Myths about Wolf ammo

[redneckmedic]

Why are folks so protective of ammo? Wolf is one of the cheapest of ammo's on the market, isn't there a possibility that the QC might be a bit below the bar? Or the components and process might be a bit less than desired? Do yal have a personal investment in this company? Who gives a damn, its ammo, its not the best, it might be defective. Otherwise you are saying its perfect. This is just silly.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Why are folks so protective of ammo? Wolf is one of the cheapest of ammo's on the market, isn't there a possibility that the QC might be a bit below the bar? Or the components and process might be a bit less than desired? Do yal have a personal investment in this company? Who gives a damn, its ammo, its not the best, it might be defective. Otherwise you are saying its perfect. This is just silly.

It's called a "discussion".

No one is being protective of the ammo. If you don't like it, don't run it. My point is that if you try it out in your rifle, see no issues with function, there's no reason not to run it from a standpoint of being concerned it's damaging your rifle.

 

[combat45acp]

Nice video!

 

[JJGatesE30]

Why are folks so protective of ammo?

I don't think he's being "protective" of Wolf ammo.


He's getting the message out there that Wolf is FINE for most guns, which in my experiance is also true. This guy shoots more than I do so I appreciate his opinion and the videos he makes to back it up.

Ultimatly he's saying shoot more, spend less and don't worry about it.

 

[Colt556]

Good video and information. If you have a rifle with a timing issue what can be done to remedy the problem?

 

[dagibson1507]

Why are folks so protective of ammo? Wolf is one of the cheapest of ammo's on the market, isn't there a possibility that the QC might be a bit below the bar? Or the components and process might be a bit less than desired? Do yal have a personal investment in this company? Who gives a damn, its ammo, its not the best, it might be defective. Otherwise you are saying its perfect. This is just silly.

Its more of an issue of misinformation than being "protective of ammo". Wolf is cheap because the labor that makes it is cheap. The components they use are cheaper, steel is cheaper than brass, a bi-metal bullet its cheaper. This didn't mean the quality is any less.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I've shot a lot of wolf and never had a problem. I like it, good cheap way to dispatch zombies.....

 

[MilitaryArms]

If you have a rifle with a timing issue what can be done to remedy the problem?

You can try a heavier buffer, or just send it to a AR15 smith to have them check things over.

 

[GIJEW]

I tried a box in my RRA NM AR15 and had numerous cases of the bolt overiding the bolt stop on the last round, and when unloading a chambered round AFTER FIRING, that round would typically stick. I've never had that kind of trouble with brass cased ammo. I attributed part of that to the rifle being NM, whereas the Kalashnikov has loosey-goosey specs that are part of the reason they're famous for being reliable even when full of carbon and other dirt.

bottom line: if I owned an AK I'd feed it steel cased ammo.

 

[Clay]

I shoot lots of steel cased ammo in my ARs, but only Silver Bear. ive had issues with lacquer and poly coated steel cased ammo. Never had a problem with the zinc coated silver bear. In my AKs, what ever is the cheapest!

Also, something to take note of is the case design. 5.56 is a straight walled case, where 7.62x39 is a tapered case. 5.56 is prone to more extraction issues because of being supported the entire length while being removed. Throw some lacquer/poly coated ammo in there and it could make it worse. 7.62x39 ammo is only supported when full inserted. Start pulling it out and becomes loose almost instantly because of the tapered case.

 

[groovatron]

I tried a box in my RRA NM AR15 and had numerous cases of the bolt overiding the bolt stop on the last round, and when unloading a chambered round AFTER FIRING, that round would typically stick. I've never had that kind of trouble with brass cased ammo. I attributed part of that to the rifle being NM, whereas the Kalashnikov has loosey-goosey specs that are part of the reason they're famous for being reliable even when full of carbon and other dirt.

bottom line: if I owned an AK I'd feed it steel cased ammo.

Sounds like a problem with the gun.

 

[PatriotPride]

Why are folks so protective of ammo? Wolf is one of the cheapest of ammo's on the market, isn't there a possibility that the QC might be a bit below the bar? Or the components and process might be a bit less than desired? Do yal have a personal investment in this company? Who gives a damn, its ammo, its not the best, it might be defective. Otherwise you are saying its perfect. This is just silly.

You got one thing right in your post. It IS silly.

He posted a review, and defended his position when someone had a dissenting opinion. Good grief.

 

[dice dealer]

Anyone that has problems or dont like the Wolf ammo give me a call ..

I will come remove it from your house FREE of charge ..

After all Russian ammo Cant be good for a russian gun like an AK ..

 

[Bunnykid68]

Something else I have not seen mentioned. Are any of those having problems with some of the Wolf shooting 5.56 instead of .223. They are not completely interchangeable. Do a search of .223 vs 5.56.

