Opinion: This wonderful article first appeared on AmmoLand Information in June of 2018 and seems right here now with recent updates.
Two of the most popular long-range cartridges for common goal use (if there may be such a factor) are 6.5mm Creedmoor and the model new .224 Valkyrie.
The 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridge had its tenth birthday final 12 months, so it’s not a brand new child on the block. Developed by Hornady again in 2007, its unique goal was long-range goal capturing. Since then, it’s advanced to be a stable multi-purpose spherical for goal, competitors, searching, and tactical functions. The .224 Valkyrie, then again, is only a toddler, coming to market this 12 months.
There are many nice long-range cartridges on the market, however I picked these two for a better look for a similar motive. Each are optimized (or appropriate if you happen to like) with the AR platform. The bigger 6.5mm Creedmoor requires the bigger AR-10 decrease receiver for its longer journal effectively whereas the .224 Valkyrie works simply fantastic in an ordinary AR-15 decrease receiver. Let’s take a better have a look at every after which get into some efficiency observations.
Take into account that this isn’t meant to be an apples to apples comparability with a results of one successful on the expense of the opposite. They’re totally different. If you wish to lengthen your “commonplace” AR-15 platform into one thing that does a significantly better job at 1,000 yards than the .223 Remington, then .224 Valkyrie is your Huckleberry. In the event you’re cool with em-biggening the rifle to an AR-10, then 6.5mm Creedmoor is a good choice.
The .308 Winchester begat the .30 TC, which later begat the 6.5mm Creedmoor, so there may be some unfastened resemblance between the usual .308 AR-10 and the Creedmoor. Its 2.825-inch general size permits it to work simply peachy in each short-action bolt weapons, and as talked about, the AR-10 platform with the suitable barrel and chamber. Ideally, you’ll additionally desire a tweaked high-pressure bolt with smaller firing pin and aperture. Whereas the chamber pressures between .308 and 6.5mm are related, the curve is totally different, therefore the good thing about bolt tweaking.
The 6.5mm Creedmoor makes use of .264 diameter bullets, most of that are within the 120 to 147-grain weight vary. The candy spot appears to hover round 140-grains, give or take. What makes the caliber tick for longer vary functions is the excessive ballistic coefficient, particularly when in comparison with the .308. In English, that implies that the bullets are longer and extra “slippery” within the air, so they have a tendency to get the place they’re going quicker. The muzzle velocity, often within the 2,600 ft per second vary, is average, so what makes the distinction if the flexibility of the bullet to carry its velocity farther down vary. Maintain that thought for a scorching second – we’ll come again to it in a minute with some real-world examples.
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The .224 Valkyrie comes from the 6.8 Remington SPC which in flip got here from the .30 Remington. Its dimensions permit it to slot in commonplace AR-15 journal wells. Whereas the magazines are a bit totally different (the Valkyrie makes use of 6.8 SPC mags), it suits inside the general measurement limits. To transform an ordinary AR-15 to .224 Valkyrie, you’ll want a brand new barrel, bolt, and journal. Whereas the bore diameter of .224 inches is similar, the chamber is considerably totally different, therefore the necessity for a barrel swap.
The Valkyrie takes commonplace .224-inch diameter bullets identical to the .223 Remington however handles increased weights. Widespread masses amongst these launched thus far vary between 60 and 90-grains, and 90 is the most typical thus far. Just like the 6.5m Creedmoor, the bullets are by definition lengthy for his or her weight, so the .224 Valkyrie additionally carries velocity downrange far more effectively than .223 Remington alternate options. Let’s contemplate some examples.
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Why Each Excel at Lengthy Vary
A Federal Premium Open Tip Match .308 168-grain bullet is meant to depart the muzzle at 2,650 fps in keeping with the field. At 500 yards, in my present atmospheric circumstances, it will likely be shifting at 1,794 fps, and by 1,000 yards, it’s nearly gone subsonic by slowing all the way down to 1,188 fps. A Federal Premium 140-grain Open Tip Match 6.5mm Creedmoor projectile is rated with a muzzle velocity of two,700 ft per second. At 500 yards, it’s doing 1,997 fps and 1,426 fps at 1,000 yards. The 6.5mm Creedmoor left with solely 50 fps extra muzzle velocity however carries a 238-fps benefit down vary. In different phrases, it doesn’t decelerate as shortly.
An identical phenomenon occurs with the .224 Valkyrie. When evaluating to the widespread “lengthy vary” model of a .223 Remington cartridge, the 77-grain bullets, it carries velocity down vary extra effectively. A Federal Premium .223 Remington loaded with a 77-grain Sierra MatchKing leaves the muzzle at 2,720 ft per second. At 500 yards, it’s nonetheless zipping alongside at 1,674 ft per second. At 1,000 yards, it’s gone subsonic to 1,056 ft per second. The Federal Premium 90-grain .224 Valkyrie has a muzzle velocity of two,700 fps. At 500 yards, it’s nonetheless cooking at 1,994 fps and carries 1,422 fps at 1,000 yards. Relying in your altitude and different circumstances, it will possibly stay supersonic previous 1,300 yards.
The power to “lose much less velocity over distance” is what makes the 6.5mm Creedmoor and .224 Valkyrie carry out effectively at lengthy vary. No bullet can defy gravity however what they’ll do it get to a distant goal quicker. The much less time {that a} projectile is subjected to gravity, the much less it drops. That’s why these cartridges, with related muzzle velocities to straightforward .308 and .223 rounds, carry out significantly better in four-digit yardage conditions.
We’ve talked about velocity, however what about bullet drop? Sure, bullet drop is straightforward to account for, and you may hit targets with boring consistency regardless that they drop lots. Nonetheless, it’s good to have the ability to hold your flight path inside the adjustment functionality of your scope so that you don’t must resort to carry over estimations or ramped scope mounts. It additionally makes a giant distinction when your whole trajectory stays in supersonic territory. When bullets do subsonic, the flight path turns into far more troublesome to foretell with consistency.
Utilizing the identical bullets in our velocity examples, right here’s what how a lot these bullets drop.
Cartridge
500 Yards
1,000 Yards
.308 168-grain
-56.34
-397.51
6.8mm Creedmoor 140-grain
-49.38
-322.91
.223 Remington 77-grain
-58.09
-451.56
.224 Valkyrie 90-grain
What About Recoil?
One of many promoting factors to six.5mm Creedmoor has all the time been the idea of “higher vary and ok vitality with lots much less thump to the shooter.”
Assuming rifles of comparable weight, which they need to be if each are in an AR-10 platform, right here’s what you get. Take into account that your “impression” of felt-recoil depends upon many elements like velocity length of the recoil impulse, however for tough comparability, it’s doable to calculate the uncooked vitality of stuff flying out the fiery finish and making use of that to the burden of the rifle. For our instance 168-grain .308 load, recoil when firing a seven-pound gun is eighteen.1 foot-pounds. The 6.5mm Creedmoor bundle, with a gun of the identical weight, works out to 13.41 foot-pounds – about 26 p.c much less. As for the Valkyrie versus .223 comparability, the heavier 90-grain bullet generates 5.24 foot-pounds in comparison with 4.28 once more assuming we’re firing a seven-pound rifle.
So right here’s the underside line. There are many calibers on the market that carry out effectively at longer ranges. These two stand out as fascinating candidates partly because of their inherent compatibility with widespread AR-10 and AR-15 platforms.
About Tom McHale
Tom McHale is the writer of the Sensible Guides e book sequence that guides new and skilled shooters alike in a enjoyable, approachable, and sensible method. His books can be found in print and eBook format on Amazon. You may as well discover him on Fb, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
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