{"id":1914,"date":"2020-12-03T21:19:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T21:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/?p=1914"},"modified":"2020-10-28T21:21:32","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T21:21:32","slug":"224-valkyrie-vs-5-56","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/224-valkyrie-vs-5-56\/","title":{"rendered":"224 Valkyrie vs 5.56"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s newer might also be better, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to dethrone an old standby. The 224 Valkyrie may very well outperform the 5.56&#215;45 enough to obsolete it \u2013 on paper. Whether American shooters will abandon the classic AR-15 cartridge for one just introduced in 2017 is another matter altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Federal designed the 224 Valkyrie for semi-automatic modern sporting rifles (although bolt-actions are available chambered for it as well). Federal did intentionally design the 224 Valk to outperform the 5.56&#215;45, which means the two beg comparison.<\/p>\n<p>So how does the 224 Valkyrie stack up against the 5.56? Is it superior enough to make a case for throwing away your old rifle? Or do the two rounds perform differently enough that they should coexist? We\u2019re going to compare the 224 Valkyrie vs \u00a05.56 so you can decide for yourself.<\/p>\n<h2>224 Valkyrie vs 5.56&#215;45 &#8211; Specs<\/h2>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-16\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-16\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">224 Valkyrie<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">5.56x45<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Bullet Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.2245<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.224<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Neck Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.256<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.253<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Shoulder Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.4031<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.354<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Base Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.4207<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.377<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Rim Diameter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.422<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.378<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Rim Thickness<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.049<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">.045<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Case Length<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1.6<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1.76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Overall Length<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2.26<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2.26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Primer Type<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Small Rifle<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Small Rifle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Maximum Pressure<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">55,000 psi<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">62,366 psi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-16 from cache -->\n<h3>Case Size Comparison<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter size-full wp-image-2551\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo.jpg\" alt=\"224 valkyrie vs 5.56 ammo side by side\" width=\"1500\" height=\"737\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27737%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201500%20737%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27737%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-200x98.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-400x197.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-600x295.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-768x377.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-800x393.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-1024x503.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo-1200x590.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/224-valk-side-by-side-with-5.56-ammo.jpg 1500w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The 224 has a significantly more spacious case than the 5.56. Its 34.5 gr H2O case capacity has 18.4 percent greater volume than the 5.56 at 28.5 gr H2O. This naturally gives room for more propellant, which the 224 puts to good use firing a larger bullet. You see, the 224 Valk&#8217;s bullet\u2019s diameter alone doesn\u2019t tell the entire story. It is longer than the 5.56 bullet. Plus, at 60 to 90 grains it is far heavier than the 5.56\u2019s usual 55 to 77 grains.<\/p>\n<p>224 Valkyrie&#8217;s greater case capacity means it is able to send a 75 grain bullet out of the muzzle at 3,000 fps. Compare this to \u00a0classic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/5.56x45-ammo-for-sale\">5.56&#215;45 ammo<\/a> with its 55 grain bullet and similar 3,250 fps muzzle velocity. This info helps us appreciate the 224 Valk\u2019s great advantage: long distance accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>A heavier bullet moving at the same velocity is naturally better at resisting deflection from crosswinds. Furthermore, it retains greater momentum so it can transfer more energy downrange.<\/p>\n<h3>224 Valkyrie vs. 5.56&#215;45 &#8211; Trajectory<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter size-full wp-image-2550\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range.jpg\" alt=\"Looking down range through a rifle scope\" width=\"1500\" height=\"773\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27773%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201500%20773%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27773%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-200x103.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-300x155.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-400x206.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-600x309.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-768x396.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-800x412.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-1024x528.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range-1200x618.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Looking-through-a-rifle-scope-down-range.jpg 1500w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The 224 Valk\u2019s long, slender, and heavy bullet conveys a very flat trajectory. And with its greater immunity to wind drift, the 224 makes long distance shooting more accessible to those who haven\u2019t got the free time or land they need to study the 5.56\u2019s bullet drop and windage.<\/p>\n<p>This table shows how two similar rounds stack up to one another. When zeroed in at 200 yards the 224 Valkyrie vs 5.56 velocities and trajectories are virtually identical.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-17\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-17\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-2\"><center>224 Valkyrie<\/center><\/th><th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-4\"><center>5.56x45<\/center><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Bullet<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><em>88 Grain ELD Match<\/em><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Bullet Drop<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><em73 Grain ELD Match<\/em><\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Bullet Drop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Muzzle Velocity<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2675 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">-1.5<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2790 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">-1.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>100 Yards<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2513 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2564 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">1.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>200 Yards<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2356 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">0<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2349 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>300 Yards<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2205 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">-8.3<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2144 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">-8.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>400 Yards<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2060 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">-23.7<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">1950 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">-24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>500 Yards<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1920 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">-47.4<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">1764 fps<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">-49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>G7 Ballistic Coefficient<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.274<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\">.2<\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-17 from cache -->\n<p>At greater distances the rounds begin to behave noticeably differently. When zeroed in at 500 yards the 224\u2019s higher ballistic coefficient lets it exhibit a slightly flatter trajectory:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the key takeaway from all this: If you\u2019re looking for a round that will give you a flatter trajectory for greater accuracy, the 224 can certainly help you. However, you\u2019ll only reap an advantage while you\u2019re shooting over very long distances.