.223 Wolf and TULAMMO

DennisRL84 · March 12, 2012, 10:36 AM

I have heard a million things about WOLF, TULAMMO and other steel cased and lacquered ammo.

I shoot 7.62 WOLF and TULAMMO with NO issues out of my AK.

I have shot quite a bit of WOLF .223 from my Oly Arms AR15 and have had no issues either.

I have a RRA AR15 that I have only shot brass from but because of ammo prices am thinking about shooting steel ammo.

I have heard that after hundreds of rounds the lacquer can melt and turn into a gel type gunk that causes feeding and ejection issues of the shells. I don’t care too much about that happening at a range. ALSO I strip and fully clean my AR every time it is shot.

I have also heard that it can break the firing pin. Well a new firing pin is only about $20 and the cost savings in the ammo is well worth the risk of having to replace a firing pin earlier than normal. I have shot about 10,000 rounds through my Olympic Arms and never had any issues with it breaking or wearing down. I also have a spare firing pin among other parts on hand and am not concerned with it breaking in a "combat situation" as my shotgun would be my primary HD long gun and I would also have 6-7 other assault rifles to go to as a back-up.

Any thoughts???

ScottRiqui · March 12, 2012, 10:47 AM

If it's reliable in your guns and accurate enough for your purposes, I say "go for it". Sounds like you're prepared for minor repairs and keep your guns clean, so you don't have anything to worry about.

Sturmgewehre · March 12, 2012, 12:01 PM

I made this video to answer some of these questions and also to dispel some of the myths around steel cased ammo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ZB3UfG960

I run mostly Wolf through my AR's, SCARs, ACR's, etc. and I've never had an issue. I talk about that as well in the video.

Marquezj16 · March 12, 2012, 12:11 PM

Wolf and Tula use a polymer coating on their cases so it feeds more reliably and does not gunk up your rifle.

I've shot steel cases in my AR and pistols and had no problems with them. I don't do this all the time though especially since I started to reload.

briang2ad · March 12, 2012, 12:22 PM

If its a proper AR, and you keep it lubed, it'll run fine. WPA is generally better than Tula.

DennisRL84 · March 12, 2012, 02:15 PM

Proper AR? I guess I am unfamiliar with what you are referring to. They are a MIL-Spec Olympic Arms CAR97 and a MILSPEC Rock River Arms.

pturner67 · March 12, 2012, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Today, 01:01 PM
Sturmgewehre
Senior Member

I made this video to answer some of these questions and also to dispel some of the myths around steel cased ammo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ZB3UfG960

I run mostly Wolf through my AR's, SCARs, ACR's, etc. and I've never had an issue. I talk about that as well in the video.

good video, thanks for posting

hagar · March 12, 2012, 09:05 PM

Steel cased ammo is made for AK's, but you would be better off reloading than shooting steel cased 223 and 308 ammo. This ammo is total garbage for the most part, inaccurate, break off rims, leaves your rifle filthy and is corrosive even if they claim it is not.

DennisRL84 · March 13, 2012, 09:37 AM

To be honest I do not want anything to do with reloading. I dont want that responsibility. At least if Wolf or Winchester or someone overloads and it blows off my finger I have possible recourse. When I do it the only one to blame is myself.

I dont want to go through life regretting a decision.

Silly reasoning??? Probably? Somewhat irrational? Maybe.

I also dont shoot enough to make it worth my while. AND I work full time, am an Air Force Reservist AND work on the Board of Directors for a non-profit. Free time is HARD to come by.

DennisRL84 · March 13, 2012, 09:38 AM

I know its dirty and corrosive. But seeing that the 'dirt" and corrosive chemicals only stay on my rifle for 1-2 hours MAX. I am not terribly concerned with it.

My guns get a full and thorough scrub, clean, polish and lube EVERY time there fired. Even if its only one round.

Jayhawkhuntclub · March 13, 2012, 09:50 AM

1) It's non-corrosive (supposedly)
2) It's not inaccurate (shoots sub 1.5" at 100yds in mine). Not match ammo, but not inaccurate.

DennisRL84 · March 13, 2012, 10:18 AM

Yeah accuracy is NOT a huge issue considering my range only has 50 yd posts or 2 100 YD lanes that are ALWAYS taken by some guy with a .50cal ammo can full of ammo and is zeroing his scope. He is usually there for hours.

I have only shot on it once in about 9 years.

at 50 yds "the most accurate" ammo is not a big deal.

I just want something that goes boom to enjoy shooting.

