.224 Valkyrie? Future competitor to the 6.5 Grendel?

[BluntForceTrauma]

When someone says 224 Valkyrie is better than 6.5 Grendel I guess I get offended.

Me too, but I try to be objective. Number One Rule of new cartridge introductions is Never Believe the Hype. We learned THAT with the whole 6.8 SPC roll-out (hyped at 2800 fps with a 115gr in a 16" bbl, and assuredly the next U.S. military small arms cartridge).

Anyway, being objective, 224 Valkyrie is a very savvy design. We've already talked about its correct use of short/fat, long/sleek principles. Win. Big win!

Consider also practical manufacturing aspects:

1. Probably uses widely available .224 1:7 twist barrel blanks. Win. (I think these are enough to stabilize 90-grainers.)

U P D A T E : Using Berger's Twist Rate Calculator, their .224 90gr VLD at 2700fps in a 1:7 twist in worst-case scenarios (sea level in zero-degree temps) has "marginal stability" and is losing 9% BC.

2. Uses widely available 6.8 SPC bolts and magazines. Win.

3. Not only can it load the very best 90gr .224 long-range projectiles at mag length, it also can use the wide array of other .224 bullets — the very many 77-grainers, for example — with less intrusion into the powder column than .223 Rem cases for velocity gains. Win.

I'm gonna hafta tentatively declare this my SECOND favorite factory AR cartridge. I probably will never actually get one — cuz we still haven't done super sleek all-copper 90-grainers in the 6.5 Grendel! — but it would be the only other factory AR cartridge I'd consider.

P.S. Number 4. Cool name. Win!