The 17 Aguila is a newer cartridge introduced into the market during 2004 and is based off shortening down the .22 long rifle cartridges. The bullet diameter is .172" but fits on the shell casing due to its modified reduction of the neck. The cartridge was developed in conjunction by firearm manufacturer High Standard and ammunition manufacturer Aguila in 2003.
The 17 Aguila is a varmint round designed to have less expansion on entry to do less damage to the tissue of an animal. The bullet is a 20gr jacketed solid point round that travels at 1,850 ft/s. This allows for game hunters to salvage more edible meat off a carcass. The bullet is designed to fit into a .17 Mach II (17HM2) bolt action rifle with no modifications to the rifle, or changing out the barrel on a Ruger 10/ 22.
The bullet received little attention on the market due to two other rim fires that were also released into the market by manufacturer Hornady. The .17 Hornady gained traction and took over the market in rim fire casings after their release. The 17 Aguila did gain a following after varmint hunters noticed it had less expansion that allowed for more edible meat to be salvaged on game, while still staying accurate for well-placed shots.
The 224 Valkyrie Round is a 90 grain 6.8 bullet necked down to a 224 which is stable to 1000 yards. The 224 Valkyrie round is a new round from FC (Federal) that beats out the .22 Nosler, 6.5 Grendel and 5.56 round in all aspects and starts to approach on the 6.5 Creedmore while doing all of this on an AR platform. This round will provide you the energy retention of the 6.5 Grendel, comparable drop and drift of the 6.5 Creedmoor at 1000 yards and the up close power of the .22 Nosler. Bringing you the best of three different rounds into one superior round that can be used for both long range and short range without compromising either. It is trying to match the 6.5 Creedmore in drop and drift with a much smaller caliber, all while beating out the 6.5 Grendel with lower recoil and improved energy retention, and all this with the up close power of the .22 Nosler. Making this a comparable long range round but in a much smaller caliber, that is also much more versatile and able to be used in multiple situations.
With a round that is this versatile, it should be looked at by military and law enforcement because if it is put into 16-inch barrel rifle it could be used for both long-range precision shots as well as close range situations. For the shooters out there this round could help be a great choice for shooting competitions because of the loss of energy at longer ranges will help make the longer range shots with some power left over. A round like this would be great for hunters as it will have the ability to hunt varments to medium game.