Bamashooter · March 13, 2012, 08:11 PM

No more than you shoot I dont see why you dont just buy quality ammo and shoot it and not waste your time on junk ammo.

DennisRL84 · March 13, 2012, 09:28 PM

Because its about 60% of the price. Therefore more booms per buck...equals more fun.

Bamashooter · March 13, 2012, 11:22 PM

Well your gonna also get 60% more cleaning time. 60% less accuracy. 60% more issues like misfires, ruptured cases, failures to cycle and extract, but hey its your rifle and your money. Have fun.

zxcvbob · March 13, 2012, 11:39 PM

I tried half a box of Herter's .223 steel case ammo today. (The headstamp says it's Tulammo.) No misfires, and it was accurate enough, but it was loaded so light it wouldn't cycle the action on my Mini 14. One out of ten did eject and feed a new round. Some of the others ejected barely and didn't load a new round, and the rest hung up in the ejection port.

It would be fine for reduced loads in a bolt-action or a single-shot.

jsimmons · March 14, 2012, 05:22 AM

If you've never shot Tula or Wolf before, but a couple of boxes of each and see how your rifle does. If it seems to run fine, buy more in bulk.

I run Tula 62-grain in both my S&W and my frankenrifle without issue (both rifles have a M16 BCGs, H2 buffer, and heavy action spring). I've never had a malfunction. I shoot 200-300 rounds per range visit. Current steel-case round count is upwards of 5000 rounds between the two rifles

If you're going to use Wolf, I've heard that you want the WPA stuff.

Another note - once you've fired some steel ammo, it may be problematic to shoot brass unless you clean the chamber first.

Final note, I haven't noticed any variations in accuracy when compared to Lake City brass, so the claims regarding accuracy variations have not been validated (for me).

DennisRL84 · March 14, 2012, 07:06 AM

Bamashooter- I shot 1000's of rounds of it with no issues. Cleaning it is done anyway regardless of how dirty it is.

It sounds like you have just jumped on the hate bandwagon and going for a ride. Your claims are not supported with facts.

Bamashooter · March 14, 2012, 05:29 PM

Wrong. I have shot the garbage ammo or tried to several times with no luck. I actually have some in my closet that I cant give away. I am on the hate bandwagon because I hate the junky, filthy, underpowered, foreign, kaboom crap. Thats a fact.

I could care less if you shoot it or not. I dont. Why start a thread and ask for thoughts if you dont care to hear them? Just go shoot your garbage ammo and have fun.

Crankgrinder · March 14, 2012, 07:43 PM

Threads like these are always full of personal opinions so ill say If it suits my purposes and it shoots alright ill shoot it especialy if it is half the price of some other ammo whose quality is not always indicated by its price. For the purposes of this ammo thread reguarding these brands in general i would like to ask is it true that this ammo is steel jacketed? I know that jackets of softer metals will not damage a gun bore but i am almost sure that steel will.

DennisRL84 · March 14, 2012, 07:50 PM

well if you are looking to give ammo away I am always a viable taker.

zxcvbob · March 14, 2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Threads like these are always full of personal opinions so ill say If it suits my purposes and it shoots alright ill shoot it especialy if it is half the price of some other ammo whose quality is not always indicated by its price. For the purposes of this ammo thread reguarding these brands in general i would like to ask is it true that this ammo is steel jacketed? I know that jackets of softer metals will not damage a gun bore but i am almost sure that steel will.

It is steel cases (you knew that part) and steel jacketed bullets with a thin copper plating. I thought they were gilding metal until I checked with a magnet.

ETA: The cases appear to be reloadable. I just deprimed and resized a few, and the neck tension on a bullet is good. They probably won't last as long as a brass case before the neck splits, but ought to be good for 2 or 3 uses.

essohbe · March 14, 2012, 11:54 PM

Only problem I had with Wolf is a squib. Didn't fire, must've had little to no powder. Treated like a hangfire until I ejected and noticed the ejected case was empty. The bullet stuck in the barrel. Good thing it happened to me and not anyone else that may have been using my rifle while we were out.

Disaster waiting to happen in the hands of someone who wouldn't have known what to do.

Watch the cheap ****.

Crankgrinder · March 15, 2012, 08:06 PM

we all know that the barrels rifling cuts into the copper jackets of bullets in order to produce its grip, i guess one will have to experiment some to find out whether or not this thin copper plating over that steel is worth a ****or not

chiefr · March 15, 2012, 08:58 PM

There is nothing wrong with steel cased or lacquer coated steel case ammo. Many countrys have manufactured such ammo to include USA during WWII when there was a shortage of copper. The Russians have exported mega-tons of this stuff all over the world.
I see people blasting this stuff perpetually at the ranges I frequent. I too have shot plenty of the Russian ammo in Mini 14a and ARs with no more problem that you would see with domestic stuff.
The stuff is ridiculously inexpensive in comparision to most of the domestic stuff. I plan to buy more.

