Wolf ammo

[Blindpig]

Been looking at the on-line ammo deals for some less-expensive .45 auto for plinking and target shooting. It seems like Wolf ammo is cheaper than about anything else but I've heard some bad things about it. Anyone had any experience with it? Good news, bad news?

[bearandoldman]

Been looking at the on-line ammo deals for some less-expensive .45 auto for plinking and target shooting. It seems like Wolf ammo is cheaper than about anything else but I've heard some bad things about it. Anyone had any experience with it? Good news, bad news?

Depends on the gun you are shooting it in. It works fine in my SA Loaded Parkerized P9109XL, but has problems at times in My SA Micro Compact as once in a while ther is around loaded a kittle on the weak side. The short barrel guns like full power ammo. You might look into CCI Blazer as they are loaded a little on the hot sie and my run buck a box more for the aluminum cased rounds and they seem to work fine in all my guns.

[Blindpig]

Thanks for the reply, Bearandoldman. Both of my 1911s are Kimber Pro Carry IIs, one .45 cal. and the other 9mm. CCI Blazer with the aluminum case is what I usually shoot now but I was looking for something a little less expensive for the .45. I get the Blazer now from Academy for $9.83 a box in .45. The 9mm from them is at a really good price of $3.86 a box.

[arizona-hermit]

I personally have never cared for Wolf brand ammo.

While I agree it is very (and sometimes VERY) inexpensive, it does not like to feed in either my Ruger or STI. Never have any issues with CCI, Winchester, or any other 'major' brand.

I got the wolf jones when I saw I could buy it for (often) half the price of the 'good' stuff.

Never again.

[Blindpig]

Arizona-Hermit, thanks for the reply. After the responses I received, I've decided not to use Wolf ammo either. I'll pay a little more and stick with my CCI Blazer for target rounds.

[allendavis]

I know a lot of people who shoot it, and everyone either hates the stuff or loves it -- except me. I'm ambivalent about it.

I handload all of my ammo, but have a couple thousand rounds of the stuff around for both the 9mm and the .45 ACP. It's not the cleanest burning ammo in town. It reminds me of handloads using Unique powder, which is the dirtiest burning powder I've ever seen.

If you need economy in order to shoot more, I strongly recommend you buy some reloading equipment. Using lead bullets, my 9mm ammo only costs me 4-cents per round and my .45 ACP costs 6.5-cents per round (that's after amortizing the cost of the brass case).

I use a Lee 3-hole turret press, but I don't load progressively -- I ALWAYS batch load. I also have an Ohaus powder measure and Ohause powder scale. I don't weigh every charge, naturally, or I'd go nuts and never get anything done.

I use Hodgdon's HP-38 exclusively for the 9mm and .45 ACP with lead bullets, and I think it's the best choice because it's economical and more accurate than most factory ammo. 4.0 gr. for the 9mm with a 125 gr. LRN; 5.0 gr. for the .45 ACP with a 225 gr. LRN. They shoot like a charm out of everyone's guns I've fired them from.

I think my only concern about shooting a lot of Wolf ammo would be the effect those steel cases might have on the chambers, and especially the extractors.

Just my two cents' worth.

Allen

[allendavis]

I thought I'd amend my previous post.

I came into several hundred rounds of CCI's Blazer ammo to settle an old debt someone owed me.

I didn't like the Blazer stuff at all. It wasn't accurate at all from any handgun I used it in. Besides that, I recovered a bunch of the empties just out of curiosity, and an alarming number of them had split case mouths, goofed-up primers and/or bulging webs.

I know the stuff isn't intended for reloading, but the excessive pressure signs didn't reassure me at all. I've never had those problems with Wolf, and certainly NEVER with my own home-rolled ammo.

Allen

[jaeger45]

I handload all of my ammo, but have a couple thousand rounds of the stuff around for both the 9mm and the .45 ACP. It's not the cleanest burning ammo in town. It reminds me of handloads using Unique powder, which is the dirtiest burning powder I've ever seen. If you need economy in order to shoot more, I strongly recommend you buy some reloading equipment. Using lead bullets, my 9mm ammo only costs me 4-cents per round and my .45 ACP costs 6.5-cents per round (that's after amortizing the cost of the brass case).

I use a Lee 3-hole turret press, but I don't load progressively -- I ALWAYS batch load. I also have an Ohaus powder measure and Ohause powder scale. I don't weigh every charge, naturally, or I'd go nuts and never get anything done.

I use Hodgdon's HP-38 exclusively for the 9mm and .45 ACP with lead bullets, and I think it's the best choice because it's economical and more accurate than most factory ammo. 4.0 gr. for the 9mm with a 125 gr. LRN; 5.0 gr. for the .45 ACP with a 225 gr. LRN. They shoot like a charm out of everyone's guns I've fired them from.
====================
I cut my reloading teeth on Bullseye powder, and from the outset, I thought it was a dirty powder. (not having used Unique, I STILL thnk so!!! ) Not only was my brass always coated with oily smudge, but the smoke billows out when I let go!
I solved the problem when I switched to W231- and stayed with it, to the present. Now, THAT there is a clean powder!...
Now, I ride my shooting buddy who still uses Bullseye when he lets go in the next stall - his front would put the Battle of Bull Run to shame!!!

