Interesting experience with Wolf .223

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  • rmcrob

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    Sep 18, 2008
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    Plainfield
    It was a beautiful morning at the range today. You couldn't ask for nicer weather on Nov 29.

    I sat and enjoyed the weather for awhile. I watched my son shoot his revolvers and his Glock. I watched another member shoot his muzzleloader. When the muzzleloader packed up, I decided to shoot my .223 Remington 700 SPS Varmint rifle. I set up a target at 50 yards, one of those with nine three-inch circles.

    Now, I am no particular marksman. I'm just out to have fun. I have no pride on the line here. I just want some opinions. I know already that my performance is nothing to brag about.

    I had fifteen rounds of Black Hills FMJ left. I was shooting with the front of the gun resting on some two-by-fours with a sandbag on top. The rifle is scoped. I started with the upper left target. My first five shots:
    223_1.jpg

    The next five shots:
    223_2.jpg

    And the third set:
    223_3.jpg

    So, I was out of the Black Hills ammo, and I had some Wolf to use. Here's what happened:
    223_4wolf.jpg

    Same gun. Same set up. Same shooter. One shot hit the target to the right. One hit the target below. The one in between the two targets was the start of the next set, but I had to pound on the bolt handle to extract the cartridge, so I quit.

    My son noticed that the third set is much worse than the first two. Maybe I was getting shaky. But it seems to me that there is a big difference in the ammo itself.

    What do you think? Did the shooter lose his ability to hold on the target? Or is the Wolf ammo crap?

    Or both.
     

    Blaze261

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    Nov 18, 2008
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    I have never known wolf to be accurate, it is usually pretty dirty as well. I would have expected better groups from 50yds from all the rounds. Especially scoped.
     

    VUPDblue

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    Mar 20, 2008
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    By the looks of all the pics, your barrel was heating up. Couple that with the sandbag on the barrel and that makes for lose groups. I also would never expect the Wolf to be near as consistant as Black Hills.
     

    rmcrob

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    Sep 18, 2008
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    OK. I didn't think about the barrel getting warm. The sandbag is a problem, huh? I have a lot to learn. I think I had the sandbag on the forestock, not on the barrel.
     

    VUPDblue

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    Mar 20, 2008
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    Ideally, nothing should be touching your barrel. Items touching the barrel can affect barrel harmonics resulting in spotty accuracy. This is a big reason why free-floated barrels are more accurate. If you eliminate variables by having nothing ever touch the barrel, you get more consistent accuracy
     

    NEOCON

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    Mar 21, 2008
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    I have actually had some good results with Wolf ammo, not great but actually decent. Here is a target I shot at 80 yards with my R15 no rest or bench just a sling. These are the 62 grn hp Wolf I was shooting just to get the barrel broke in. I don't realy mind the Wolf but I will not be buying anymore since I am saving brass to start reloading.

    100_0332.jpg


    I shot some XM193 that shot slightly better. sorry no pic of that target.
     

    Prometheus

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    Maybe a combination of switching to Wolf, which is certainly less accurate IMO, and the barrel getting warm?

    No way a heated barrel will cause that at 50 yards.

    Crono your wolf ammo. You'll find + or - 300 FPS on most current production wolf. Wolf has never been the best ammo, but these past few years wolf has gone for mediocre to horrible IMO.

    IMO the wolf ammo just exacerbated the earlier problems you had when shooting the black hills ammo.
     

    Blaze261

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    The more I look at it, it looks like somthing might be loose or something. Has this rifle always shot groups like the first group. It just looks like they keep opening up more and more.
     

    rmcrob

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    Sep 18, 2008
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    The more I look at it, it looks like somthing might be loose or something. Has this rifle always shot groups like the first group. It just looks like they keep opening up more and more.
    It's a pretty new rifle. I've had it about a month and shot it maybe three times.
     

    rmcrob

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    Sep 18, 2008
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    IMO the wolf ammo just exacerbated the earlier problems you had when shooting the black hills ammo.
    That's a good point. I don't really have a gold standard to compare it to, do I? I've gone from cheap to cheaper and bad to worse.

    I bought some more cheap stuff today. Before I shoot it again, I'll try to find some decent ammo. Recommendations for the guy who is no artist but wants to see what his rifle is capable of?
     

    Slab

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    Nov 23, 2008
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    Im interested in your results as well. im working with a savage 10fp and so far im playing with the cheap stuff until i see the light.
     

    VUPDblue

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    Any good bolt rifle that you are going to be using for accuracy on paper should be fed nothing less that Federal Gold Medal Match or the equivalent from other manufacturers. That, or handloads brewed to match your rifle. If you feed a target gun cheap ammo you will not be happy.

    And Prometheus, I have to whole-heartedly disagree with you on the topic that a heated barrel will not walk that much at 50yds. I know it will, I have seen it happen in my own rifles.
     

    Prometheus

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    And Prometheus, I have to whole-heartedly disagree with you on the topic that a heated barrel will not walk that much at 50yds. I know it will, I have seen it happen in my own rifles.

    Not anywhere near the rounds he fired and certainly not in this weather while changing targets and reloading like he did. Maybe I should have been a bit more specific.
     

    Slab

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    Any good bolt rifle that you are going to be using for accuracy on paper should be fed nothing less that Federal Gold Medal Match or the equivalent from other manufacturers. That, or handloads brewed to match your rifle.

    About how much per box is it? do you have any love for hornady tap stuff?
     

    NEOCON

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    Mar 21, 2008
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    Some other things to check would be scope mounting, is anything loose? Next time at the range be very careful you are not putting the barrel on your rest for every shot and group.

    Also make sure you are firing every shot the exact same, shoot every shot by the numbers. Try to take all the variables out that you can.
    1. SIGHT ALIGNMENT -- Line up the front and rear sights

    2. SIGHT PICTURE -- Keeping the sights lined up, bring them onto the target

    3. RESPIRATORY PAUSE – Deep breath, exhale partially, hold breath as front sight touches bottom of target

    4A. FOCUS YOUR EYE -- Focus your eye on the front sight

    4B. FOCUS YOUR MIND -– Keep front sight on target

    5. TRIGGER SQUEEZE –- Squeeze straight back while front sight stays on target

    6. FOLLOW THROUGH -- Sighting eye open, take mental picture of where sights were when rifle discharged, and follow through with trigger

    I have seen many people shoot Wolf ammo in cheap rifles and very capable with it. I have also seen people shoot extreemly expensive ammo in high dollar rifles when they had just as well thrown a handfull of rocks down range because they were not doing their part even though the rifle and ammo was doing its part. You must be able to work with your rifle to get good results. If you are just learning and admit that you are not that great of a shot (which he did) then there is no reason at all to throw $1+ per round bullets down range to perfect his skills. Perfect your skills on the cheap stuff and when you get better, yes you will know when this is. Then if you like, feed it some better ammo and see how much you have improved.
     

    techres

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    Mar 14, 2008
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    Pvri makes a very good match 75 grain .223 that runs under $10/box of 20 at AIMsurplus.com which I have found to be superb. You might pick up a couple of boxes and give them a go, see if they open up over time.
     

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