March 12, 2012, 10:36 AM	#1
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	.223 Wolf and TULAMMO I have heard a million things about WOLF, TULAMMO and other steel cased and lacquered ammo. I shoot 7.62 WOLF and TULAMMO with NO issues out of my AK. I have shot quite a bit of WOLF .223 from my Oly Arms AR15 and have had no issues either. I have a RRA AR15 that I have only shot brass from but because of ammo prices am thinking about shooting steel ammo. I have heard that after hundreds of rounds the lacquer can melt and turn into a gel type gunk that causes feeding and ejection issues of the shells. I don’t care too much about that happening at a range. ALSO I strip and fully clean my AR every time it is shot. I have also heard that it can break the firing pin. Well a new firing pin is only about $20 and the cost savings in the ammo is well worth the risk of having to replace a firing pin earlier than normal. I have shot about 10,000 rounds through my Olympic Arms and never had any issues with it breaking or wearing down. I also have a spare firing pin among other parts on hand and am not concerned with it breaking in a "combat situation" as my shotgun would be my primary HD long gun and I would also have 6-7 other assault rifles to go to as a back-up. Any thoughts???

March 12, 2012, 12:01 PM	#3
Sturmgewehre Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 4,212	I made this video to answer some of these questions and also to dispel some of the myths around steel cased ammo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ZB3UfG960 I run mostly Wolf through my AR's, SCARs, ACR's, etc. and I've never had an issue. I talk about that as well in the video. __________________ Visit my YouTube channel for reviews, tests and more. Ex Mea Sententia

March 12, 2012, 09:05 PM	#8
hagar Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2000 Location: Colombia, SC Posts: 745	Steel cased ammo is made for AK's, but you would be better off reloading than shooting steel cased 223 and 308 ammo. This ammo is total garbage for the most part, inaccurate, break off rims, leaves your rifle filthy and is corrosive even if they claim it is not. __________________ I don't have time for busy people

March 13, 2012, 11:39 PM	#16
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	I tried half a box of Herter's .223 steel case ammo today. (The headstamp says it's Tulammo.) No misfires, and it was accurate enough, but it was loaded so light it wouldn't cycle the action on my Mini 14. One out of ten did eject and feed a new round. Some of the others ejected barely and didn't load a new round, and the rest hung up in the ejection port. It would be fine for reduced loads in a bolt-action or a single-shot. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

March 14, 2012, 05:22 AM	#17
jsimmons Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2008 Posts: 226	If you've never shot Tula or Wolf before, but a couple of boxes of each and see how your rifle does. If it seems to run fine, buy more in bulk. I run Tula 62-grain in both my S&W and my frankenrifle without issue (both rifles have a M16 BCGs, H2 buffer, and heavy action spring). I've never had a malfunction. I shoot 200-300 rounds per range visit. Current steel-case round count is upwards of 5000 rounds between the two rifles If you're going to use Wolf, I've heard that you want the WPA stuff. Another note - once you've fired some steel ammo, it may be problematic to shoot brass unless you clean the chamber first. Final note, I haven't noticed any variations in accuracy when compared to Lake City brass, so the claims regarding accuracy variations have not been validated (for me). __________________ Aim small, miss small... CamoPicker

March 12, 2012, 10:47 AM	#2
ScottRiqui Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 2,905	If it's reliable in your guns and accurate enough for your purposes, I say "go for it". Sounds like you're prepared for minor repairs and keep your guns clean, so you don't have anything to worry about.

March 12, 2012, 12:11 PM	#4
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Wolf and Tula use a polymer coating on their cases so it feeds more reliably and does not gunk up your rifle. I've shot steel cases in my AR and pistols and had no problems with them. I don't do this all the time though especially since I started to reload.

March 12, 2012, 12:22 PM	#5
briang2ad Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2004 Posts: 859	If its a proper AR, and you keep it lubed, it'll run fine. WPA is generally better than Tula.

March 12, 2012, 02:15 PM	#6
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	Proper AR? I guess I am unfamiliar with what you are referring to. They are a MIL-Spec Olympic Arms CAR97 and a MILSPEC Rock River Arms.

