Wolf .308 ammo (or other cheap stuff)

Runs With Fire · October 24, 2018, 11:26 AM

Is there any reason why I shouldn't buy a case of wolf 145 grain .308 ammo for practice with my Ruger American Rifle to 200 yards? Hows about the 168 grain? The former seems cheaper. I'm not a highly knowledgeable rifle guy, but I want to practice marksmanship.

Bfglowkey · October 24, 2018, 12:18 PM

While the wolf ammo will provide a bang, recoil etc and allow you to practice trigger control and post shot management, the accuracy of the ammo may keep you from progressing as a marksman. The less predictable a round is the less useful data you will receive from it and being able to determine if you had poor trigger control or pulled a shot. Buy a box and if you and your rifle can produce repeatable results of around 1.5 MOA or less and them have a known shooter repeat similar results them I would guess it might work.
Improving marksmanship...in my opinion, is about knowing what the gear can do and it not being the limiting factor...that way any inaccuracies should be the marksman..thereby being evaluated and imoroved until you can get in the second realm of what the gear can do.

All that said....there are caveats. If your goal is trigger time for hunting under 100 yards...then 2MOA is more than enough and if the ammo does it in that rifle....fire away and enjoy the budget trigger time. If longer ranges are what you want to improve....then using ammo with less ability to be repeatable and predictable will not lead to an easy path of improvement. Your best value is solid ammo that tells you more of your part per trigger pull.

All of this is opinion. I am sure some of the more qualified marksmen and instructors here could provide better insight. Either way keep pulling that trigger and wnjoyo g the sport

T. O'Heir · October 24, 2018, 02:32 PM

"...want to practice marksmanship..." Don't use cheap, steel cased, ammo. If your not reloading, you need to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of it means nothing.
145 grain .308 ammo isn't a standard anywhere. NATO uses a 147 grain bullet. 168's are usually match bullets. Wolf's is not.
Wolf steel cased ammo is not reloadable. Their brass stuff is though.

TrueBlue711 · October 24, 2018, 03:26 PM

Quote:

While the wolf ammo will provide a bang, recoil etc and allow you to practice trigger control and post shot management, the accuracy of the ammo may keep you from progressing as a marksman.

Exactly this. I have a bunch of it for practicing with my semi-auto platforms in 308, but I'm just focusing on speed drills, trigger control and whatnot. Definitly not for accuracy nor do I zero any optics to this stuff. It functions and goes bang, but that's about it.
For you using a bolt gun where the point IS accuracy, I'm not sure if there's any benefit at all to using it.

Charlie98 · October 24, 2018, 04:37 PM

Here's the difference in my Socom16... Wolf on the left, Prvi on the right. This was shot off the bench at 100' (feet, not yards) in an indoor range. Not only was the Wolf abysmally inaccurate, but it also blew a 8" flame straight up out of the muzzle brake.

GarandTd · October 24, 2018, 05:53 PM

I've had pretty good results from Perfecta ammunition.(30-06, in my case) it was cheaper than the domestic offerings and brass cased.

Road_Clam · October 25, 2018, 05:54 AM

Depends on what your intent is. If you are looking for consistency you're better off IMO to save the money you would put towards a case of ammo and embark into handloading. Cheap ammo is satisfactory for trigger time, but if your barrel doesn't like the ammo your limited for precision no matter how good your shooter mechanics. Handloading is the best investment towards precision, consistency, and shooting independence.

Bfglowkey · October 25, 2018, 06:27 AM

There is a reason the Wolf ammo comes at you at such a price point...Quality control costs money, rule of thumb says if its doesn't cost as much then they are not spending as much on quality control. Now there are exceptions to the rule but in the case of Steel cased ammo I think your limited. A wise man once said " No how much you polish a -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-, its still a piece of -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-"

Runs With Fire · October 25, 2018, 06:46 AM

I'm limited by budget. I will probly buy a box of all the cheap stuff I can get and try it out. I don't have to shoot one hole groups. I'm not that good of shooter, nor do I have the time or money to be a precision shooter. I'm not too good a shot, but I have a goal to reach. If I can shoot 4 moa consistantly in the field, I will be happy.

Runs With Fire · October 25, 2018, 07:02 AM

My first goal is 8 inches at 200 yards. After that, the next step is half that. Won't hide the fact that I'm a lousy shot, but I won't hunt with a rifle until I can for sure make a good shot to the max distance I have. About 100 yards If I'm lucky and if the stars align with Neptune. I just don't have much time or money to put into it right now. I know, that makes it hard to do.

Bfglowkey · October 25, 2018, 09:42 AM

You could use medicore ammo ( hunting rounds) to practice. There are a multitude of inexpensive hunting rounds ( Remmington core Lok and Winchester Hunter) that are not much more then the steel case stuff and will perform much better. I just fear that the bad stuff will frustrate you and you actually might be a better shot then you think. Or will help you ID techniques or bad habits much faster. Not saying do t give the wolf stuff a go...just make sure you give yourself the best chance you can to imrpove. Your goals are very attainable even with the modest of equipment.

Charlie98 · October 25, 2018, 02:21 PM

I think the best ammo deal going right now on new production ammo is Prvi white box... it runs roughly .50/rd and shoots pretty well (you see my results above.) If you buy a case of it at somewhere like TargetSports, you get free shipping... so $250 for 500rds shipped to your door. Prvi is also excellent boxer-primed, reloadable brass. Even if you don't reload, keep the empties and you can sell them... and help scare up cash for the next go-round.

You do have to be careful... my Savage bolt gun doesn't care for ~150grn bullets so much vs 168grn bullets, but it would still probably work for what you want, particularly if you are budget limited.