 

[billt]

while problems w/ wolf may be few and far between there are more problems w/ wolf than other types of ammo. my problems came of the course of 7 or 8 years.

perhaps they are not 100% "myths" and might actually be based in some factual information that you just dont have the same problems with.

just because you post a you tube vid showing you shooting steel cased ammo talking about how you have never had any problems, and giving a believable explenation as to why steel cased ammo will not hurt your gun, does not mean that everyone elses results will be identicle.

i HAVE broken extractors, and had stuck cases, and ripped off rims w/ steel ammo. have never not once had any issues w/ brass cased. i will not and dont reccomend steel cased ammo through an ar or a 1911.

+100 !

I'm not seeing the savings, or any advantage, in shooting this stuff. First it's non reloadable. Second, It's false economics. You pay over $2,000.00 for a SCAR or a top shelf AR-15, then try to save a couple of buck on ammo?? That's like putting cut rate regular in a Z-06 Corvette. A lot of risk for little to no reward.

If you shop around you can now buy fully reloadable, brass cased .223 ammo for under $300.00 a thousand. If you shoot a lot and save the brass, you can sell that and recover even more of the cost. Many people will pay for good, clean, once fired .223 brass. When you weigh all of the issues I can't see what the advantage is in shooting this stuff, if in fact there is any. Bill T.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Dupe.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Second, It's false economics. You pay over $2,000.00 for a SCAR or a top shelf AR-15, then try to save a couple of buck on ammo?? That's like putting cut rate regular in a Z-06 Corvette. A lot of risk for little to no reward.

That's one of my favorite analogies I see parroted across the internet. Putting Wolf in a SCAR is absolutely nothing like putting low octane gas in a Z06. You're operating under the assumption Wolf damages the SCAR, which it doesn't. Following your logic, someone that owns a SCAR or high end AR15 should fire nothing but top shelf ammo like Federal Gold under the false assumption that anything less is actually causing damage to the rifle.

Can you show any evidence what-so-ever that Wolf damages SCARs? How many rounds of Wolf have you fired through your SCAR to come to your conclusion?

If you shop around you can now buy fully reloadable, brass cased .223 ammo for under $300.00 a thousand. If you shoot a lot and save the brass, you can sell that and recover even more of the cost. Many people will pay for good, clean, once fired .223 brass. When you weigh all of the issues I can't see what the advantage is in shooting this stuff, if in fact there is any. Bill T.

With tools like Ammo For Sale : Cheap Ammo : Find Ammunition at AmmoSeek.com it makes it easy to find the best prices on ammo. And it's still over $100 per case cheaper to buy Wolf over the cheapest military surplus you can find. Keep in mind not all military surplus is reloadable (the last few lots I've fired haven't been), and in the case of some calibers it is corrosive if you buy the absolute cheapest.

If you lived in Indiana, you would realize we have 2ft+ of snow on the ground. I'm not likely to dig around in the snow looking for brass for scrap hoping to eventually get my $100 back.

I also shoot semi autos and full autos. On top of that, I don't usually sit at a bench on a public range and shoot a static targets thereby leaving my brass in a nice pile to my right. I usually am walking around in the woods and practicing my practical shooting which includes shooting on the move. So until they invent a brass magnet, finding spent casings isn't exactly easy.

 

[billt]

You're operating under the assumption Wolf damages the SCAR, which it doesn't. Following your logic, someone that owns a SCAR or high end AR15 should fire nothing but top shelf ammo like Federal Gold under the false assumption that anything less is actually causing damage to the rifle.

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said Wolf "damaged" anything. I just don't see any advantage in shooting it. It's filthy, and inaccurate. The video admitted to those facts. If some guy wants to buy it and bump fire it into hillsides, then fine, knock yourself out. I like to shoot as clean and accurate of ammunition as I can. Wolf does not provide this. For raising dust in a gravel pit playing Audie Murphy, it's top choice. I'll save money elsewhere. Bill T.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said Wolf "damaged" anything. I just don't see any advantage in shooting it. It's filthy, and inaccurate.

It's "filthy" because the steel case doesn't seal against the chamber walls like brass does so you get carbon build up more quickly. Assuming you clean your rifle every 1000 rounds, there's absolutely no issue. If you don't clean your rifle, that's not the fault of the ammo.

It's reasonably accurate. It's just as accurate and much of the military surplus I've picked up over the years, shooting 3-4" at 100 yards with iron sights. It's plenty accurate enough for doing things like taking a rifle course, training and there are lots of people that use the ammo in 3 gun matches across the country.

You don't see an advantage, and that's your privilege. No one is challenging your choice. But to tell other users that it's like running cheap gas in a Z06 clearly is meant to imply that it causes damage to rifles. You see, high compression motors require a specific octane. If you go too far below that required octane and drive it like a race car, if the car can't pull the timing enough you'll get knock. That does cause damage. If you didn't intend to imply low octane gas could damage a high compression motor, why did you say "A lot of risk for little to no reward."? It seems pretty clear to me what the implication was.

