Next hunting rig in the works!
 

So ever since I got the .277 Wolverine I have been wanting to get another Wildcat in the AR-15 and figured I would make a step up and wondered across the 7mm Valkyrie. It is pretty much a 7mm-08 in an Ar-15 platform. The parent case is a 6.5X47 Lapua and out of a 24" barrel they have 140gr bullets cruising at 2850 (max) and 130s pushing 3000 fps (max). Seems like a lot of power for the Ar-15 and could make out to be a nice light weight hunting AR vs the alternative of toting an AR10. Anyways here are a few pictures of the cartridge. More than likely I will probably go with a 20" barrel still haven't decided yet but the 20" barrel seems like you are not loosing that much velocity compared with the 24"

Wildcat+ AR+ reloading= bad addiction

http://www.7mmvalkyrie.com/

Oh man that looks like a slick round.

It sure does seem like that and pretty curious to how it will print on paper then onto some deer and maybe take it along on an elk hunt.

so explain to me how your outrunning a 7mm/08 with less capacity?
RR

Been trying to wrap my head around that myself. Same weight bullet+ LESS case capacity= slower no matter how I try the math. I get around 3000fps with 139gr Interlocks out of my 24 inch barreled AR10 7mm-08 and around 3050 out of my 28 inch barreled pro hunter. Both of those loads are around 102-103% load density without being compressed. It's impossible for me to figure out how you are getting the same speeds with the same bullet weight and 20% LESS case capacity. Even using that super fast leverevolution powder just MAY get you to 2600fps but that's a heavy MAY! I personally think someone is fudging some numbers somewhere.

they always do!
RR

I've been intrigued by the 7 VAR a few times, might still happen. The gap in power and bullet weight above the 6.8spc, 6x6.8, 6WOA, 6.5Grendel, 243LBC, etc does tempt me. The data I've seen puts the Valkyrie somewhere 100-150fps behind the 7-08 with the same bullet, at least in factory ammo. Hand rolled 7-08's can run away from the Valkyrie.

The disadvantage I've seen so far, besides making brass of course, is the barrel length needed to get the velocity. Much of the data available for the Valkyrie right now looks great - until you realize it's from a 24" or 26" barrel, instead of the 20 or 22" barrels common for 7-08's. In short barrels, it seems to rank about the same as the Grendel or SPC cartridges.

I still think they are fudging the numbers somewhat Mercy. Even with a 24 inch barrel you would be hard pressed to get me to believe you can achieve 7mm-08 speeds from over a 20% drop in case capacity using the same bullet weight. They MAY get relatively close to a lite loaded factory round with theirs being hot rod loads. But if you do a TRUE comparison, both cartridges compared equally in powder fill (both cartridges filled to top performance) and barrel length then there is no physical way possible it can achieve the same speeds or even close for that matter.

The numbers seem an awful lot like a .260Rem, but shorter.

I never said that.... I said "It is pretty much a 7mm-08 in an Ar-15" I was realating this wildcat to something that is a commercial cartridge...

Out of a 24" barrel they are getting 140gr loads going 2750-2850. Hornady factory 139gr American Whitetail line it has it going 2840fps. Shoots a .284 bullet and has about the same ballistics of a 7mm-08 that is why I stated that.... But here is the recommended powders Leverevolution,CFE 223, xbr 8208, H335,Benchmark, AA2520, TAC, AA2230 and Xterminator. And from the Facebook community a lot of people are running velocities close to this...

A 20" barrel will push the 130 close to 2800 fps. To me it just seems like it would be a nice light weight Ar-15 to use for if your hiking etc... Plus I just like wildcats lol

http://www.7mmvalkyrie.com/about.html
http://www.7mmvalkyrie.com/performance.html

#1, how many ar15's do you see with 24" barrels?
#2, like we said, they are comparing their own heavily loaded round to an anemic factory load. The American Whitetail load from Hornady is close to 22% under a max capacity/pressure loading.

I've been loading 7mm-08 years before Remington took it up and know the round intimately. As a wildcatter from years back, that 7val does sound interesting to an AR user but to compare it as an even match for a 7mm-08 is stretching the truth a good bit. I'm not saying it wouldn't be a good round for AR users as it does sound like a good WT or Hog round, maybe even a bit better than my 6.8 SPC but lets keep some reality among the shooters and let the factories fight off the BS claims. Compare them on an equal basis and you will see that there is no comparison between the 2.

Here is a YouTube video of 140gr Nosler BT going about 2750 https://youtu.be/R2WggAqiSGc

Again I never said it was a 7mm-08 I said "It pretty much is" as in "almost". So I never said it was an even match at all. I know the American Whitetail load is a factory load an of course they will be anemic but I was using that for comparison to show that it can get to 7mm-08 velocites.... Again I never said it was a 7mm-08 but to have a cartridge in an AR15 platform to be pushing a 140gr projectile at 2750 or even 2800 fps is amazing in that Platform considering you do not have to jump up to an AR-10. That was my whole point in this post...