October 24, 2018, 11:26 AM	#1
Runs With Fire Member Join Date: March 19, 2018 Location: Ensley Center, MI Posts: 86	Wolf .308 ammo (or other cheap stuff) Is there any reason why I shouldn't buy a case of wolf 145 grain .308 ammo for practice with my Ruger American Rifle to 200 yards? Hows about the 168 grain? The former seems cheaper. I'm not a highly knowledgeable rifle guy, but I want to practice marksmanship. __________________ AD DARE SERVIRE

October 24, 2018, 02:32 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...want to practice marksmanship..." Don't use cheap, steel cased, ammo. If your not reloading, you need to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of it means nothing. 145 grain .308 ammo isn't a standard anywhere. NATO uses a 147 grain bullet. 168's are usually match bullets. Wolf's is not. Wolf steel cased ammo is not reloadable. Their brass stuff is though. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 24, 2018, 04:37 PM	#5
Charlie98 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2006 Location: Great state of Texas Posts: 1,077	Here's the difference in my Socom16... Wolf on the left, Prvi on the right. This was shot off the bench at 100' (feet, not yards) in an indoor range. Not only was the Wolf abysmally inaccurate, but it also blew a 8" flame straight up out of the muzzle brake. __________________ _______________ "I have this pistol pointed at your heart!" "That is my least vulnerable spot."

October 24, 2018, 05:53 PM	#6
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	I've had pretty good results from Perfecta ammunition.(30-06, in my case) it was cheaper than the domestic offerings and brass cased. __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

October 25, 2018, 05:54 AM	#7
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	Depends on what your intent is. If you are looking for consistency you're better off IMO to save the money you would put towards a case of ammo and embark into handloading. Cheap ammo is satisfactory for trigger time, but if your barrel doesn't like the ammo your limited for precision no matter how good your shooter mechanics. Handloading is the best investment towards precision, consistency, and shooting independence. __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

October 24, 2018, 12:18 PM	#2
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	While the wolf ammo will provide a bang, recoil etc and allow you to practice trigger control and post shot management, the accuracy of the ammo may keep you from progressing as a marksman. The less predictable a round is the less useful data you will receive from it and being able to determine if you had poor trigger control or pulled a shot. Buy a box and if you and your rifle can produce repeatable results of around 1.5 MOA or less and them have a known shooter repeat similar results them I would guess it might work. Improving marksmanship...in my opinion, is about knowing what the gear can do and it not being the limiting factor...that way any inaccuracies should be the marksman..thereby being evaluated and imoroved until you can get in the second realm of what the gear can do. All that said....there are caveats. If your goal is trigger time for hunting under 100 yards...then 2MOA is more than enough and if the ammo does it in that rifle....fire away and enjoy the budget trigger time. If longer ranges are what you want to improve....then using ammo with less ability to be repeatable and predictable will not lead to an easy path of improvement. Your best value is solid ammo that tells you more of your part per trigger pull. All of this is opinion. I am sure some of the more qualified marksmen and instructors here could provide better insight. Either way keep pulling that trigger and wnjoyo g the sport

October 25, 2018, 06:27 AM	#8
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	There is a reason the Wolf ammo comes at you at such a price point...Quality control costs money, rule of thumb says if its doesn't cost as much then they are not spending as much on quality control. Now there are exceptions to the rule but in the case of Steel cased ammo I think your limited. A wise man once said " No how much you polish a -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-, its still a piece of -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-"

October 25, 2018, 06:46 AM	#9
Runs With Fire Member Join Date: March 19, 2018 Location: Ensley Center, MI Posts: 86	I'm limited by budget. I will probly buy a box of all the cheap stuff I can get and try it out. I don't have to shoot one hole groups. I'm not that good of shooter, nor do I have the time or money to be a precision shooter. I'm not too good a shot, but I have a goal to reach. If I can shoot 4 moa consistantly in the field, I will be happy. __________________ AD DARE SERVIRE

October 25, 2018, 07:02 AM	#10
Runs With Fire Member Join Date: March 19, 2018 Location: Ensley Center, MI Posts: 86	My first goal is 8 inches at 200 yards. After that, the next step is half that. Won't hide the fact that I'm a lousy shot, but I won't hunt with a rifle until I can for sure make a good shot to the max distance I have. About 100 yards If I'm lucky and if the stars align with Neptune. I just don't have much time or money to put into it right now. I know, that makes it hard to do. __________________ AD DARE SERVIRE

October 25, 2018, 09:42 AM	#11
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	You could use medicore ammo ( hunting rounds) to practice. There are a multitude of inexpensive hunting rounds ( Remmington core Lok and Winchester Hunter) that are not much more then the steel case stuff and will perform much better. I just fear that the bad stuff will frustrate you and you actually might be a better shot then you think. Or will help you ID techniques or bad habits much faster. Not saying do t give the wolf stuff a go...just make sure you give yourself the best chance you can to imrpove. Your goals are very attainable even with the modest of equipment.

October 25, 2018, 02:21 PM	#12
Charlie98 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2006 Location: Great state of Texas Posts: 1,077	I think the best ammo deal going right now on new production ammo is Prvi white box... it runs roughly .50/rd and shoots pretty well (you see my results above.) If you buy a case of it at somewhere like TargetSports, you get free shipping... so $250 for 500rds shipped to your door. Prvi is also excellent boxer-primed, reloadable brass. Even if you don't reload, keep the empties and you can sell them... and help scare up cash for the next go-round. You do have to be careful... my Savage bolt gun doesn't care for ~150grn bullets so much vs 168grn bullets, but it would still probably work for what you want, particularly if you are budget limited. __________________ _______________ "I have this pistol pointed at your heart!" "That is my least vulnerable spot."