Opinion: To Wylde or not to Wylde?

[berettaprofessor]

Any real data out there on whether 223 Wylde chambers are really worth extra costs over a 5.56 chamber for 223 target work? With the Bear Creek 223 Wyldes all under $300 complete, they're more and more tempting, If I already have a 5.56, am I likely to notice a difference in real-world accuracy going to Wylde?

 

[Hasaf]

Just chiming in to say that this is something that also interests me.

 

[horsemen61]

I’m not sure but I fall in the yes it will improve accuracy camp over 5.56

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I find my wylde to be a little more accurate. And mine is a Bear creek,

 

[zdc1775]

From my experiences with them my answer is usually but not always. I've had a couple 5.56 barrels that shoot amazingly (one was around .5" with handloads and .8" with Black Hills Mk262) and and others that were not (2-4" groups regardless of ammo), but I've never had a Wylde barrel that didn't shoot at least MOA with good ammo and a few that were much smaller.

So I guess it really depends on the quality of the barrel.

 

[Mk-211]

https://faxonfirearms.com/blog/faq-556-nato-vs-223-wylde-whats-the-difference/

Reading material

 

[TonyAngel]

I didn't vote due to the limited choices of answer. My answer would have been, it may or may not make a difference.

Although I've had a growing respect for BCA products, I don't know of anyone that thought that they wanted to build an accurate AR and the first thing they thought was to put together something based on a BCA barrel. I'm not saying that a BCA barrel can't be accurate. I'm only saying that most will be middle of the road. Although the chamber can be important, it still isn't as important as a well cut bore.

There was a time that I went back and forth over this sort of thing, but I've found that they can all shoot well. These days, all I want from a quality barrel is that it safely chamber and fire 5.56 pressure ammo and have a twist rate of 1:8 or faster.

 

[mavracer]

So I guess it really depends on the quality of the barrel.

Don't guess you're 100% correct.
Which chamber a barrel has will make no difference if the rifling or crown are bad.

 

[mavracer]

To expand on my earlier post. On a $300 Bear Creak upper or really any other budget barrel maker PSA,AR Stoner, Right to Bear I think it's a crap shoot as to what kind of accuracy you're gonna get but also you're only talking about 5 or 10 bucks difference in most cases, so not a big gamble either.
For myself intended use is the deciding factor. I have 3 ARs in 223/5.56. My 16 and 20 inch guns are used for service match, 3 gun and such, both have 223 Wylde chambers but I also spent a lot more because they're White Oak barrels. The other is a 12.5" SBR with a NATO chamber from Ballistic Advantage I wanted maximum reliability and knew I'd be OK with so-so accuracy and it shoots more than good enough for SD/HD.

 

[zdc1775]

Don't guess you're 100% correct.
Which chamber a barrel has will make no difference if the rifling or crown are bad.

I think I said that badly. What I meant was more that I was unsure if the Wylde chamber would really make a difference in a good quality barrel like a Lilja or Krieger vs the 5.56 chamber.

Basically I would expect a Lilja in 5.56 to outshoot a Bear Creek in 223 Wylde but would be hard pressed to place a bet on which would be more accurate if they were both Liljas.

 

[zdc1775]

Guess I'll add a little more. For myself I highly doubt that I would ever select a 5.56 barrel over a 223 Wylde for any build that I complete if accuracy is a concern.

 

[mavracer]

I think I said that badly. What I meant was more that I was unsure if the Wylde chamber would really make a difference in a good quality barrel like a Lilja or Krieger vs the 5.56 chamber.

Without a doubt in a high quality barrel the tighter throat of the Wylde will day in day out shoot better. It's a pretty basic concept the larger diameter throat of the 5.56 NATO chamber is designed that way to shoot ammo that's maybe had the bullet slightly bent and function with more fouling in the chamber that allows a little room for the bullet to engage the rifling not quite straight.
In a Wylde chamber the tighter throat forces the bullet into the rifling straighter.
Now a fun side note the difference in how they shoot will probably be inversed from how good the ammo shoots because if the bullets aren't seated concentric the Wylde will do a better job of sending them into the rifling straighter lol.

 

[codytrucker]

An interesting experiment would be for someone to have a barrel in .223 , shoot about a hundred or hundred and fifty rounds in groups at various ranges , then change leads to a Wilde chamber and repeat , then do a 5.56 and repeat again and check the differences . Given a choice I'll take a Wilde chamber every time though .

