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Could be that this has been discussed in other threads, but I just don't remember seeing it. We all know that 5.56 chambers aren't the same as .223 chambers, and that .223 Wylde chambers are a little different from the other two mentioned.
Prior to my recent build of my varmint AR with the RRA Wylde-chambered barrel, I'd only loaded for my Bushmaster, which has a 5.56 barrel. I'd always loaded my rounds out to around 2.260", as that's about as long as I can load them so that they'll fit in my mags.
Yesterday, while doing some more test-firing of the new varmint AR, I manually ejected a round, when I was changing types of ammunition. I noticed some pretty harsh rifling marks on the ejected round's bullet. When I got home, I got out my Stoney Point o.a.l. tool with the dummy case and did a little "checking". The fmjbt bullets that I'd used were touching the rifling at 2.225", which is WAY shorter than any other .223 or 5.56 chamber for which I've loaded. Unless I just happen to have acquired a barrel that was short-chambered, then, I suppose, the theory of the very short leade is that one has a lot of flexibility for loading rounds that will fit in a magazine, but will just be a few thousandths off the rifling.
I also checked some Berger 53gr. and V-Max 50 gr. bullets and found that they actually could be loaded a little longer than the aforementioned fmjs, but still not nearly as long as I'd previously loaded them.
I'm about to set up my 650 with my seating die so that I can reseat a bunch of previously-loaded rounds short enough to fit the new AR's chamber safely.
I'm going to e-mail Steve, at Adco, from whom I acquired the RRA barrel, and make sure that I don't have a short-chambered barrel and that the shorter leade is, in fact, intentional.
Prior to my recent build of my varmint AR with the RRA Wylde-chambered barrel, I'd only loaded for my Bushmaster, which has a 5.56 barrel. I'd always loaded my rounds out to around 2.260", as that's about as long as I can load them so that they'll fit in my mags.
Yesterday, while doing some more test-firing of the new varmint AR, I manually ejected a round, when I was changing types of ammunition. I noticed some pretty harsh rifling marks on the ejected round's bullet. When I got home, I got out my Stoney Point o.a.l. tool with the dummy case and did a little "checking". The fmjbt bullets that I'd used were touching the rifling at 2.225", which is WAY shorter than any other .223 or 5.56 chamber for which I've loaded. Unless I just happen to have acquired a barrel that was short-chambered, then, I suppose, the theory of the very short leade is that one has a lot of flexibility for loading rounds that will fit in a magazine, but will just be a few thousandths off the rifling.
I also checked some Berger 53gr. and V-Max 50 gr. bullets and found that they actually could be loaded a little longer than the aforementioned fmjs, but still not nearly as long as I'd previously loaded them.
I'm about to set up my 650 with my seating die so that I can reseat a bunch of previously-loaded rounds short enough to fit the new AR's chamber safely.
I'm going to e-mail Steve, at Adco, from whom I acquired the RRA barrel, and make sure that I don't have a short-chambered barrel and that the shorter leade is, in fact, intentional.