wolf

[dicast]

another dump question. what so bad about wolf ammunition?

[slick_711]

Assuming your question was "what is so bad about wolf ammo?"

A number of things. Different sources will dispute it, and give different reasons, but in general it is said that Wolf ammo is unreliable, unsafe, and shoots dirty. As to whether or not that's true, I couldn't say, it's never blown up on me. I've heard many accounts of it blowing up, but that's hearsay. Some people say the steel cases do not expand the way brass does, so if you have an overpressure issue, the case will rupture and could damage your chamber/cause extraction issues. It makes sense, but I've never seen it happen.

It is soviet-bloc military grade ammo though, and made inexpensively, so it is not the most consistently accurate stuff around. It's also mostly steel cased, and some calibers are bi-metal jacketed projectiles or steel cored projectiles. This was done mostly to save money on ammo production, but it is believed by many that it was done to make the ammo "armor piercing," and in truth it does have that effect *to a limited extent.*

Most indoor ranges, and some outdoor ranges, will not allow wolf ammo, for a variety of reasons. The reasons they'll give you:

A) it's armor piercing and damages the traps much more than typical ammo (indoor ranges, this is true of some calibers)
B) it is a fire hazard (indoor/outdoor ranges, very true)
C) it is unsafe/bad ammo, and bad for your guns (partly true but not their call to make)

And the one they won't tell you:

D) It is too cheap, and because of A/B/C they don't sell it, so if you bring it to their range and shoot it while their ammo sits on the shelves, they'll go out of business. Good business on their part, and understandable if you think about it.


As to whether or not it really will hurt your gun? I don't know but I only shoot it in my SKS. I don't trust it in anything I care about. It does shoot dirty though I can verify that, it'll gunk your gun up like a mother*******. As to shooting range stuff, the wolf calibers that have a steel penetrator will tear up their traps, I have seen it happen first hand, and it is a very expensive repair. Since all wolf is steel cased, it's hard to tell which wolf has steel projectiles without closer examination. And why would the range care to examine it when B,C,D are factors as well?

Shoot it in the desert through inexpensive guns. Thats about all I'd trust it for.

[Vepr62]

ammo

My life depended on it for 2 years (7.62X39). Good for your AK/SKS guns. Don't even try .223. Bad for your rifle.
Vasiliy

[EricCartmann]

Wolf is good stuff. If your gun can't shoot Wolf then it has bigger problems.

My AR's and AK's shoot wolf almost exclusively. I also have tried Wolf in my other guns with no ill effects.

[EricCartmann]

My life depended on it for 2 years (7.62X39). Good for your AK/SKS guns. Don't even try .223. Bad for your rifle.
Vasiliy

Someone forgot to tell my Bushmasters that... they eat a high diet of Wolf with Guat and SS109 kept in reserve.

[mow]

My friends extractor broke using wolf steel cased .223

Albeit this was a ruger mini 14, and apparently the extractor is made of aluminum.

Steel case vs aluminum extractor.... doesn't take a rocket scientist, or a metallurgist to realize which one will give first.

Are AR extractors made of aluminum also? They appear to be steel but I dunno.

[wildcard]

Yup. I wouldn't let anything I care about get fed with Wolf. If you're looking for cheap 7.62 X 39 ammo, get yourself some Barnaul and be done with it. It's just as cheap and has functioned flawlessly for me

[Prc329]

Wolf gold is nice stuff. My guns do not like the steel case stuff at all.

[Harbinger]

I won't raz you for not searching, but this HAS been covered a million times or more:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=40641

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=37711

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=50412

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=31822

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=26660

etc... etc... etc... go to SEARCH, click ADVANCED, then under 'keyword' type WOLF and select 'Search Titles Only'

Concensus is, unless your MFG specifically states they won't cover warranty issues on a gun that has had WOLF fired through it, shoot the hell out of it. A $10 extractor is WAY less than the savings from WOLF. Also, if your AR won't eat WOLF, there's something wrong with your AR.

