With a 22 caliber high-power rifle like 223 Remington, you’ll start running out of steam beyond about 500 yards using conventional factory ammunition. Traditional 50 grain 22 caliber bullets just don’t have the momentum or aerodynamics (Ballistic Coefficient) to penetrate the wind much further than that with predictability. That’s really where cartridges like 224 Valkyrie […]
Since its debut just before the SHOT Show last year, 224 Valkyrie has literally been the “hot topic” in the gun industry. In this video I discuss the first year for 224 Valkyrie: facts, misconceptions, and the story of how Federal Premium has worked with the industry and the community to realize the full potential […]
So far with 224 Valkyrie I’ve been focused on rifle builds and load development. Now it’s time to take a look at precision reloading for 224 Valkyrie, and this time I’m mixing it up with some new hardware and supplies from MEC and Primal Rights! Most everyone in the reloading world has seen the MEC […]
MEC Makes great reloading equipment. Many families have loaded shotshells on MEC equipment for generations. But in the last few years, MEC has offered a whole new lineup of metallic reloading equipment with the MEC Marksman press at center stage. In the next couple stories I’ll be using some of the accessories and other MEC […]
Reloading 224 Valkyrie is pretty much the same as reloading most other bottleneck rifle cartridges. However, there are some unique considerations when you’re dealing with a “hotrod” magnum cartridge like 224 Valkyrie. One of these considerations is brass life/longevity- namely the primer pockets. I’ve heard a lot of stories of 224 Valkyrie brass only lasting […]
224 Valkyrie is all about pushing heavy high-BC bullets to crazy-long ranges with an AR-15, or even a bolt gun. For 224 Valkyrie, I started working with a mid-weight bullets (Nosler 70 grain RDF), and have been working my way up in weight- and hope to top out at about 95 grains. While the Nosler […]
Do you ever get tired of shooting paper targets? I know I do! Sure, the engineer in me loves to shoot groups, analyze chronograph data, and “hone things in” – but there’s got to be a “purpose” for shooting, and my purpose extends well beyond punching holes in paper. And that’s where a good range […]
Breaking in the barrel for a rifle you’ve built is a truly unique and exciting experience. Will the gun blow up? Will the rifle shoot well? Will my new trigger meet my expectations? It’s like sea trials for a new ship, but with a precision instrument. As I was finishing my Remington 700 224 Valkyrie […]
When you go “off the script” (like building a 224 Valkyrie bolt-action rifle) you can expect some challenges. One such challenge with this kind of build is getting a reliable magazine configuration setup. A lot of guys have spent a lot of hours tinkering with magazines, springs, followers, lip geometry and more with a common […]
All of the hard work I’ve put into this 224 Valkyrie Remington 700 build is about to come together, literally! With a complete barreled action assembly, it’s time to install our trigger, and then mate the stock and barreled action together. I can hardly wait to take this rifle to the range! And by the […]
A threaded muzzle is great, but if you aren’t using a muzzle brake or suppressor, you’ll need something to protect the (fragile) threads! That’s where a thread protector comes in handy. One of the best ways to make a thread protector is with a cut-down section of barrel blank. Good thing I had this “extra” […]
Here’s my philosophy: why not have a threaded muzzle? If you want to use a muzzle brake or a suppressor, you’re all set! If you don’t use a muzzle device, you put a thread protector on, and you’re good to go. So now that we’ve completed the breech-end barrel work, let’s move on to the […]
Sometimes you have to do a lot of “prep work” to get to the “fun work”. Well, after building out our build-sheet, and preparing and aligning the barrel, we’re now to the fun part of this build! That’s right, it’s time to start machining the tenon, and cutting the chamber! Series navigation: 224 Valkyrie Remington […]
How you secure your barrel in your lathe, and the attention to detail aligning the barrel’s bore to the lathe spindle axis will both have a big effect on the outcome of your barreling work. In this post, we’ll continue our 224 Valkyrie Remington 700 bolt-action rifle build with a focus on a few things: […]
This is going to be perhaps the most in-depth project I’ve taken on here on Ultimate Reloader- building two rifles, working up load data, measuring ballistics, and a bunch of related field work (hunting, and who knows what else). I’m excited to get started, and to share these experiences with you. What is it I’m […]
“It’s better to take your time and do something right than to rush”. That’s what I keep telling myself. And these words are well suited to describe my in-progress 224 Valkyrie project. After the 224 announcement and reveal last October, I felt an urgent need to get hands-on with this cartridge “right away”. In hind […]
Since I heard about 224 Valkyrie, I’ve been wanting to get hands-on with it. It’s taken a while, but I’m getting close to kicking-off a content series that will go in-depth on this exciting new cartridge. But I need your help! I’d love to hear your feedback, and get ideas on what exactly to show! […]
