused both long-range precision and ballistic performance into the MSR 15 platform, something that Federal Premium Premium engineers could see coming. Throughout the cartridge’s extensive development and testing process those engineers saw the 224 Valkyrie deliver flat trajectories and supersonic velocities at as far as 1,300 yards downrange, along with match-grade accuracy.
Ready to give this exciting cartridge a try? Here’s a look at seven prime options Federal now has to offer for the popular, long-range 224 Valkyrie in 2019.
80.5-grain Gold Medal Berger Hybrid—This competition-style load features an advanced Hybrid OTM boat-tail bullet with a high ballistic coefficient to provide flat trajectories, less wind drift and drop, and world-class long-range accuracy. It uses Gold Medal match primers, Federal brass and specially formulated propellant, and they adhere to Federal Premium’s strictest specifications for accuracy, pressure and velocity.
90-grain Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing—This bullet design has been shot to win more competitive shooting matches than any other, thanks to a uniform jacket that ensures consistent, long-range accuracy, and a sleek boat-tail that maximizes ballistic coefficient.
60-grain Hornady V-Max—Put the hurt on everything from prairie dogs to coyotes with the precision of Federal Varmint & Predator. The new loads bring the accuracy and deadly expansion of the proven Hornady V-Max bullet, loaded with Federal’s proven brass, primer and propellant.
60-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint—The 224 Valkyrie is built to defeat wind drift and drop, and the 60-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint maximizes these built-in ballistics with a sleek, thin-jacket, polymer-tipped bullet. It’s designed to deliver explosive expansion and violent energy release on impact for quick kills on varmints and predators.
78-grain Barnes TSX—This proven all-copper hollow point groups tightly at long range and delivers consistent expansion. Barnes TSX monolithic design retains more than 99 percent of its weight on impact to penetrate deep, and its grooved shank minimizes barrel fouling and improves accuracy.
90-grain Fusion MSR—Virtually every component in Fusion MSR is optimized for peak ballistic performance in modern sporting rifles. New 90-grain 224 Valkyrie is designed to extend range even further, and offer devastating accuracy and terminal performance on medium game—with half the recoil of cartridges with similar ballistics.
75-grain American Eagle TMJ—Train like never before with 224 Valkyrie and American Eagle rifle. These loads feature Federal brass, clean-burning powder, consistent primers and accurate 75-grain TMJ bullets.
Loaded with a selection of high-performance projectiles, the 224 Valkyrie is a fast-growing choice for long-range target shooters and hunters looking to extend the reach of their favorite MSR 15. Plus, even though the new 224 Valkyrie was designed for gas-driven MSR 15 actions, it’s also extremely effective from bolt guns. All of this is great news for shooters looking for practical, economical and reliable 1,000-plus-yard performance.
The 224 Valkyrie is based on a 30 Rem./6.8 SPC case necked down to .224 caliber. Federal has found it offers up to 127.88 inches less drop and 68.76 inches less wind drift at 1,000 yards than the 223 Rem and other short-action calibers like the 22 Nosler and 6.5 Grendel. Plus, its ballistics are comparable to much larger, harder-kicking calibers like the 6.5 Creedmoor—with as little as half the felt recoil.
To say the 224 Valkyrie is fast, even at long ranges, is an understatement. Testing conducted by Federal Premium engineers confirms its high-speed capabilities. For example, the 224 Valkyrie 90-grain Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing produces leaves the muzzle at 2,700 feet per second; it maintains a 1,950 fps pace at 500 yards and 1,268 fps when crossing the 1,000-yard line. Testing has shown it remains supersonic out to 1,300 yards. Velocities are based on 24-inch test barrels with a 1:7 twist.
“Along with its ballistic benefits, the 224 Valkyrie also lowers the financial barrier of entry into shooting 1,000 yards for fun and competition,” said Federal Premium development engineer Jacob Burns. “Shooters can use the widely available and popular MSR 15 platform with high-performance yet economical ammunition that costs less than traditional long-range rounds like the 6.5 Creedmoor.”
