New AR barrel- WOA

[Tactical30]

I had just ordered a new .223 barrel for one of my AR's:


<span style="font-weight: bold">White Oak Stainless Steel Match Grade Barrel
18" Length
Ambi bbl Ext.
Middy Gas
.223 Wylde Chamber
1-7" twist rate</span>

W<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">hat kind of accuracy should I expect from this barrel?</span></span>
(I will be moslty hand-loading)

 

[head2h2o]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

The folks that do my armour work swear by these WOA. I have had not personal experience myself, but they profess sub MOA is easily obtainable. With the setup that you have listed, I don't think you will be disappointed.

What twist rate did you go with?

 

[steelcomp]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

WO is pretty popular among the AR crowd. No personal experience, but never heard anything but good about them.

 

[Chickeneye]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

did you order directly from WOA? if so how long did they say the wait was for it, been thinkin bout getting their NM barrel

 

[bsp212]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

Mine (same specs) will hold 1/2MOA with FGMM 77gr SMK loads.

The 20" Krieger I have from WOA is a tad better than that.

 

[Former0302]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

I have a WOA upper on a match AR. I've never measured the groups, but it'll clean a target for me.

 

[HotIce]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

You're going to get a good barrel from WOA, at a very reasonable price IMO.
If only the wait time was a little shorter ... but you can't have it all

I ordered a Krieger as replacement for my service rifle, and WOA was the other choice for me. Krieger had them at 4-6 weeks, and that made the difference, provided both are top AR15 barrels.

 

[Tactical30]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

I got mine from Rainier Arms.

They have the 18" In Stock

Only took a couple days to get UPS

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

I got one from ADCO and have put maybe 200rds through it.
I haven't done too much work at load development, but I'm a little disappointed in the preformance of my 18" 1:7. 75gr BTHP's at 2700fps usually shoot great, but not out of this barrel (and others I know have reported not being able to get the 75 gr'ers to run well with the 1:7). It shoots Wolf 62grHP's better than my Servie Rifle load!
I'm probably going to trade it off for a 1:8 Wylde chambered middy (I'm too lazy to run a load just for it, when 75gr BTHP's at 2700 shoot great out of everything else).

 

[cckw]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

I don't consider the 75 to be that great of a bullet for match shooting. I personally wouldn't use it to judge a barrel. The Sierra 69 or 77 will do much better. However, for a defense round the 75 is a fantastic choice.

I think a 1/8 barrel is a better all around barrel then a 1/7.

But the short of it is this. It is not hard to achieve 1 MOA with an AR. If you are trying to consistently get whatever desired fraction of MOA that really requires the work and cash.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

Sobr, the 75 has proven picky over the years I have been shooting it. Try some 77s and see if things change.

The barrel you ordered is a CORRECTLY chambered and crowned Wilson button barrel. Based on the chamber casts a friend is taking on some other supposed top brands of AR match uppers, putting the chamber in the middle of the barrel with decent headspace is not a forgone conclusion.

I've got the same barrel with the full length gas system. Never felt the need to put it on paper for groups, but it for sure shoots where pointed out to the MEF for the WS - 700 meters/770 yards.

 

[HotIce]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

For some reason, my barrels must have something against Hornady bullets.
I've never been able to find an accurate load for both 68gr and 75gr BTHP.
On the same barrels, 69gr and 77gr SMK shoot well with basically every load I tried.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

My first ever national match AR printed 3/8"-1/2" 5 shot groups at 100 yards with 69s. That spoiled me for life. That same barrel when fed with 68s and 75s shot 1.25" groups over the same powder load. I've had decent results with the 2279 75 gr BTHP, but the Sierras just shoot better with less messing around in more barrels.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

Maybe I will try some 77's before I do anything. Maybe I'll try to swap bullets with someone rather than barrels.
I do agree 1/8 is the best all around.

When I shot NRA HP I decided on the 75BTHPs at mag length XTC, figured if it was good enough for the USMC team it'd be good enough for me.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

The USMC team shoots Sierra 77s, not Hornady 75s, and name the last time one of their firing team members won anything big of note. Even the USMCR team had to acquire their own uppers so they could shoot the 80s at 600 they believed the 77 was such a handicap to them. Note that the USMCR team as multiple time National Service Rifle Champion Julia Watson on it.

 

[Tactical30]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

I have a shitload of Factory Black Hills 77gr. SMK laying around (believe it or not) and 200rds of Federal 69gr. Gold Medal Match.

Im going to try these out first before handloads to see how they shoot.

Does anyone have luck with the Hornady 68gr. Match load out of a 1-7 twist barrel?(or other 68gr. brand)

 

[amessgt]

Re: New AR barrel- WOA

have the same barrel, in rifle length gas, from ADCO. Over 500rds through it. seems to like most 77gr factory match loads, 3/4 MOA or better if i do my part. Does not do as well with 75gr. also really likes some 55gr loads?!