Mike

[Rob454]

Ive Shot Worf ammo through my ruger countless times. also through my SKS and and a old .45 my dad had. For a while that was the only ammo I had in the house. I never had a problem. I had more problems with some PMC ammo I bought thinking I shoudl change ammo. I went back to wolf. I even have wolf shotgun shells.
I have had no problems at all with wolf. Yeah the indoor ranges dont want you to shoot Wolf but it has nothing to do with any of the reasons listed above. it has to do with them wanting you to shoot their reloads so they can overcharge you. I found a local shooting range indoor and the guys there are pretty cool. their ammo is also a very good price
Rob

[slick_711]

Ive Shot Worf ammo through my ruger countless times. also through my SKS and and a old .45 my dad had. For a while that was the only ammo I had in the house. I never had a problem. I had more problems with some PMC ammo I bought thinking I shoudl change ammo. I went back to wolf. I even have wolf shotgun shells.
I have had no problems at all with wolf. Yeah the indoor ranges dont want you to shoot Wolf but it has nothing to do with any of the reasons listed above. it has to do with them wanting you to shoot their reloads so they can overcharge you. I found a local shooting range indoor and the guys there are pretty cool. their ammo is also a very good price
Rob

Believe what you'd like friend, but you are mistaken. Yes, indoor ranges would like you to buy their ammo, so they don't go out of business. Is that so terrible of them? But that is only part of the equation.

At the moment I have a cut on my arm still healing from when some idiot was shooting wolf birdshot on the range a few weeks back. Steel birdshot does not disfigure itself the way lead does, instead it ricochets all over the place and often comes back to the firing line and hits people. If you want to argue about that, I invite you to buy a case of Wolf 00B and come stand on the range while I shoot it from behind cover. That same steel on steel contact is also a firehazard, watch the sparks when you shoot it. Furthermore, I'm going to be at work for 2-3 hours past close every night this week because we have to re-weld the traps to repair damage from M855, surplus .308, and Wolf M1943.

Sure, indoor ranges would like to make some money on ammo, after all, they are providing you with a place to shoot and range overhead, along with my wages, do not pay themselves. I assure you however, the greed you suggest is neither the only nor the main reason (my range at least) does not allow Wolf.

As to the reloads, we get ours from CalAmmo, and the only time we require you shoot them is through our rentals because CalAmmo has a $1mil insurance policy should their ammo damage our guns, or worse, you. Does Wolf cover our guns/customers? No. Shoot whatever you want through your guns as long as it contains no steal. I fail to understand why that strikes you guys as so much to ask.

And I'm speaking with regards to just one range, I know. I'm sure others vary, and some others may well be better or have rules you prefer. My intention here is not to start arguments, merely to shed some light on the other side of the equation, for I am tired of hearing people both at work and here @ our online home whine about not being able to shoot their Wolf ammo.

[Whitesmoke]

I have zero problems with wolf .223 and 7.62x39.....never a single misfeed or anything in 1000's of rounds fired.

[Dayton]

Some interesting points. Thanks for everyones info about Wolf ammo. I'll stick to PMC for now.

[oaklander]

I've shot four kinds of Wolf ammo:

1) Wolf .380 copper washed:

My PPK will shoot this with no problem - but sometimes the primers don't ignite until I pull the trigger again. Also, it has a very sharp recoil.

2) Wolf Gold .223 (made by Prvi Partizan):

My AR eats this up just fine. Almost as accurate for me as AE (American Eagle).

3) Wolf Polymer .223 hollowpoints:

My AR eats this up nicely, too. But it is dirty and not super accurate.

4) Wolf Polymer 7.76x39 hollowpoints:

My AKM has no problems with this, and it is fairly clean - but not accurate at all.

So for relatively cheap ammo. . .

For .380, I like PMC hollowpoints.
For .223 - I like Wolf Gold.
For 7.62x39, I really, really like Barnaul (also sold as Brown Bear).

Your results may vary!

[aplinker]

D) It is too cheap, and because of A/B/C they don't sell it, so if you bring it to their range and shoot it while their ammo sits on the shelves, they'll go out of business. Good business on their part, and understandable if you think about it.

You forgot that many indoor ranges make money off collecting the BRASS and reloading it. That's really why they don't allow steel cased ammo.