Wolf ammunition, is it really that bad?

K

Kimio

New member
I've heard things about Wolf ammunition, and would rather hear it from multiple sources that have perhaps actually used this brand.

From what I've heard it definitely is the bargain brand of the bunch, and that it's notorious for just being low quality. From ruptured cases to increased fouling, weather or not all of this is true, I cannot say.

So is Wolf ammunition really all that bad for your rifle? People are obviously still buying their ammunition otherwise they'd be out of business by now.
 
A quality rifle will run wolf just fine. It is dirtier than other brands, and it doesn't burn as hot. However, a properly made rifle will cycle it just fine.

Personally, if a rifle can't run wolf its broke. IMHO.

I've also heard that it is made in a bunch of different factories so there are inconsistancies. IDK if thats true or not.
Personally, I prefer silver bear. It is pretty accurate in my experience and burns a little hotter than wolf or brown bear.
 
Depends on the rifle and caliber used. I can run Wolf in my Saiga all day long with zero issues, but try the stuff in my CZ 527 and it won't pop the hard primers half the time.
 
I think it depends a lot on your expectations and what platform you're shooting it in. If you are shooting it in platforms designed for it then it is fine. If you are putting steel in stuff not designed for it then you may have some issues. I have shot a couple thousands of rounds of it and the only issue I recall with some 9mm steel is that it wouldn't feed in a Beretta mag since it galled some in the mag.

You get what you pay for, I think it's a good buy still. Not sure I would run much steel in an AR though, but that's me.

If you're shooting Russian made weapons then no worries in my mind.
 
I have never had a problem running Wolf and I've run through thousands in .223, 7.62x54, and .45 Auto. I have never used their older lacquer coated stuff, only their polymer coated.
 
I was thinking of running with the .223 for an AR15 I'm trying to build, and I'm trying to stay within a reasonable line of cost for ammunition while still maintaining a reasonable amount of quality for the rounds. I don't want to fire something cheap that will end up screwing up my rifle is really what it boils down to.

From what it sounds like an AK should be able to handle Wolf ammo just fine, but pistol rounds can become problematic depending on what caliber and type of pistol you're firing.
 
For semi auto light duty guns its great, its cheap and still hits most of the time. Have heard some issues on misfires though but never had that issue.
 
I run Wolf 7.62x54R in my mosin nagant.. Its the most accurate ammunition I've found, and I've tried most of the factory loaded 7.62 ammo.. Its been consistent, and I've never had a Fail to fire in over four years of using it... The only complaint I have is that it does foul the barrel with copper pretty fast.. The upside is, it's non-corrosive and inexpensive..
 
Here's the deal. Every rifle and pistol is unique. This isn't a matter of if your brand gun likes "Steel Case" ammo. It's a matter of your particular gun. I have a Walther PPK (Considered a quality pistol) that will not, under any circumstance, feed Corbon ammunition. The actual bullet touches the rifling too soon and the cartridge will not fit all the way in. It's a pubic hair off. If you force it in, it will fire, and there is no problem extracting; because the bullet is gone; but you have higher pressure because the bullet doesn't have a chance to get a jump start onto the rifling. It's already wedged into the rifling before the cartridge is ignited. That doesn't mean the Walther is bad or that Corbon is bad. Just that my particular pistol doesn't like it. Now; if my pistol didn't like 2 or 3 different brands / models of ammunition, then I would say there is a problem with my gun.

Same with steel case ammo. Contrary to popular belief, all russian steel case ammunition isn't all made in the same factory with just different names put on it. Buy a few boxes of a particular brand; like wolf. Try it out. If it works; great. If it doesn't too well, then try a different brand. If your rifle doesn't like any of them, then either you are doing something wrong, or the rifle is. 1 or 2 brands; the rifle is just picky. 3 or 4 brands, you rifle has issues.

