Cabela's sells Wolfe Ammunition that is manufactured in Russia at a very reasonable cost. They however have steel cases that are painted. Has anyone used this ammunition? How accurate is it? Is the steel case hard on chambers?
Cabela's also sells remanufactured, in the US, ammunition at a price below which componets can be bought. Anyone have any expierence with it?
I am looking for inexpensive rounds in 223 for varmint hunting.
Thanks
Kent

Some people complain that the shellac on steel-cased ammunition like Wolf will come off in your chamber and gum it up. That may be true if you shoot a bunch of it rapid fire and heat the barrel up too much, but with normal (as opposed to profligrate) shooting, you won't have any trouble with shellacked steel cases. You won't set any accuracy records with the Russian ammunition, but then the gun you shoot it in wouldn't be that accurate with precision handloads, either.

Remanufactured ammunition varies in quality, just like newly-manufactured ammunition. But there's no reason that it shouldn't be serviceable just because the case is being used the second time around. Chances are that the reman will do as well as new stuff in most rifles.

I have been a gun owner for 40 years but a full time collector and shooter for 10 years.

I started out 10 years ago buying:
cheap guns
cheap scopes
cheap scope mounts
cheap rings
cheap dies
cheap bullets
cheap used mixed brass
cheap barrels
a cheap lathe
cheap slings
cheap bi- pods
cheap steady rest
cheap rear bag
cheap taps
and cases of cheap Wolf ammo piled up in my basement

It has taken my 10 years to get a one inch group. What took me so long was I was slow to turn loose of my cheapness.

I bought 1000 rounds for $100 one time for my Ruger mini-thirty.

When I went to the range, several people stopped to tell me that I shouldn't shoot it because the casing is very tough on the extractor/ejector.

I don't shoot it anymore. I still have about 500 rounds left. I supposed I might shoot it up if I can't get any UMC for cheap. But really I'm leaving it alone so I don't damage my gun.

I have shot 2000 rounds of wolf ammo in all 3 of my AR-15's. I have never had a problem with that ammo. No it is not the most accurate ( that is what reloading is for ) but for just plinking its not bad. Plus I dont have to go looking for my brass either.

Go to AR15.com and see what they say about it. they always have polls on that ammo.

Jason

Wolf is good ammunition...don't worry about it being bad for your firearms.

Dad's 70 Series Gold Cup shoots better than anything else...

Nothing wrong with the stuff!

FYI: It is reloadable, too! At least the 45 ACP is... Just size the mouth enough to hold a bullet. They say steel cased ammo is non-reloadable, but I've reloaded it and it works well. I don't go out of my way to find the cases, but if I see 'em, I pick 'em up.

[ 06-14-2003, 02:12: Message edited by: Trapdoor ]

Trap the reason they say it's not reloadable is steel cases area hard on steel dies. I had some old UMC steel cased 45acp brass I picked up # the range by mistake. When you try yo full size you really notice something is wrong, even w/ carbide dies.
I have shot the 9mm Wolfe in my Glock & it is loaded to +p levels, at least that's what my chorno tells me. I wouldn't shoot a bunch of it(JMO).

I've reloaded some of the .223 and noticed that about 80% of the cases split at the neck the second time around. Given that level of attrition, Wolf .223 is not worth the effort to reload but their .45ACP reloads well. I pick up and reload just about any .45ACP case because the stuff is so hard to find anymore after Uncle Sam went to the 9mm in the early 1980s.

[ 06-21-2003, 03:42: Message edited by: rootbeer ]

Well

I have used Wolf ammo in 5,45X39 and 9X18 Makarov. It is not the most accurate, but will do for practical rifle comp. The 9X18 Makarov ammo I found was really +++P+++, the accuracy was 4 inches at 25 meters.

Cheap ammo is not the most accurate or best, you get what you pay for

/ JOHAN

[ 06-16-2003, 01:42: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

The .223 55gr. HP stuff I bought was loaded very soft - 2800 fps out of a 24" barrel. It's also extremely dirty. But it does work fine for plinking and IPSC. Don't use it in machineguns though, due to the laquer on the cases.

For the 7.62X39, the best ammo made at any price is JSC Bernaul of Russia, periodically on sale at Midway for $1.88 per box of 20.

It is lacquered steel cased, but bullets are true PSPs and HPs. Velocities are high, nearly 2500 fps, and accuracy is a good as your rifle.

For the 223, forget Russia - Federal makes military 223 using Lake City brass which your local dealer can get and sell for $4.50 per box. This ammo is HOT!

The LC brass is so good that its worth $2 a box to me.

I shoot it ("Wolf") ammo in .45 ACP. It is as accurate in my gun as any U.S. GI hardball, non-match grade ammo!!

JOHAN,
I shot Wolfe ammo in a someone else's Mak a few years back, and I can still remember the recoil.

I thought it kicked like a 40 S&W pistol of the same weight.

humm i have used a bunch of wolf ammo. nothing but wolf in my glock 17 (9mm) works great. wolf in my gold cup work great. in my ars works great. if you shoot fast and heat things up, you might have a problem. most of the time the people who have problems with it are the ones that shoot 400 rds, not clean it and wonder why it jams the next time they use it. for blasting there is nothing better. you will never get great groups out of it. the casings are not worth bending over for it especially if there is brass.

later

I would be wary when using the Wolfe stuff in commercial .223 chambers . For instance , the Wolfe ammo will jam well into the lands on my Ruger M-77 . But it works fine in a Mini-14 . My opinion , it (.223 Wolfe ) is best used in military spec chambers ......

[ 06-17-2003, 21:28: Message edited by: sdgunslinger ]

I shot some wolf this week in my cousins mini-14, it shot fine I was busting rocks with it at 100-150 yds. Thats accurate enough for me for plinking!

I've used the Wolf in 9 X 18, 7.62 X 39,
7.62 X 54, and .223 with satisfactory ( not great ) results. Good for an afternoon of plinking. Lately I've tried the Barnaul and like it somewhat more; seems to be a bit more accurate and cleaner.

I just picked up a box of 55 gr HP's, I'm gonna try them out this weekend from my CZ 527 and report back.

It's about the only stuff I shoot through my SKS. I've put thousands of rounds through mine with very few problems. I had one bullet split the neck upon chambering, but I think that is it.
I haven't chronoed and haven't really done accuracy tests, but the ammo seems to be as accurate as the rifle will allow. I also have not detected any sort of abnormal barrel wear on my barrel or chamber. Perhaps the gun was designed for it, I don't know.
I know for sure the FMJ have a bimetal jacket-lead core, jacketed it steel, then further jacketed in copper. It is a boat tail, so it does pretty well for a stubby moderate velocity cartridge. It will penetrate about 8 to 10 inches of white pine and still blow through a gallon water jug. And even the FMJs blow ground squirrels into chunks!
They are lacquer coated, I believe for waterproofness. This forms a red gummy build up and deposits it in your action, but I have not found it to be too big of a problem as accumulation is gradual and I clean regually.
It does shoot pretty dirty, but heck, for ten cents a round...

Other than 7.62x39, mostly 122 gr FMJs, I have very limited experience with Wolf ammo. I have shot some 55 gr FMJs through our Mini-14, but since we like to reload for that, we usually opt for American Eagle.