Bad range trip with Wolf.

[kungfuhippie]

Wolf comes from all over-it's 8mm is from the same factory as the yugoslavian surplus (nny), brass cased and shoots great. My star hates 9mm wolf. It varies by caliber and gun. Just as my mausers hate remington core lokt doesn't make it bad, just means it doesn't work well in my gun. This is why I never buy a new brand in bulk until I try it in any guns I have that shoot that caliber.

 

[Geno]

Wolf ammo, in hard-chromed chamber, is no problem. I have fired a lot of Wolf in my G17 also, and have never had a problem. But then,I don't have a habit of shooting 50 or more rounds before letting my firearms cool. In fact, I really like to have 7 or 8 pistols on the bench, fire a managzine, grab the next and so on. By the time I get back to the first one, it's cooled. Re: my rifles, I don't usually firemore than 10 rounds at a time. Then, let them cool. Thatmay wellbe the reason I haven't had issues.

That stated, I will NOT purchase any more Wolf than what I currently own. I shoot it up slowly,and cheaply I might add. Iwill keep replacing it with custom-loaded ammo...my own. No factory in the world is even half as meticulous as I do. Nor do they care about my firearms like I do. After that Win Pers Def ammo blew up my Kimber Eclipse, I learned a lesson...go back to handloads.

Doc2005

 

[American_Pit_Bull]

If I spend well over $1500 on the most reliable battle rifle that I can find, it better be able to run Wolf without a hiccup...

My AR eats it for breakfast. Sure, it's dirty, but I clean my guns so I don't care.

I was running Wolf through two firearms this weekend that have a combined value of $3500 and I had a smile the whole time.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

I never had issues running Wolf through my AR or Saiga-12 but the S-12 was designed with wider tolerances so it can devour anything. I see a lot of horror stories with Wolf laquer and steel cases...I can deal with gumminess and an occasional sticky if its just for a range trip but it probably isn't a good idea to use it as a home defense load. Not everyone can afford to shoot match ammo or can justify shooting expensive ammo for a simple weekend range trip.

I wouldn't hesitate using more Wolf since I personally never had any problems with the stuff, as well as two other AR shooters locally. The stuff is messy though, but I've had lots of residue running WWB as well. I'm not sure what everyone else's' maintenance schedule is but I clean after every range trip since I don't get out as often and usually fire only a couple hundred rounds that day so maybe that is why I am not running into issues. I shoot cheap stuff for relaxation and practice and keep the expensive stuff for carry, storage, and defense.

I also have a bulk packaged box of 250 rounds of 12ga Wolf 00. The cardboard box states Wolf performance ammunition, power buckshot. On the other side, it says Lapua, Made in Germany. I don't know if there was a box goofup but I've run regular 5-rnd boxes of this 00 buckshot for ages before I finally bought a bulk pack and never had issues with it. Judging from other comments above, some of the Wolf stuff is made in "other places".

 

[DMK]

Seems to vary a lot by firearm. People have mentioned all kinds of problems with Wolf .30 Carbine ammo, but I've fired a couple of thousand rounds of it through two different carbines with no misfires, jams or any other problem.

Military guns (and some military style guns, like 5.56 chambered ARs) tend to have looser chambers. Chromed chambers help a lot too. This is by design for exactly the type of problems discussed here (excessive fouling, ammo slightly out of spec, poor maintenance, etc). What works great in them, might not work so well in a gun designed for civilian use where extreme reliability was bumped a bit lower on the designer's requirements, probably favoring accuracy a bit more.

 

[wolfman01]

Never understood why guys spend good money on solid weapons and then run trash ammo through their guns.

Well...I never understood why people will buy cheap junk and are all surprised when it turns out to be...cheap junk.

Wolf? Nosir. Not even in a beater that I hate.

Well, when it comes to putting holes in paper, where I know I'm going to expend alot of ammo, I'd like to save a few bux here and there. Now for carrying, nothing less than the best. That's kept in the case untill I reload for HD, and when I'm legal, CC.

 

[ECVMSparky]

Unfortunately, some of us, can't afford to spend a lot of money on premium ammo every time we shoot, so we're in a quandry. How to get the most bang for the buck, and still put food on the table.
OK, here are my choices, i could buy 1 box of premium ammo and shoot it out of my glock every few months or i can afford to shoot a few boxes of cheaper ammo every month for the same price.
I'd rather spend the extra money on a dependable piece, and carry the premium ammo in it for when i DO need it, shooting the cheap stuff at the range.
Is it going to be EXACTLY point of aim every time? No.
But what makes you more proficient with a 'working" gun, apending a buttload duplicating EXACTLY the right load, and knowing that 'range" ammo is going to perform well, or shooting something that pretty damn close A LOT MORE.
I'm not trying to step on toes here, but i have priorities, and if shooting wolf ammo means i can buy my daughter better clothes, than so be it. I work for a living, and i'm not going to shoot once a year, becaus i think i'm too good to use cheap ammo.