 

[usaral63]

Have a RR wilde build, wilson HB l/8...........shoots well but frankly I believe my old A/2 Colt with a 1/7 factory would outshoot that RR. While I never did a really serious comparison that Colt would hold tight, touching clusters from just out of the box. That RR took some tweaking to come close............then too, it's likely apples and oranges due the bbl weights/twist and length, likely just me!

 

[Charlie98]

Without a doubt in a high quality barrel the tighter throat of the Wylde will day in day out shoot better.

This is sort of an apples to oranges discussion. A general purpose (read: mass produced) 5.56mm barrel will likely not shoot as well as a quality 5.56mm barrel, and the same would likely go for a Wylde. Comparing a cheapo 5.56mm barrel to a quality Wylde barrel isn't really fair.

 

[shootstraight57]

I just purchased a Wylde Bear Creek Arsenal complete upper with a right side charging handle and it is definitely more accurate than my other 556's.

 

[mavracer]

This is sort of an apples to oranges discussion. A general purpose (read: mass produced) 5.56mm barrel will likely not shoot as well as a quality 5.56mm barrel, and the same would likely go for a Wylde. Comparing a cheapo 5.56mm barrel to a quality Wylde barrel isn't really fair.

Did you bother to read zdc1775's post I quoted where he asked specifically about comparing the 2 chambers IN A HIGH QUALITY BARREL LIKE LILJA OR KRIEGER.

 

[BRatigan]

In a 24 inch heavy stainless barrel I can pick the nostril at 100 or 200 yards. Not sure if its better but it can swallow all the ammo out there and you can build sweet loads with heavier bullets. That is just my humble opinion.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

I had a 24in bull 223 Wylde Ballistic Advantage barrel for a short time and was not impressed with it at all. It was a 1-8 twist and it didn't seem to shoot as well as I thought it should have... It grouped better with 55gr ball than with 77gr match ammo. Odd duck of a barrel. I got a 16in KAK Industry 5.56 rifle gas barrel now and am still needing to do further testing with it but so far it's promising.

 

[JohnMc]

I'm not sure why a Wylde chamber should cost more, is there a patent?
Otherwise, a chamber reamer costs whatever they cost spread out over however many barrels can be cut with one, should be about same-same for .223 vs 5.56 vs Wylde. Or am I totally missing something (other than marketing)?

Other than that, as others have said, it will vary by barrel-to-barrel variation, manufacturer, type of crown; all that stuff.

 

[dfish1247]

I have a wylde 1:8twist 22” white oak upper, I believe it was made for 77gr smk. With aa2520, n135, varget, or pp varmint, groups are in the .400”ish range at 150yds. With win760, .340”ish is common. With 75gr hpbt hornady’s and 8208 or h335, .450”ish range.

That‘s my only experience vs a stock 5.56 upper. Long story short, it works. I believe groups would be better with a better person on it, I’m not that great.

 

[Random 8]

My experience is similar to Dfish. I shoot NRA and CMP High power with a 1:8 Wylde chamber. You'll find some variation in the twist rates, and a couple of supposed better mousetraps which are small variations on the Wylde on the line, but that's basically what everybody in the top 10% shoots. I know ZERO top shooters who shoot a NATO chamber. There must be something to that.

I HAVE noticed that a Wylde chamber does well with 55 grain varmint bullets if that makes a difference to you. My NATO chamber does not, although they are both very close with heavy bullets. This is apples to apples in this case, I'm comparing two basic and inexpensive carbine builds and leaving the National Match guns out of it. Got the Wylde for a bargain as it was an assembly mistake at PSA, but it's a bare bones carbine just like the DPMS.

 

[InTheSwamp]

Depends on more variables than just chamber. Wylde was designed to be more accurate, but it's up to material, barrel maker, rifling and shooter, etc., to take advantage of it.
I own 2 Wylde chamber ARs, and I feel good when I shoot a ten rds. group like this (on a very windy day)
HDY Black 75 gr HPBT

 

[Charlie98]

Did you bother to read zdc1775's post I quoted where he asked specifically about comparing the 2 chambers IN A HIGH QUALITY BARREL LIKE LILJA OR KRIEGER.

Yes, I did... and that's why I quoted you to support my comment. I am actually in agreement with you and ZDC, but you and ZDC are not the OP.