.223 Wylde Chambering Opinions?

[USMCDOC]

That sounds illegal.

Aaron .. why do you say that?

 

[TheCZKid]

I think it's always good to explain what is the actual difference of a .223, 5.56 and Wylde chamber dimensioning, so we're making a decision based on real data.
Here's part of an article from Faxon on 5.56 Nato vs. .223 Wylde, and they explain what dimensions are actually different, and what advantage the Wylde has as a result:
One of the major downsides to a .223 Remington chamber is that it can only safely accept .223 Remington ammunition. This is due to differences in the actual body dimensions of the cartridge and the chamber. The .223 Wylde solves this issue by using the same body dimensions as the 5.56 NATO chamber. This means a .223 Wylde can accept both .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO spec ammunition.

The one feature that the .223 Wylde brings over from the .223 Remington is the diameter and length of the free bore, or the unrifled portion of the barrel between the shoulder for the case mouth and the leade into the rifling. This tighter and shorter free bore leads to higher accuracy potential, especially with heavier match grade loadings, but still has reliable function with both 5.56 and .223 Remington spec ammo. This is also the one potential downside of .223 Wylde, as the tighter dimensions of the throat will be affected by fouling/dirt quicker than the looser dimensioned 5.56 NATO chamber.


And from Americans Weapons Components article:
Bill Wylde had the idea to create a chamber that would serve the 5.56 and the .223 Remington equally well. The .223 Wylde has the same chamber angling as the standard 5.56 chamber, so there’s no problem with pressures, and it also has a .2240 freebore diameter.

The result? You have a chamber that is sufficient to handle the hotter 5.56 load without concerns about pressure and you get the gilt-edge accuracy that’s common in many quality .223 rifles.

Why do it? The reason is that you can fire .223 ammo without giving up accuracy and 5.56 ammo without worrying about excess pressure. Sure, you can fire .223 ammo all day from a 5.56 without worrying about pressure problems thanks to generous chamber size, but if you really want to tighten those groups that .2240 freebore diameter helps.

 

[searcher]

I think the Wylde chamber and 1:8 twist is the sweet spot for a full range of bullet weights in an AR, would think in a bolt gun would be favorable as well.

I have always chambered my barrels for a specific bullet weight range and never had the want for a "one chamber does most all" type of chamber. But, a few years back, I decided to build a home defense A/R and chose the Wylde chamber and the 1-8" twist. Even shooting the "relatively" light 55 grain varmint bullets, it shoots incredibly well, so nothing was lost there as I had previously thought was more than probable.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

BCA 18" 223 Wyde side charger upper 1/8". Just before sunset. First shot Nosler 40 BT. Could see the hole with spotting scope. 2nd shot Sierra 55 BK. Couldn't see a second hole? So I held slightly low,left(Burris thermal scope is why the insulated tape target). Had to look at the backside of cardboard to confirm holeshot. Yes I think the Wyde has versatility. Rifle arca mount, tripod squid style on bench,rear bag. Pretty stable. 100 yards.

 

[LVLAaron]

Aaron .. why do you say that?

I was reading a thread on 223AI and got my wires crossed. Ignore me

 

[markm87]

I just got an M-guns 5.56 reamer and opened my SS wylde chamber up to 5.56. I'm hoping this corrects the annoying primer popping I get from my Wylde chamber. I'll get to shoot it this weekend and find out.

 

[jelenko]

I'm going on record as saying the 5.56 chamber will not stop primer popping with the same ammo.

 

[benchracer]

In a gas gun, the Wylde chamber makes sense. In a bolt gun, where magazine length limits are less critical, I prefer a 5.56 chamber, especially for long bullets such as the 75 AMAX/ELDM. I have found 53 VMAX, loaded at mag length, to shoot equally well from the 5.56 chamber.

 

[Rob01]

The Wylde is perfect for a bolt gun chamber with 75 ELDs. I have mine loaded .020” off lands at 2.470” oal and they fit perfectly in the MDT mags which can handle up to 2.550”. Below is how they look.

 

[Liven The Dream]

It is great .
I have found a big difference in free bore on many After Market AR Barrels that state that Reamer is used ?

 

[Flea21]

The first barrel for I did my FTR bolt rifle has a Wylde chamber. It has cleaned several 600 yard targets in matches with 80.5 Bergers and 80 SMK's. It is my default chamber for all 223 rifles. You will need to do a lot of talking to get me to use a different reamer in your barrel.

