but if you are new at this don’t even think about playing around with a .22 to 1000 yards, it has potential to really discourage you, get a .308/6.5 creedmoor/6.5x55 and get used to shooting and getting on the black at that range.......... then decide if you want to make it more difficult (or easier).
YES!
I say that as one who used the 223 in F/TR national league shooting using 90gn Berger VLDs and won a few 1,000 yard stage medals aropund 9, 10 years ago. (Wouldn't be competitive against 308 F/TR rigs and loadings today.) This takes specialist kit and some very special handloading, and still produces pitfalls. As a general rule, 90gn 0.224 bullets are finicky and as a specific rule need chambers with very long freebores to suit which usually precludes using anything much under 80gn as alternatives.
The Valkyrie was designed for the AR platform and utilises a reformed 6.8mm Rem SPC case whose case-head diameter falls between those of the 222/223/204 etc family and the BR/22-250/308 etc. This is no problem for AR builders as correctly dimensioned bolts are available off the shelf (thanks to the widespread use of the 6.8mm SPC in this platform).
For bolt rifles, a 308 etc (0.473") face bolt can be used at a pinch albeit but is less than ideal, and needs a longer extractor blade to be available or fabricated. Otherwise, it's a (rare) 6.8mm SPC rifle / bolt used as a base or having a gunsmith open out a 223 bolt-face, if necessary replacing the extractor. The other possible alternative would be use of an action whose bolt incorporates a separate and replaceable bolt-head, eg Savages. Getting one such (alternative bolt-head) wouldn't be an easy option though as it would need the rifle manufacturer to specify either 6.8 mm SPC or 224 Valkyrie models in its range, or getting a custom bolt-heat from Pacific Tool & Gage or other such supplier.
As
@25 Sharps and others say, a smaller 6.5mm off the shelf is a much simpler and easier option, 260 Rem and 6.5mm Creedmoor being the obvious choices, 6.5X55mm in a long or mid-length single-shot action such as the Savage 12 series.Alternatively 6mm BR Norma is a lovely little cartridge, capable of far better precision than the 224 V and is easily 1,000 yard capable if built with a fast twist barrel to handle 105-108gn bullets. The three 6.5s and the BRs have superb brass available off the shelf in the UK. 224 V is available from Federal, Hornady, and Starline but they're unlikely to be as well made or a strong as the Lapua or Norma equivalent for the BRs and 6.5s.
If your shooting is primarily at shorter distances, a nice little alternative to the 224 V and available off the shelf is the 6.5mm Grendel. It's now an offering in the Howa Mini 1500 Varmint (go for the factory MDT 'Oryx' stock variant) or the longer barreled Cz527 'Varmint MTR', both now available here.
howa mini grendel « Search Results « Daily Bulletin
The 20-inch barrel heavy barrel 'Varmint' model is the one to go for, better still with the factory MDT Oryx chassis stock option
Howa 1500 Mini Oryx « Search Results « Daily Bulletin
New CZ 527 Varmint MTR (Match Target Rifle) « Daily Bulletin
The Grendel is a shoot forever cartridge (getting on for 10,000 rounds barrel life) low recoil and very accurate cartridge with a thoroughbred (based on the PPC case) pedigree. It will just keep a 120-130gn match bullet supersonic to past 1,000, although the larger 6.5s are far superior for regular use at this distance or any competitive shooting.
If you're dead set on he 224 V, talk to Dave Wylde at Valkyrie Performance Rifles (the common name is entirely coincidental) who has a reamer and has built at least one example, an AR, for his own use.