If you snub your nose at those who can't afford 100.00 a week in ammo, shame on you, you are an elitist snob and the sport doesn't need you.

 

[glockman19]

You are what you eat and so is your gun. Junk in junk out.

Cheap Wolf ammo was ment to be shot out of a cheap gun. Shoot it out of a Taurus.

 

[TimboKhan]

Funny how people rally round the wolf-hating flag, but when I had a horrible experience with a box of WWB in 9mm, no one decried it and claimed that they would never shoot WWB again.

Wolf is what it is: Low cost ammo. I have shot a ton of Wolf, and will happily buy it again. I have never had a major problem with it, and the company has earned my business. For all the talk about "junk" ammo, I always wonder where it comes from. I hate to say it, but it always strikes me as a bit elitist, especially when you never hear anyone desparging other discount ammo like Blazer or WWB. I won't sit here and claim that it's perfect, but I will say that it's decent, affordable ammo.

Cheap Wolf ammo was ment to be shot out of a cheap gun. Shoot it out of a Taurus.

Isn't it odd that my "cheap guns", which include a few Tauri, will eat anything I give them, while the good guns are finicky? I mean, how often do you read people on THR that are having FTF issues with their Kimbers? How about all those Glock Kabooms that we hear so much about? Thanks, but I will keep my cheap, reliable guns.

 

[glockman19]

TimboKhan,

Can you say "sarcasm"

Get a sense of humor.

 

[TimboKhan]

I can say sarcasm in three different languages, and I have a fantastic sense of humor, but I don't think you were being sarcastic or funny. Mostly I say this because I have a good memory. Recently, you said:

Wolf is hte cheapest dirtiest ammo around. I don't care how cheap it is I won't feed it to any of my firearms

Look man, I don't care if you like Wolf or not, and it's not like I have some vested interest in Wolf, but the whole "cheap" gun thing just gets my goat.

 

[Glockfan.45]

Never understood why guys spend good money on solid weapons and then run trash ammo through their guns.

Because paying over three bills (actually its getting close to four) for a case of .223 is ridiculous. Honestly I don't want to shoot $70-$80 worth of ammo each time I take out one of my ARs. I have a cache of good brass cased, nato stamped 5.56 for stash ammo. I have 2 cases of Wolf for blasting on the farm. When, and if ammo prices come back down I will put Wolf in the past. For now though pass the ammo comrade .

P.S: if your high dollar AR can't run cheap ammo you got ripped off.

 

[DeltaGunner]

Polymer........ the key word. Gets hot melts into your chamber, gun cools, chamber is tighter.
Clean your chambers like your bores after shooting. Use a solvent for removing Polymers. I think you may be happier.

 

[swingset]

Polymer........ the key word. Gets hot melts into your chamber, gun cools, chamber is tighter.

The polymer WILL NOT MELT IN YOUR CHAMBER. Period.

Don't believe me? Try melting it off with a blow torch (many orders of times hotter than a chamber). It's not going anywhere in your chamber, no matter how long you keep it in there.

The issue of Wolf isn't the coating now that it's polymer, it's the difference in expandability between steel and brass. Steel expands differently than brass, and can cause blow-by or dirt build up in some chambers, or fail to release on extraction causing jams or issues. Some guns are more prone to this than others. I have shot close to 20,000 rounds of Wolf with only minor issues, mainly after extended shooting sessions when extremely dirty I get stuck cases. Big whoopee.

The melting coating myth is just that, myth.

BTW, anyone have any first hand accounts of Wolf blowing up a gun? They're pretty damn rare for such a "crappy" ammo brand....yet 855PD has been the culprit of 3 that I know of first hand, yet many here would shoot the brass stuff believing it to be a superior round.

 

[gunsmith]

the last time I used it

8 or 9 years ago, it stank and left a smelly cloud of obnoxious smoke.
I didn't give up ciggs to ruin whats left with that stuff, and my gun hated it.
every other round was a dud....making it as expensive as good stuff.
plus, I now practice with what I carry for self defense because my life may depend on hitting my target.
I'm not even closely a "rich"
guy by any means....I wouldn't blame any one for wanting to feed his kids....

