Muzzle energy is measured in foot-pounds (ft-lbs) and is a measurement of how much force a bullet delivers to its target at a given range.įor the purpose of comparison, we will consider the Gold Medal Match variety from Federal Ammunition. Generally, a longer barrel length will generate a higher muzzle velocity because it allows for a more complete powder burn. Muzzle velocity, measured in feet per second (fps) is the speed at which the bullet leaves the barrel of the firearm. It should be noted that even though the 223 Reminton technically has less recoil, most shooters will not be able to discern much difference between the two. The difference is primarily due to the 224 Valkyrie firing heavier bullets, like the 90 grain Sierra Matchking projectiles that the cartridge was designed for. However, if someone is EXTREMELY recoil sensitive, then the 223 Remington is the better choice as it has 4 ft-lbs of felt recoil on average, compared to 6.5 ft-lbs of felt recoil for the 224 Valkyrie. Most shooters would have zero issues spending a whole day at the range shooting either. The 224 Valkyrie and 223 Remington are both known for having exceptionally mild recoil. In terms of bullet diameter, both fire a 0.224” bullet The 224 has a few grains more case capacity than the 223, but otherwise the remainder of the specs are the same.
If the overall length were longer, then a heavier and more expensive AR-10 receiver would be required.
The 224 Valkyrie case length is shorter than the 223 Rem so that longer, heavier bullets can be loaded in the 224 case while maintaining the maximum 2.26” overall length required to fit in the AR-15 platform. This means that the 224 Valkyrie is too wide to fit in standard 5.56 NATO magazines for the AR-15, and 6.8 SPC mags will need to be use for 224 Valkyrie. As the 224 Valkyrie cartridge is based off the 6.8 SPC, the 224 Valk has a base diameter of 0.421” while the 223 is a bit smaller with a base diameter of 0.376”. Probably the biggest difference between the 223 Rem and 224 Valkyrie is the base diameter. When evaluating two long range precision rifle cartridges, it’s a good idea to analyze the cartridge specs to gain more knowledge of each. In short, a 223 Rem can safely be fired from a rifle or handgun chambered in 5.56, however the opposite is not true. There are differences between the two and you can read about them in this article. Please note that within this article we will refer to the 223 Remington (223 Rem) and the 5.56x45mm NATO round interchangeably. The 224 Valkyrie was designed to shoot heavier bullets up to 1,300 yards while the 223 excels at firing lighter bullets at ranges at or below 800 yards. The difference between 223 and 224 Valkyrie is their effective range and the bullet weights they fire. What is the Difference Between 223 and 224 Valkyrie? In this article, we will compare the 224 Valkyrie vs 223 to give you a better understanding of each cartridge and help you decide which rifle cartridge is ideal for your needs. Topped with the 90-grain Sierra Matchking bullet, the 224 Valkyrie was developed by Federal Ammunition to answer the call of long range precision shooters who wanted to use their AR-15’s to hit targets beyond 1,000 yards.Īlthough the 224 Valkyrie is superior to the 223 Remington in virtually every ballistic criterion, is it really worth it to convert your AR-15 to fire the new 224 Valkyrie ammo? However, these cartridges have heavier recoil, and some shooters wanted to maintain the lower recoil impulse of the 0.224” diameter bullet while still reaching out to 1,000 yards and beyond.Įnter the 224 Valkyrie, which can maintain supersonic flight and MOA-level accuracy at 1,300 yards with proper loads.
With the proliferation of the AR-15 as one of the most popular modern sporting rifles on the planet, the 223 Remington has in turn become one of the most common centerfire rifle cartridges on the market today.Įven though the 223 can reliably reach ranges upwards of 800 yards with proper match-grade loads, some shooters wanted to go further and hit targets out to 1,000 yards and beyond.Īdapting new calibers to the AR-15 is nothing new, as the 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, and 6.5 Creedmoor have all seen mild success in the rifle platform and can easily hit targets at 1,000 yards. The 224 Valkyrie and 223 Remington are two 22-caliber centerfire rifle cartridges that were designed for use in the semi-automatic AR-15 platform.