Is a 223 wylde chambering allowed In fTR?

 

[Walt Krafft]

Any chamber for the 223 or 308 is allowed.

 

[Dimner]

worth it or waste of money?

For my cz 527 and 3 ARs I love the chamber. But these are used for only casual shooting/ and club level comps. If you are looking for high level match performance, I would pick a chambering/reamer that has been proven to work with a specific bullet that meets your needs.

 

[markm87]

I'm going on record as saying the 5.56 chamber will not stop primer popping with the same ammo.

It seems to have so far. I shot two strings of 12 rounds Saturday, and none of the primers popped.

I'm happy with this barrel now. It's an enjoyable service rifle type (iron sight) set up that's gassed perfectly. Stacks spent cases in a nice pile, but it didn't play well with 5.56 pressure ammo.

I'm going to keep monitoring it for a few more shoots using the same bag of 85gr Match Burners.

 

[jelenko]

It seems to have so far. I shot two strings of 12 rounds Saturday, and none of the primers popped.

I'm happy with this barrel now. It's an enjoyable service rifle type (iron sight) set up that's gassed perfectly. Stacks spent cases in a nice pile, but it didn't play well with 5.56 pressure ammo.

I'm going to keep monitoring it for a few more shoots using the same bag of 85gr Match Burners.

How 'bout that? Thanks for the feedback.

 

[markm87]

How 'bout that? Thanks for the feedback.

Now no telling what the chamber dimensions were to start with. I don't have the ability to cast it. But the leade shavings show it did open it up a little.

Like I said though. I could go back out this weekend and start popping again. But I'm optimistic.

 

[thatguyshm]

Another vote for Wylde in bolt actions. My results mirror Rob01's, down to I'm assuming he has about 600-800 rounds down his tube due to his OAL.

I use the 75 eld as a primary, 80.5 as a back up and I'm working on 53 vmax due to them being clearanced out on Midway recently.

27" 7.7 twist bart barrel, about 2970 fps with 75 eld and MR2000.

 

[Lefty2506]

For my cz 527 and 3 ARs I love the chamber. But these are used for only casual shooting/ and club level comps. If you are looking for high level match performance, I would pick a chambering/reamer that has been proven to work with a specific bullet that meets your needs.

FWIW, I started shooting the Wylde chamber in the early 2000's. My first AR had a flat top with a heavy 20" 1:8 barrel. I had no problems developing sub 1/2 moa loads for it with most common powders and projectiles in the 40gr, 50gr, and 69gr weights. My first service rifle upper was a RRA with a 1:8 twist and Wylde chamber. It would consistently hold 3/4 moa with 75gr A max and 75gr VLD running at +2900 fps, and had no problems cleaning targets at 600. On my best day (this was over 2 decades ago), you could have covered almost half of my shots at 600 yds with a dixie cup. Back then, service rifle was irons only.

It's not something I'd recommend for BR, but if you're doing something that limits you to .223/5.56, then IMHO the Wylde chamber is the best option. I know some guys like to shoot stuff that's heavier than 75gr, but since I was able to accurately push them over 2900 fps from a 20" service rifle barrel, moving to something heavier increased my time of flight by so much that the higher BC couldn't make up the difference. In a longer barrel, it may be a different story.

 

[jelenko]

FWIW, I started shooting the Wylde chamber in the early 2000's. My first AR had a flat top with a heavy 20" 1:8 barrel. I had no problems developing sub 1/2 moa loads for it with most common powders and projectiles in the 40gr, 50gr, and 69gr weights. My first service rifle upper was a RRA with a 1:8 twist and Wylde chamber. It would consistently hold 3/4 moa with 75gr A max and 75gr VLD running at +2900 fps, and had no problems cleaning targets at 600. On my best day (this was over 2 decades ago), you could have covered almost half of my shots at 600 yds with a dixie cup. Back then, service rifle was irons only.

It's not something I'd recommend for BR, but if you're doing something that limits you to .223/5.56, then IMHO the Wylde chamber is the best option. I know some guys like to shoot stuff that's heavier than 75gr, but since I was able to accurately push them over 2900 fps from a 20" service rifle barrel, moving to something heavier increased my time of flight by so much that the higher BC couldn't make up the difference. In a longer barrel, it may be a different story.

This^^