Anyone try Wolf primers?

[jrinne0430]

Has anyone tried the Wolf's large rifle magnum primers? If so, what are your opinions on them?
I tried them and has these results:

I fired my reloads today using Wolf large rifle magnum primers. Overall results; bad.
-I made 38 rounds of 280 Remington using Wolf primers with 165 grain bullets over 40 grains of H4895 powder.
-I made 50 rounds of 30-06 using Wolf primers with 180 grain bullets over 42 grains of H4895 powder.
-I made 15 each above caliber using same formula but using CCI magnum primers (the primers I mainly use).
-280 Remington with Wolf results: 3 duds 21 hang fires.
-30-06 with Wolf results: 1 dud 33 hang fires.
-Both calibers with CCI primers: no issues.
I had the RO (whom has been reloading for years) watch me fire and confirmed the hang fires. I don't know if I just got a bad batch of primers or that Wolf has some serious quality issues. I never had any problems with their factory ammo.

Note: I did purchase them from the same vendor as my CCI primers and both were stored in the same manner, charged with the same pound of powder, and reloaded during the same session.

 

[TexasSeaRay]

Came very close to gambling on some. . .

Came real close to trying some, then talked to a few guys at the range who DID try some--large rifle, small pistol and large pistol.

Their results mirrored yours. Hang fires, misfires, inconsistent ignition.

Luckily, these guys (except for one) had only bought a few trays of one hundred primers.

The one unlucky (or stupid, however you want to look at it) guy bought five-thousand. . . .

Think I'll pass on trying them.

Jeff

 

[FatWhiteMan]

Thanks for posting. I was wanting to try these. If I could have found some local to try, I already would have but was hesitant to place a large order.

 

[4sarge]

WOW. I just picked up 2K ea of magnum small rifle and small pistol. Hope my results are better. Bought them from Widener's (they said there tests confirmed they were good) and thought I'd give them a try.

Will report back after testing.

 

[Sevens]

CrustyFN has used them and had good luck with them. I hope he'll spot this thread and give his evaluation.

 

[James41]

WOW! what are you guys doing wrong?

I purchased 5K of Wolf large pistol, 5K of Wolf small pistol, and 5K of Wolf small rifle. All standard, not magnum.

I have loaded over 2K of 9 mm, 40SW with the small pistol. I have loaded over 2K of 1911 45 with the large pistol. I have loaded over 2K of small rifle in 223 for an AR15... So far i have not had even 1 misfire from any of them.

I'm not saying that Wolf is the best there is out there, but they are quite decent and sure a heck of a lot better priced than the overpriced American stuff. Six thousand rounds that all went bang when they should have says that much for them.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

ive been having missfire and squibs with the lg pistol too. today i loaded up 10 primer tubes and out of a 1000 primers two didnt have anvils on them. could be my problem ya think! I wont buy anymore. Problem is i have a case of larg. pistol lg pistol mag and small pistol.

 

[4sarge]

Fired a few of the wolf primed 5.56 reloads last week in an the AR. No problems. I'm using the small rifle magnum primers.

Measured them, they seem to be .002 shorter than CCI and around .0005 smaller in diameter. They slip into the case with less resistance and are a little more recessed into the pocket.

Haven't checked accuracy or chronographed any yet. The jury is still out but so far so good.

I wonder if some of the problems encountered were from a bad "lot." Mine are marked "04-07" if that helps.

 

[jrinne0430]

I've been asking around (on other boards, gun stores, ranges, etc) and everyone that uses Wolf's small rifle and pistol primers have responded positively. I could not find anyone who uses their large rifle mag primers for comments. I tired another batch (20rds of 30-06) this past Saturday using Wolf primers. I cleaned the primer pockets, ensured positive seating of the primers, and this time I used IMR4064 powder instead of the H4895 and had similar results from my first experience...hang fires and 1 dud. It is possible I just have a bad batch.

 

[zxcvbob]

I've used a few hundred Wolf small pistol primers so far with no issues. I wish I had bought more.

I haven't tried the large pistol or small rifle primers yet. I'll watch for missing anvils when I flip them.