(^o^)

[allendavis]

jaeger45:

I haven't used Bullseye for years, but when I did, I found it was a very CLEAN burning powder, but it burns so fast, I always limited myself in what I load with it.

I like to load my 9mm and .45 ACP ammo with powder that is dense enough to fill the case yet give me the most economy -- the most bang for the buck. HP-38 is absoultely PERFECT for the 9mm, but it still leaves a lot of empty space in the little barrel-of-a-case that the .45 ACP casing is. Nevertheless, 5.0 gr. of HP-38 seems just about right for my 1911. From a sandbag rest, I can get about 2" groups with a 225-gr. LRN, and the velocity is about 785-790 feet-per-second, and I thnk that's pretty great consistency.

In a pinch, I could carry it for self-defense with that kind of accuracy, velocity and consistency. I like to think of it as "military hardball slightly light."

I intend to buy a pound of the new Unique powder just to test a theory that I think others have already proven.

Shooting outdoors with calm (or no) winds, lead bullets just provide a lot more smoke. Same powder, primers and similar charges with jacketed bullets are nearly smokeless.

HOWEVER, certain powders are "dirtier" than others, but only "dirtier" under different conditions. It's so hard for me to try to explain, but I think Unique may not have been as "dirty" a powder as I've been saying. With jacketed bullets and fairly "warm" loads, I've found that Unique actually burns pretty clean in the .357 Magnum (9.5 grains with a 140-gr. JHP).

I think Unique may be cleaner-burning only if you use it with hotter charges, and in my old age, I don't like flirting with disaster.

My current favorite "fun gun" is my SAA in .45 Colt, and I load it with 6.5 gr. of HP-38 behind a 255-gr. Keith SWC. It's a slow-mover, but it kills deer dead in their tracks if I do my part.

[allendavis]

Thanks for the reply, Bearandoldman. Both of my 1911s are Kimber Pro Carry IIs, one .45 cal. and the other 9mm. CCI Blazer with the aluminum case is what I usually shoot now but I was looking for something a little less expensive for the .45. I get the Blazer now from Academy for $9.83 a box in .45. The 9mm from them is at a really good price of $3.86 a box.

The best advise anyone could give you, considering that you can afford to buy two Kimbers is to buy a Lee 3- or 4-hole Turret press, a good RCBS scale and powder measure and begin rolling your own ammo just like me!!! (Even though I don't own two Kimbers.)

Buy a bunch of the "white box" Winchester ammo from your local Wal-Mart and scrounge up your brass. The rest is natural. Your Kimbers will do fine with hard-cast lead bullets, believe me. My Chip McCormick Special eats them like squirrels on walnuts.I've not had a single malfuntion in over 50,000 rounds, so your Kimbers should do even better if they're as good as they're supposed to be.

Reloading is a ton of fun, too, if you like a sedate type of Zen thing. By which I mean, you are making a product superior to what you can buy over-the-counter. You like knowing that what you shoot was made by your own hand. Lots of satisfaction there.

If you buy what I have, the intital investment isn't that high: under $250; but you should also buy a quality brass tumbler to clean and polish fired cases.

I've been reloading since Nixon was President, and it's the greatest thing for relaxing after a hard day of dealing with idiot sales reps and dumbass assistants you've been training since the FIRST Bush was President!

FACTORY AMMO STILL SUCKS

My 9mm loads only cost me .04 cents each. My .45 ACP loads cost me .055 cents each. My .45 Colt loads cost me .065 each (this is with hard-cast lead bullets, of course).

I can supply chronograph records for the 9mm, the .45 ACP, .357 Mag., .41 Mag., .45 Colt, .223, .22-250, .220 Swift and many other calibers. Factory ammo doesn't measure up to handloaded ammo. Period.

My best advise is to handload. Buy the equipment. Take up the habit, er, I mean PRACTICE.

You won't regret it.

[allendavis]

I forgot to mention a couple of things about Wolf ammo . . .

It is dirty as hell. About as dirty as what you'd get if you loaded your own ammo with Unique powder, which I refuse to use.

It also employs a steel casing that many people object to and claim is danderous and damaging to Western-made firearms.

Steel will (and can) scratch steel. But I've never had a problem with Wolf ammo.

I happen to be in the middle of some chronographing and accuracy testing of Wolf ammo for the 7.62 x 39 (AK-47). So far, I'm very, very impressed with the velocity, accuracy and consistency of this ammo. So are, it's beating the hell out of the US-made stuff I'm also testing.

Yes, it shoots dirty, but it cleans up easily. Just run down to Wal-Mart and spend less than $2 for some Carb-n-Choke Cleaner in the Automotive department. Spray this stuff around and then do a conventional fun gun cleaning.