Some people refuse to realize that shooting steel case ammo is DIFFERENT than shooting brass. Now; there are those that believe that it should ALL be the same. And if it ISN'T, then the ammo is crap. NO; the person is IGNORANT, and they refuse to learn anything. Steel can not expand the same as brass. As such, there is an ever so slight gap between the case and the chamber. Therefor, there will be some slight blowby with carbon and powder residue along side of the chamber. If you shoot enough steel case ammo, without cleaning the barrel/chamber afterward, and you start following up with brass ammo; it is possible that some of the brass cases might get stuck in the chamber, because it expanded and there was residue in the chamber. If you clean your rifle, there are no problems. If you don't clean it, it's possible to have problems. if a person stays ignorant and refuses to even try steel case ammo, then they can continue to pay 2 or 3 times as much for their ammo. I really don't care. And FWIW: steel case ammo will not harm your gun.

Then again, there are still those who think it's taboo and harmful to shoot "CORROSIVE AMMO" in their guns. This is one of the biggest points of ignorance there is. Do you want to know how to "Properly" shoot corrosive ammo in ANY GUN? Shoot it like normal. Then; when you're done shooting for the day or whatever; add 1 extra step to cleaning your rifle/pistol. Take your bore brush, and instead of dipping it in Hoppe #9 or whatever you use, FIRST dip it in some warm soapy water and clean the barrel out with that a few strokes. And take your copper or similar tooth brush, and use the soap and water on the chamber area, bolt, etc.... Then, clean the rifle like normal. Use hoppe or whatever. Use your remoil or whatever. Etc...

Well, steel case ammo is the same thing. It's a little different than brass. If you're like some people I've seen or brag about going hundreds or even thousand rounds without cleaning their rifle, then you will have a problem if you do this with steel case. But maybe they have to be macho. I don't know. I shoot about 400-500 rounds per month. Mostly all steel case. I spend a total of about 3-4 minutes when I get home on a basic cleaning. I run a Bore-Snake dipped in hoppe and down the barrel 2-3 times. I take a 12 gauge bore brush, and dipped in hoppe, I run that through the chamber where the bolt locks in. I then do a quick spray in this area and on the bolt with gun-scrub. I then spray the entire area with Rem-Oil, and put the gun away. It's ready for next time. But; if you pull the "Macho-Card" and don't clean the rifle, the residue that blew by the steel case, will collect in the chamber/throat area, and leave a residue. It can build up and make it difficult to extract and feed properly. Especially brass ammo. So clean the rifle a little better. Pretty minor concession for saving $4-$6 a box of ammo.

So try wolf. Then try silver bear, brown bear, MFS, barnaul, tula, tiger, etc...
 
Wolf Ammunition

The only thing I heard, not experienced as I do use it in my AR, is that if the chamber dimensions are on the tight side and one shoots a lot the heat tends to melt the laquer sealer off the case and can cause issues/jams, etc. Otherwise I have shot lots of it w/o problems, but never several hundred at one session. TL
 
Bad experience with wolf

I was shooting Wolf 223 out of my Rem 7. One of the cases expanded so much that I had to use serious force to get the bolt open. No more Wolf ammo for me.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
@Christcorp

Thank you for the explanation, I am really adamant about cleaning my rifle as soon as I get home from the range, though I may want to invest into a few more items other than the basic Hoppes cleaning kit.

Currently I'm using a Mosin Nagant M91/30, and I typically just run the bore brush down the barrel a few times dipped into some hoppes solvent, followed once more by a single pass of a patch dipped in it. Usually let it sit for about a minute or two while I break down the bolt.

I'll have to buy a box of Wolf 7.62 in the future to see if it works alright with my rifle.

Of course if anyone else has more input on this matter, I'd more than welcome it, hearing the thoughts from multiple users of this brand is always a good thing IMO.
 
Wolf use is not great for all guns but doesn't hurt all guns. My friend bought 500 rounds of 9mm and it screwed up his extractor so the gun wouldn't reliably extract loaded rounds in his 226. I believe that was with the older laqured rounds. Now if a gun has a more robust extractor, then steel would be fine such as an SKS or AK that is designed for steel cased ammo. It's the extractor that really takes a beating with steel because it may try to pull the case from the chamber while the steel case doesn't contract as well as brass after firing. I would not hesitate to use it in a russian bult gun and with careful use in a quality bolt gun with large claw extractor such as Winchester or ruger. Smaller claw push feed type guns may not function so well but it would have to be a trial and error situation. rc
 
I've never had a problem with it. I notice while cleaning after a shooting session it's a little on the dirty side just like remington. It's no problem if you clean your guns.
 
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