 

[DeltaGunner]

Polymer build up is not a myth. It is not a problem, it's part of cleaning your weapon when using it.
Check David Tubbs web sight in his cleaning section of accessories the topic is covered.
Don't want to argue so that's all I've got to say about that

 

[swingset]

Polymer buildup is hogwash, total, complete hogwash. Like I said, take a blowtorch and see if you can melt it off of a polymer cased wolf spent cartridge. You might be able to, but you're going to have to practically melt the case along with it.

I've shot, in weekend one range session, over 1,000 rounds of Wolf polymer through my M16, without any "buildup" in the chamber....other than grime and gunk. Clean it like normal, keep right on shooting. No polymer in the chamber...just shiney metal once the powder residue cleans off. I've even examined my AR chambers with a borescope, there's no polymer on the chamber walls, none.

Polymer is not melting off in your chamber, as you said previously. That's baloney. Accept it.

 

[Glockfan.45]

The issue of Wolf isn't the coating now that it's polymer, it's the difference in expandability between steel and brass. Steel expands differently than brass, and can cause blow-by or dirt build up in some chambers, or fail to release on extraction causing jams or issues. Some guns are more prone to this than others. I have shot close to 20,000 rounds of Wolf with only minor issues, mainly after extended shooting sessions when extremely dirty I get stuck cases. Big whoopee.

I have found an extractor spring upgrade cuts FTE down to almost nothing. Chrome lined chambers are also a must. All of my ARs have the two features listed, and all of them eat Wolf and ask for seconds. Like I said its range ammo, training ammo, the ammo I will be taking to a carbine class soon. I would not trust my life to it, but there is no reason to shoot up the $0.38 a round stuff for range fun.

 

[MrPeter]

The only problem I ever had was 1 FTE per mag in my new CZ-75B, sometimes more. I read on CZshooters.com that commonly a higher power extractor spring is needed in these pistols, and since then, I have had no issues with my CZ in .40, no matter what it eats, for $500 or so.

My GPWASR has exclusively been fed Wolf Military Classic HP's and has never had a problem: $350. Are you telling me that your $1000 kimber and $1500 AR can't handle wolf? Who has the better gun again?

I can tell you that I have shot remington and cci and tons of other stuff, and let me tell you that there is MUCH dirtier ammo than wolf. Remington is one of the nastiest rounds I have ever put through a pistol or shotgun. That will make me never buy their stuff again, but even THAT worked just fine.

Send my your wolf 7.62x39 if you don't like it. I'll pay you what you think it's worth

 

[dm1333]

"and let me tell you that there is MUCH dirtier ammo than wolf. Remington is one of the nastiest rounds I have ever put through a pistol or shotgun."

I refuse to shoot Remington .22 because it is so dirty. WWB leaves my guns a lot dirtier than Wolf seems to.

"Send my your wolf 7.62x39 if you don't like it. I'll pay you what you think it's worth"

Thats just plain funny! I don't understand some of the attitudes here towards Wolf. If you don't like it or your gun won't digest it use another brand but they sure seem to sell a lot of ammo. I'm eagerly awaiting my CMMG upper and if the gun is not reliable with all brands of ammo then I guess it either needs some work or it goes up for sale.

 

[the naked prophet]

Federal American Eagle ammo is waaaaaay dirtier than Wolf. That AE ammo gunked up the trigger so bad on my Browning Hi-Power that it wouldn't return forwards. And that was only 60 rounds! I've since put in a stronger trigger return spring, but I won't shoot any more Fed AE ammo. Wolf isn't that dirty, and works fine.

 

[Curare]

I never had issues running Wolf through my AR or Saiga-12 but the S-12 was designed with wider tolerances so it can devour anything.

Clearances--not tolerances. That's a common error when discussing Kalashnikov weapons.

 

[jerkface11]

What's the point in an expensive gun if it won't shoot any ammo you throw in it? If his Hi-Point wouldn't shoot wolf I'd understand but for a Glock I find it unacceptable.

 

[fletcher]

What's the point in an expensive gun if it won't shoot any ammo you throw in it?

Even if it shoots poorly, that's pretty much my take on it. As long as the ammo is made properly, it should at least feed and go bang.


Wolf is decent, cheap, ammo IMO. I've never had problems with it in 7.62x39, 7.62x54, 9x18, or .45. *However*, YMMV, and not all guns like the same kinds of ammo.

 

[308win]

My AR with chrome chamber failed to extract a round of the polymer coated 62gr Wolf. The gun wasn't hot (IIRC it was the seventh round over about 10 minutes). Ruined the day for me as I didn't have a rod with me (learned a lesson there). Sent it back for exchange; won't buy Wolf again for my AR so the good news is there is more for the shooters who want to use it.