 

[ga_red_rider]

Wolf Small Rifle magnum Primers

I've loaded a few hundred of the Wolf small magnum primers in .223 for my AR15 and have had good results from them. They do seem to have a thicker cup that CCI,or Winchester primers and they seem to function well in my rifle. No misfires or hangfires so far and I have shot about 150 of them. I am loading low to mid range powder charges and looking for high pressure signs but to date have seen none. All good so far. Wondering if anyone has Chrono'd with these to see what velocities they produce. When I bought them they were recommended for the 223 . I have this lingering concern about pressure from a (Magnum primer) I've read its best to reduce loads to start and always do. Mine are at the recomended 10% reduction So far so good. I'd sure like more input on this.

 

[hodaka]

My experience has been quite good with the 5K small rifle primers I bought in January. I have used about 1500 in several AR's, including a 6.8, a 30 carbine and some .38 and 9mm pistol rounds. They have all worked fine. I think they flatten a bit easier than the CCI's I use, but I will buy some more when these run out. I still have a few thousand of CCI Large rifle but if I can't find them I will go to Wolf when I run out.

 

[RidgwayCO]

I got some Wolf small rifle magnum primers for use in my father-in-law's old Mini 14. I haven't done a ton of rifle reloading and didn't quite get the primer crimp completely out of two LC cases. The end result was I accidently crushed the Wolf primers into those two primer pockets (I mean they were flat with the base of the case... looked like they were over-pressure before they were even fired).

When I tested my reloads in the FIL's Mini 14, I tried these two first, loaded one at a time, just to see if they'd work. They fired just fine and the velocities they gave were well within the standard deviation for the first test lot of 10 rounds. Go figure...

Oh, and I've since run those offending cases back through the Dillon Super Swage...

Off Topic: Boy, that Mini 14 sure can eject brass... 35 feet was the measured longest. If you don't hit 'em with the bullet, you might be able to knock 'em out with the brass... 100% reliable though.

 

[Archie]

I have a box of 1000 Large Pistol

Haven't loaded any yet. (The machine is set up for small pistol right now and I'm not done with this project.)

I will load up probably 50 target level loads and 50 hardball duplicates in .45 ACP and present a report. I've got a couple different handguns in .45 ACP, including two revolvers. Probably take me two weeks to a month.

 

[ga_red_rider]

reply to ridgwayCO

Funny you should mention shooting a mini14 in 223. My buddy had one at the range this past weekend while I was testing an M1 carbine I recently bought. I was watching him shoot and I know your 35ft distance on brass ejection is accurate. He was throwing brass 4 benches to the right about 10 feet forward of the shooting position. I was watching closely because I am sort of a brass hound andwas going to be rounding it up, Sure glad Ruger engineered it not to throw them directly to the right. Might have had a lot of unhappy shooters

 

[kargo27]

Ga Red:

I spoke with Chris at Wiedner's the other day about the Wolf primers.

What he told me was that Wolf calls the small rifle primers "magnum" but they have the same amount of charge as their regular ones. He said the only difference was that the cup of the "magnum" is harder and designed for semi-auto, free-floating firing pins like the AR15 to prevent slam fires.

So, I'm guessing for bolt action rifles and for handguns, the regular primers with the thinner cup would work best unless they call specifically for what we in America call "magnum"?

Chris also said that Wolf calling these primers "magnum" has caused a LOT of confusion in the States......kind of like Obama.

 

[buffalo]

I personally have not used them but i have talked to a few guys at the range that have and they all really liked them,they did say once CCI's and some of the others are instock they would use them but for the time being the Wolf's were fine.

 

[Unclenick]

I think the cup and not the anvil must be harder in the "magnums". You want a free-floating firing pin gun to have a harder-to-ignite round and not an easier one, as a more rigid anvil would produce. If I am right, it might explain some of the reported misfires? The shorter length could affect that, too, in a gun whose firing pin protrusion was on the short side of the spec.

 

[kargo27]

Thanks UncleNick, yes, the cup, not the anvil. I corrected my post.

Thanks for catching my error.

 

[DEDON45]

I guess maybe the magnums have a thicker cup and your firing pin(s) aren't whacking them hard enough; I use Wolf Primers, but they are standard large rifle... nary a malfunction with them, use them in my .308 loads for my M1a. Loads using them are as consistent (and in some cases, more consistent) than loads using winchester or CCI primers, at least in my guns.