Wolf steel case ammo

[azmark]

I'd like to know what folks' experience has been with the Wolf non-reloadable ammo in .223.  People obviously buy it, so how bad can it really be?

[Stan in SC]

I shot some of it in a Rossi I recently bought and found it to be rather inconsistent in accuracy.
My opinion is that it is good "blasting" ammunition and that's about all.

Stan

[bluebayou]

I shoot it in a Savage and it works fine for me.  It isn't my handload, but I can hit paintcans at 200 with it.  It is dirty to be sure.  The "primer goo" that it leaves (the red sealant) is kind of irritating, but it is roughly the same POI as the WWB 55 grain that I shoot.  I have no complaints. 

Better Wolf than UMC.  (going to take a hit for that one)

[mo shooter]

I picked up a used .223 Handi at a gun show a couple of weeks ago. I haven't had time to play with it much, so far. After adjusting the scope, I shot a dime sized 5 shot group. On shots number 6 and 7  the ejector failed to pop out the empty. I managed to get the empties out with a pocket knife. I decided to try  the Wolf brand next. The ejector failed again and, with the steel case, I was unable to remove the empty until I got home. It did give me a good one shot group though  (it hit the target). Will try the suggestions in the FAQ's on ejector/extractor conversions and try again tomorrow. I agree with Bluebayou. It works well in my Mini-14 and AK-47 sar3, but does leave a lot of residue behind. I've got a couple of cases of it so I'll let you know how it works for me after I solve my extraction problems.    Dan   

[quickdtoo]

As stated in the FAQs, converting an ejector to extractor won't solve sticking brass or steel.. Polishing the chamber, making sure the chamber and brass are clean and dry, and not using milsurp or non sporting ammo, will go a long way towards eliminating FTEs.

Tim

[MSP Ret]

in the past some steel case ammo, wolf included was coated with a thin lacquer like coating, this was part of the problem with steel case ammo sticking, the other I believe may have to do with the steel not returning closer to it's dimensions after firing as brass cased ammo may do and thereby "sticking" in the chamber. Fred did have an excellent idea of an emergency ejector notch cut into the back of the barrel by the rim to assist in the removal of stuck cases. But as Quick said, a dry chamber, polished and not covered in oil and gunk, the debris from regular firing is OK though, will do wonders for the elimination of sticking cases, a longer firmer ejector spring. or simply the bb trick, with one placed behind the ejector spring, that will also increase the spring tension and do much to eliminate any sticking cases, as will saving that steel case ammo for noise making in something else...Good luck, it really is a simple problem and easy to cure....<><....

[safetysheriff]

Better Wolf than UMC.  (going to take a hit for that one)

is 'Wolf' still made in Russia?   if it is, why buy from a communist governemtn or entity anything that you do not have to?   isn't it bad enough we have such a hard time with Putin and his government that we have to support him?

i'll take UMC any day over 'Wolf', especially after what my .223 light-barrel'd Handi' does with R-P brass and 50 gr' Hornadys from it.

i'd recommend we support American employees as much as we can until communism and radical islam are a thing of the past.

just my opinion,

ss'   

[mookster79]

Depending on when the wolf was made it could be lacquer coated or polymer coated.  The polymer is the newer way of producing it.  There is a good bit of lacquer coated out there for cheap if you find it, but some guns really have issues with it.  Most of my knowledge and experience with wolf are with my AR15.   I only use it in my AR as plinking ammo, I have had no problems with jamming or not feeding and I can't beat the price for that purpose.  My handi is primarily a varmint rifle and the wolf does not fit the bill in fmj, I have never tried the jhp because the accuracy just isn't there.  I did not have a problem with the extractor in my handi, but it is very dirty ammo and the accuracy was terrible.  It may work for a fowling shot or two after cleaning the barrel, but that is about it.  I would stay away from it for a handi, but for blasting and raisning a little hell It will do just fine.

I would go with UMC for the brass if you are a re-loader, but that stuff was pretty terrible in my handi as well.  I have a good bit of that brass from my AR that I started saving when I got my handi, but the factory loads I tried stunk.  I may have different needs than some, but I want to hit what I aim at every time.

[bluebayou]

My first impulse on buying American UMC over Russian Wolf is "will if the American ammo was as consistent as the Wolf then I would."  It pisses me off that a lot/some American products are shoddily made.  I bought some American socks at 12/$5.99.  They were crap.  The seams were uneven and poked my toes and they weren't straight when I put them on.  I can buy some great Mexican made socks from Hanes, imported 500 miles for less money.  Why?  We have better technology and less delivery time and it STILL costs more to get a good product.

You have a point though, why keep buying import stuff if I don't have to?  I can buy components and build better ammo than either one.  It is convenience.  I don't know.  I will think on it.

[myarmor]

Both UMC and Wolf isn't exactly synonymous with consistancy.....man that sounded professional
Though when I have used it, I got way better groups with UMC. Wolf will fire, but as was stated is dirty and inaccurate. Though all rifles are a little different in their likes and dislikes.
If you looking for cheap 223 ammo, then check out this link Tim posted down in the Cabelas bulk ammo topic:
http://www.wisconsincartridge.com/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=70&numRecordPosition=6&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&strSearchCriteria=
Much better quality ammo, and cheap too.


-Aaron

[safetysheriff]

i think if we are honest with ourselves --  that every rifle/firearm is a law unto itself --  then we can make allowances for a given factory product/ammo not being accurate in any one given rifle.    i think we can take what we buy and re-use the brass, however, to assemble ammo with different propellants and projectiles and bullet-seating depths for starters.   

Rem' brass is supposedly not very popular among match-grade shooters/competitors.   but i put together Rem' brass with some 50 gr' Hornady spire points and while sighting in a light-barrel'd Handi' at 50 yds' got a 3-shot group with center-to-center spread of approx' .213".    other groups were small that day with various ammo out of that rifle.   howver, the outside edges of those three shots making up that smallest group were contained in less than a 7/16" diameter circle.   NO, that is not an "aggregate" group after firing 300 rounds, but the groundhogs don't know that!

i think that as we continue to learn more about this hobby, certainly as i continue to learn about it, the American-made products are every bit as impressive as the imports.

i really mean that.

just my opinion,

ss'