March 13, 2012, 09:37 AM	#9
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	To be honest I do not want anything to do with reloading. I dont want that responsibility. At least if Wolf or Winchester or someone overloads and it blows off my finger I have possible recourse. When I do it the only one to blame is myself. I dont want to go through life regretting a decision. Silly reasoning??? Probably? Somewhat irrational? Maybe. I also dont shoot enough to make it worth my while. AND I work full time, am an Air Force Reservist AND work on the Board of Directors for a non-profit. Free time is HARD to come by.

March 13, 2012, 09:38 AM	#10
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	I know its dirty and corrosive. But seeing that the 'dirt" and corrosive chemicals only stay on my rifle for 1-2 hours MAX. I am not terribly concerned with it. My guns get a full and thorough scrub, clean, polish and lube EVERY time there fired. Even if its only one round.

March 13, 2012, 09:50 AM	#11
Jayhawkhuntclub Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2007 Posts: 581	1) It's non-corrosive (supposedly) 2) It's not inaccurate (shoots sub 1.5" at 100yds in mine). Not match ammo, but not inaccurate.

March 13, 2012, 10:18 AM	#12
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	Yeah accuracy is NOT a huge issue considering my range only has 50 yd posts or 2 100 YD lanes that are ALWAYS taken by some guy with a .50cal ammo can full of ammo and is zeroing his scope. He is usually there for hours. I have only shot on it once in about 9 years. at 50 yds "the most accurate" ammo is not a big deal. I just want something that goes boom to enjoy shooting.

March 13, 2012, 08:11 PM	#13
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,860	No more than you shoot I dont see why you dont just buy quality ammo and shoot it and not waste your time on junk ammo.

March 13, 2012, 09:28 PM	#14
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	Because its about 60% of the price. Therefore more booms per buck...equals more fun.

March 13, 2012, 11:22 PM	#15
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,860	Well your gonna also get 60% more cleaning time. 60% less accuracy. 60% more issues like misfires, ruptured cases, failures to cycle and extract, but hey its your rifle and your money. Have fun.

March 14, 2012, 07:06 AM	#18
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	Bamashooter- I shot 1000's of rounds of it with no issues. Cleaning it is done anyway regardless of how dirty it is. It sounds like you have just jumped on the hate bandwagon and going for a ride. Your claims are not supported with facts. Last edited by DennisRL84; March 14, 2012 at 08:28 AM.

March 14, 2012, 05:29 PM	#19
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,860	Wrong. I have shot the garbage ammo or tried to several times with no luck. I actually have some in my closet that I cant give away. I am on the hate bandwagon because I hate the junky, filthy, underpowered, foreign, kaboom crap. Thats a fact. I could care less if you shoot it or not. I dont. Why start a thread and ask for thoughts if you dont care to hear them? Just go shoot your garbage ammo and have fun. Last edited by Bamashooter; March 14, 2012 at 05:51 PM.

March 14, 2012, 07:43 PM	#20
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	Threads like these are always full of personal opinions so ill say If it suits my purposes and it shoots alright ill shoot it especialy if it is half the price of some other ammo whose quality is not always indicated by its price. For the purposes of this ammo thread reguarding these brands in general i would like to ask is it true that this ammo is steel jacketed? I know that jackets of softer metals will not damage a gun bore but i am almost sure that steel will.

March 14, 2012, 07:50 PM	#21
DennisRL84 Junior member Join Date: March 12, 2012 Posts: 32	well if you are looking to give ammo away I am always a viable taker.

March 14, 2012, 11:54 PM	#23
essohbe Junior member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 817	Only problem I had with Wolf is a squib. Didn't fire, must've had little to no powder. Treated like a hangfire until I ejected and noticed the ejected case was empty. The bullet stuck in the barrel. Good thing it happened to me and not anyone else that may have been using my rifle while we were out. Disaster waiting to happen in the hands of someone who wouldn't have known what to do. Watch the cheap ****.

March 15, 2012, 08:06 PM	#24
Crankgrinder Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 917	we all know that the barrels rifling cuts into the copper jackets of bullets in order to produce its grip, i guess one will have to experiment some to find out whether or not this thin copper plating over that steel is worth a ****or not

March 15, 2012, 08:58 PM	#25
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 1,401	There is nothing wrong with steel cased or lacquer coated steel case ammo. Many countrys have manufactured such ammo to include USA during WWII when there was a shortage of copper. The Russians have exported mega-tons of this stuff all over the world. I see people blasting this stuff perpetually at the ranges I frequent. I too have shot plenty of the Russian ammo in Mini 14a and ARs with no more problem that you would see with domestic stuff. The stuff is ridiculously inexpensive in comparision to most of the domestic stuff. I plan to buy more.