If this isn't what you intended to imply, you may want to find another analogy when deriding Wolf ammo.

Even the guy in the video admitted to those facts.

I am the guy in the video.

If some guy wants to buy it and bump fire it into hillsides, then fine, knock yourself out. I like to shoot as clean and accurate of ammunition as I can. Wolf does not provide this. For raising dust in a gravel pit playing Audie Murphy, it's top choice. I'll save money elsewhere. Bill T.

That's purposely belittling, and I see no need for your condescending tone and insults.

If you shot in matches you would know that lots of people use Wolf ammo in these matches such as 3 gun. Wolf is as accurate as some (if not most) military surplus, and if people are willing to fight wars with 3-4" accuracy at 100 yards then I suspect Wolf's accuracy is good enough for people shooting on the weekend.

If you're a bench rest shooter, you'll probably want something else. That's not Wolfs target market anyway.

If you shoot military style rifles (SCAR's, AR's, AK's, Mini 14's, etc.) and your primary goal is to shoot 1/2 MOA groups... you might want to rethink your choice of weapons, and no - Wolf isn't your ideal choice.

For everyone else that likes to go out and enjoy their rifles and doesn't want to spend an afternoon chasing empties (especially since not everyone is a reloader), Wolf is a great alternative.

 

[billt]

It's "filthy" because the steel case doesn't seal against the chamber walls like brass does so you get carbon build up more quickly.

Filthy is filthy. How or why it is doesn't matter.

It's "reasonably" accurate.

You're painting with much too broad of a brush. Most AR-15 rifles are extremely accurate, as I'm sure you know. It is an inherently accurate, generic design. Most people with a little patience, a few tools, and some mechanical know how, can assemble one on a kitchen table that will shoot 1 MOA or less with good, accurate ammunition, which Wolf simply is not. Shooting 3 MOA ammo out of a 1 MOA rifle doesn't make sense, at least to me.

But to tell other users that it's like running cheap gas in a Z06 clearly is meant to imply that it causes damage to rifles.

Speaking only for myself, I've seen broken extractors from this stuff being shot out of 20" and 16" guns. I've seen chambers fouled badly from it's use. (One often parallels the other). Gun forums are full of horror stories about using this stuff in AR-15 rifles. Based on all of that, along with the fact the AR-15 was designed around brass cased ammunition, and the fact many AR-15's don't shoot it well, if at all, (Bushmaster advises against it's use), I'm not seeing any "savings" here??

Is Wolf good "cheap" ammo? I suppose it is as good as it can be for it's cost. For going out to the range to basically blast away, I guess it's use could be justified in some way for the cost conscious shooter. With that said most everyone I know who is "into" AR-15's and other black rifles, reload. Properly reloaded, brass cased ammunition is going to be superior to Wolf, cleaner, and more accurate.

Why did you say "A lot of risk for little to no reward."?

As I said above, I've seen many shooters at my local gun club shoot this stuff. Many had problems with it. Broken extractors, gunked up guns, inaccurate shooting. All of this was cleared up when they ditched the Wolf in favor of better quality ammunition. Wolf seems to solve all of it's own problems once you stop using it.

That's purposely belittling, and I see no need for your condescending tone and insults.

I have belittled and insulted no one.

Wolf is as accurate as some (if not most) military surplus, and if people are willing to fight wars with 3-4" accuracy at 100 yards then I suspect Wolf's accuracy is good enough for people shooting on the weekend.

That depends on what they are intending to accomplish with their weekend shooting. If it's lighting up a gravel pit, or knocking cans off posts at 50 yards, that could be a potential Wolf shooter. If you want good groups from a weapon that is capable of producing it, Wolf may not be the way to go. I once was asked to clean a co workers AR-15 that had seen a steady diet of Wolf ammunition. He wasn't the best guy when it came to rifle maintenance. The gun was a mess, and a nightmare to clean. I never spent so much time cleaning a weapon in my life. That alone would steer me completely away from Wolf. My time is worth more than the few bucks saved shooting cut rate ammo.

If you shoot military style rifles (SCAR's, AR's, AK's, Mini 14's, etc.) and your primary goal is to shoot 1/2 MOA groups... you might want to rethink your choice of weapons.

Why? Les Baer guarantees 1/2" groups out of most every rifle he sells. Others do as well. The AR-15 rifle is one of the most accurate semi auto rifles ever invented. They are as, or more accurate than most bolt action sporters sold today. The AR-15 is one of the most accurate weapons on the market today, period. With that said one has to shoot the proper ammunition in it to achieve it. Wolf isn't it.

For everyone else that likes to go out and enjoy their rifles and doesn't want to spend an afternoon chasing empties (especially since not everyone is a reloader), Wolf is a great alternative.

Here I agree. Like anything else Wolf ammunition has it's limitations. For many shooters those limitations are more severe than they are willing to accept to accomplish their goals. Bill T.