2736 and 2711 from I'd be willing to bet as hot a load as they can put in it. And that was what length on the barrel? Looked around 22" but I'm not that great a guestimating length from video. So, factory loaded pressures/capacities in that 7val compared to factory loads pressures/capacity 7mm-08 and you will get a whole lot of difference. Both hot loaded theres going to be 250-350fps differences which is a pretty big gap.

Again for the 7mm-08 advocates I know you can load a 7mm-08 to push over 3000 fps.... Like I stated I was comparing this to factory loads to show it can come close to a 7mm-08.... For some reason I think no one is reading my posts.... The whole point is something like this in an AR15 platform vs an Ar10 platform.... Yeah I can load a 7mm-08 to push those velocites in an Ar10 but also have a rifle around 10lbs or use something like this an have a rifle just under 8.0lbs probably with optics still get close to 7mm-08 velocities....

Yes Brandon we are reading your posts but you seem to not be getting what we are saying. Your comparison to 7mm-08 speeds is apples to oranges concept bud. What I am trying to get across to you is that the 7val speeds being posted are HOT LOADS and they (and you) are claiming they can get 7mm-08 speeds. Well yes if you compare their HOT LOADS to FACTORY anemic loads of the 7mm-08. Get my point? That's like comparing a .30-06 hot load to a .300WM light load and saying you can get .300WM performance from a .30-06. You see, the 7mm-08 is a hand loaders dream round. The factory ammo out there is okay but you can seriously "pump up the volume" SAFELY and get a round that is deadly to pretty much any 4 legged animal on this continent with the right bullet and placement. I have not, nor will I say that that new 7val isn't a good round. It looks to be a really great cartridge filling a gap between the AR15 and the larger rounds of the AR10. Hell I might even check one out for my hog hunting (though my 6.8 does it's job exceptionally well) but don't let them fool you into thinking that it compares to the 7mm-08 ON EQUAL FOOTING because it is physically impossible for it to do so.

I never said it was on equal footing (btw I hope these post don't come off as a smart ass because I am not trying to be one) I just said "It is pretty much a 7mm-08 in an AR-15" again meaning almost pushing factory loaded 7mm-08. They arn't fooling me with those number I know those are max and close to max loads before primers start flattening etc. I know we can handload a 7mm-08 a lot faster... It is just like comparing a .277 Wolverine to a 6.8 SPC. You can hand load any cartridge a lot faster than factory loads.... And if I can get the weight of a 22" barrel the rifle will probably weigh close to what my planned out 6.5 Gendel build is give or take a few ounces. My parts list including the optic which is a vortex viper HS 4-16 is 112.5 ounces or 7.03lbs give or take an ounce... Be a heck of an advantage over carrying an AR10 and using something like a 140gr Nosler Partition being a little conservative 2700 fps you have a 300 yard elk rifle in an Ar-15 platform not an AR-10.... Seems like a great advantage to me. If you can't tell I like the AR platform :s4:

I just got a little more information about that video but it was a 22" barrel and the load was 38.3grs of lever evolution averaging 2720 fps with 140gr Nosler BT. Stated it wasn't a max load and has been pressure checked.

Yeah, I'd venture it's very fair to say it's moot to compare the performance of a wildcat cartridge which takes 5+ case forming steps against factory ammo of any kind. Nobody who can produce 7 VAR brass is gonna be shooting factory 7-08 ammo anyway, even if it was a speed for speed match.

I never consider any AR to be lightweight, simply because a guy could always build a shorter and lighter bolt gun than any AR, and I certainly don't call a 20-24" AR a handy rifle for mountain hunting.

But the reality is still there - the 7 VAR is looking to be one of the highest performing midbore big game cartridges out of an AR right now. Which is what tempts me about it - I love the Grendel and SPC class of killers in the AR, but there's a limit to their efficacy. The extra weight of the AR-10 has always turned me off, so I do look for cartridges like this one to get the most out of my AR's.

How bolts hold up to that much thrust long term remains to be seen, however.

I've wondered about that when I compare the Hodgdon number for the 25 WSSM to the 25-06 Rem. With a 117 gr bullet from a 24" bbl the WSSM has almost identical velocity to the 25-06 using 10% less powder (4831) But pressures are 15% higher. I assume it's because of the compressed load in the 25WSSM.

well the hodgdon number is wrong, my 25wssm will run a 115 at 3000 fps, then it will start showing pressure signs, this is a match grade 22" barrel. thats shooting 46 Gr of 4350, a 25/06 will easily beat this with handloads.
RR