I have fired several thousand rounds of Wolf ammo through my 1911 Chip McCormick Special and my HP-35 with no ill effects.

Oil prices have driven up shipping costs so much that now even the cheapest cheapskate among us should take up "rolling their own."

It's the greatest way to extend your shooting enjoyment.

Besides, the next big gun control push will be to tax ammo. If the liberals succeed at that, then the only way to avoid that tax will be to reload.

Allen

[bearandoldman]

I forgot to mention a couple of things about Wolf ammo . . .

It is dirty as hell. About as dirty as what you'd get if you loaded your own ammo with Unique powder, which I refuse to use.

It also employs a steel casing that many people object to and claim is danderous and damaging to Western-made firearms.

Steel will (and can) scratch steel. But I've never had a problem with Wolf ammo.

Allen

I shot a couple K rounds in my SA Loaded Standard and it worked fire, did not even see, that dirty to me. The only reason I quit using it was I got good prices on some ammo locally, maybe buck a box more, but bought from my old friend/gunsmith and that keeps him on my good side. The other reason I sttarted handloading my own 200 grain LSWC for range use. The maio reason is that it would not run my SA Micro Compct consistently. Did you ever chrono the .45ACP, it seems to have a light round every once in a while and although it worke finre in the full size gun it wouild short cycle the Micro and try to put the empty case back in the chamber and jam the slide on the upcoming round. At present am using Northeastern Bullets 200 grain LSWC and 5.0 garins of Alliant Green Dot, which is a kittle smoky but other than that is a good accurate load. Main reason for using Green Dot was I normally have an 8# contaner around for loading 12, 20 and 28 gage shotshells. Keeps my powder inventory down to 2 as I use Win 296 for .410 shotshells.

[allendavis]

At present am using Northeastern Bullets 200 grain LSWC and 5.0 garins of Alliant Green Dot, which is a kittle smoky but other than that is a good accurate load. Main reason for using Green Dot was I normally have an 8# contaner around for loading 12, 20 and 28 gage shotshells. Keeps my powder inventory down to 2 as I use Win 296 for .410 shotshells.

I don't care what kind of powder you're using, if you're shooting a lead bullet, it's gonna be "smoky." Period. Makes you shudder if you've spent a lot of time at indoor ranges with less-than-decent ventilation, doesn't it? A major component of that smoke is lead oxide and some other nasty particulates that all contain a large amount of lead.

You can avoid the "smokiness" by using gas checks on your lead bullets or just spending a ton of money and buying jacketed bullets.

I, too, struggled to keep my powder inventory down, but with all the different cartridges I load now, I currently have Bullseye, HP-38 (which I consider to be an excellent, versatile powder for both the 9mm AND the .45 ACP), Accurate #2, #5, #7, SR-7625, PB (probably a little redundant because it is so similar to 7625), 2400, H-110 and IMR-3031. And this is just for my handguns, and those of my friends who I handload for. That's ten different powders. I will probably eliminate the PB, the #7 and the 2400 when it's depleted.

Then again, not so fast. I find #7 to be a really great powder in the .357 Mag., and if I eliminate the 2400 as well, I won't have a good powder for that cartridge. I can't even fit the minimum charge of H-110 in a .357 case with even a 3-foot drop tube, and I am not about to compress a charge THAT much!

I've been straining my brain in trying to find powders I can eliminate, but I can only justify eliminating either the PB or the SR-7625. Now just figuring out which one is the problem!

Allen

[Charon]

The major part of the "smoke" when shooting lead bullets isn't lead, and it isn't powder. It's bullet lube. Lead bullets are almost always lubed with some sort of grease or wax, and that's what looks like smoke. Same powder, same bullet weight, same primer, but a jacketed bullet and you don't get "smoke." The difference - the jacketed bullet isn't lubed.

[allendavis]

Charon

You're right, a lot of the smoke I'm getting is from the bullet lubrication. However, a great deal of lead oxide gas is also released. I've seen the cromotograhy thing-a-ma-jigs that I can't recall to save my neck.

But back to blindpig:

If you can afford to buy TWO Kimber 1911s, why the heck are you worried about the cost of ammo??? Anyone with your means should be able to shoot nothing but Silvertips and Hydra-Shoks.

My lowly Chip McCormick combat special has a frame that was made in the Philippines, and my gun shoots as well, or better, than any Kimber or Ed Brown Custom its ever been up against, and even more reliable. I'd be embarrassed to tell you what it cost, but it was no where near the $1,000+ you probably paid.

I'm way past the Wolf ammo thing, even though I still have several hundred rounds to burn up. I use about 10 of them after every range session just to clean up any lead residue I might have in my barrel. The powder residue from Wolf ammo no longer bothers me. It cleans up more easily than leading.

If I could afford a Kimber, I'd buy one and treasure it. But you have TWO and you want to gripe??? I wish I were in your shoes, sir!

Allen