<\/p>\n<p>Not all shooters care about pulling off 1,000 yard shots. If you\u2019re one of them you may not find the 224 worth your trouble.<\/p>\n<h3>Energy Comparison: 224 Valkyrie vs 5.56<\/h3>\n<p>Because it has a larger propellant charge, the 224\u2019s heavier bullet doesn\u2019t necessarily suffer from a slower muzzle velocity than the 5.56. That means the 224 bullet is able to transfer significantly more energy over the same distances. Comparison of two rounds reveals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/5.56x45-ammo-for-sale\">224 Valkyrie ammo<\/a> is indeed more powerful.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-47\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-47\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Barrel Length: 24\"<\/th><th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-2\"><center>224 Valkyrie<\/center><\/th><th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-4\"><center>5.56x45<\/center><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Bullet<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">60 Grain V-MAX<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Energy (ft. lbs.)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">55 Grain V-MAX<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Energy (ft. lbs.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Muzzle Velocity (fps)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3300<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1451<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">3240<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">1282<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Velocity at 100 Yds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2924<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1139<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2854<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">995<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Velocity at 200 Yds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2578<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">885<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2500<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">763<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Velocity at 300 Yds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2258<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">679<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">2172<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">576<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Velocity at 400 Yds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1961<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">512<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">1871<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">427<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Velocity at 500 Yds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1690<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">380<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">1598<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">312<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">G1 Ballistic Coefficient<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">.265<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\">.255<\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-47 from cache -->\n<p>Of course, in tactical situations where you\u2019re unlikely to stand several hundred yards away from your assailant the difference between 1,139 and 995 ft lbs of energy is likely to be moot \u2013 land either round\u2019s bullet in a human-sized target and it\u2019s not likely to remain a threat for very much longer.<\/p>\n<p>But consider the 224 Valkyrie&#8217;s flatter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.letsgoshooting.org\/2019\/12\/04\/mastering-trajectory-the-key-to-long-range-success\/\">trajectory<\/a> coupled with its marked energy advantage, and you can easily appreciate why more and more hunters are beginning to favor it for hunting predators and whitetail.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Recoil<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter size-full wp-image-2564\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle.jpg\" alt=\"224 Valkyrie rifle at a shooting range\" width=\"1500\" height=\"749\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27749%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201500%20749%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271500%27%20height%3D%27749%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-200x100.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-400x200.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-600x300.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-768x383.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-800x399.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-1024x511.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle-1200x599.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Savage-224-Valkyrie-rifle.jpg 1500w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can calculate recoil energy with four variables: bullet weight (gr), bullet velocity (fps), powder charge weight (gr), and firearm weight (lbs). For the sake of comparing the 224 to the 5.56 in terms of their recoil, let us assume that both rounds have 25 grains of propellant and we are firing a 6.5 pound rifle.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-49\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-49\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">224 Valkyrie<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">5.56x45<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">224 Valkyrie<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">5.56x45<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Bullet weight<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">88 Grain<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">73 Grain<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">60 Grain<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">55 Grain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Bullet velocity<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2675<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2790<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">3300<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">3240<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Recoil energy (ft lbs)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6.34<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5.27<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">5.09<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">4.49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-49 from cache -->\n<p>Here the simple fact about recoil is quite obvious: Heavier bullets and faster muzzle velocities both contribute to greater recoil energy. That said, neither the 224 Valkyrie nor the 5.56 have very much recoil energy to offer, yet the 224\u2019s recoil is going to be slightly more powerful. Keep in mind that the recoil you actually <em>experience<\/em> is bound to be subjective.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Availability and Affordability<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter size-full wp-image-2563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo.jpg\" alt=\"Hornady Frontier 5.56x45 ammo\" width=\"1700\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271700%27%20height%3D%27940%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201700%20940%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271700%27%20height%3D%27940%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-200x111.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-400x221.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-600x332.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-768x425.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-800x442.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-1024x566.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-1200x664.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo-1536x849.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Hornady-5.56-ammo.jpg 1700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1700px) 100vw, 1700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here is the best argument in favor of sticking with 5.56 instead of converting exclusively to 224 Valk. As the most popular rifle cartridge in the country, 5.56&#215;45 is <em>absolutely<\/em> more available and affordable than 224 Valkyrie. The newer 224 is still a relatively niche cartridge, which alongside the fact that its larger size necessarily makes it more expensive to produce gives it a heftier price tag.<\/p>\n<h3><em>The Takeaway<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>The 224 Valkyrie offers a flatter trajectory, superior downrange energy, and negligible increase in recoil over the 5.56&#215;45. Its superior performance may not provide any advantage to the casual shooter who isn\u2019t concerned with long distance shooting, however, and its novelty means that ammo \u2013 as well as rifles and rifle parts \u2013 is simply less available and more expensive.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, our hypothetical about ditching 5.56 in favor of 224 is exaggerated. Ideally you would be able to enjoy both rounds, preferring the 5.56 for casual plinking and range training while turning to the 224 when you\u2019re trying to group shots through a bullseye at 1,000 yards or pick off distant whitetail.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s newer might also be better, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to dethrone an old standby. The 224 Valkyrie may [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ammo-insights"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>224 Valkyrie vs 5.56 | An AR-Platform Comparison<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let&#039;s explore two AR-platform calibers, 224 Valkyrie vs 5.56. Which of these similarly sized rounds are your best bet? 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