So here we are, touching on the subject of .223 Wylde. A little definition to remind us all, a .223 Wylde chamber is used on .223 caliber rifle barrels to allow them to safely fire either .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition. Is there a compelling reason to switch to a Wylde chamber?
There are some that will tell you that a .223 Wylde and a 5.56 NATO chambered barrels will take both cartridges, 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem, and thereby, there is no difference. Well, in terms of case dimension, that is true. So, how do they differ?
The short answer is that .223 Wylde and 5.56 NATO differ with regard to pressure dimensions. 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, .223 Wylde diameter helps. In fact, .223 Wylde chambers are known for extreme accuracy, which is better on the whole game of target shooting than what you can expect from a standard 5.56×45 chamber.
In addition, we all trying to save on ammo, and there are some excellent deals we can find on 223 rem boxes. However, those are not the best quality and can jam up your 5.56 chamber. Not the case with the Wylde. Run it all day long, and there is minimal risk of getting exposed to surplus ammo consequences.
Better accuracy, more versatility with ammo—so what’s the downside? Well, the way we see it, it can be cost and availability. Do you need a Wylde? No, but it will help your long game and will make your AR 15 rifle build even more versatile than it is now. The .223 Wylde achieves better accuracy by having a chamber throat that is tighter than 5.56, but will still function reliably with military 5.56 ammunition because the case dimensions are the same. These facts lead to the .223 Wylde having superior target and varmint accuracy, a compatibility with all .223 and 5.56 NATO ammunition, and being a top choice for competition shooters. .223 Wylde makes the most of both of these loads. Moriarti Arms has a wide variety of .223 Wylde chambered rifles and kits. Pick one yours today and enjoy your target shooting!