Wolf 100 Grain Ammo Costs

[lazyengineer]

Thank you for sharing your perspective.

Since the USSR broke up, I viewed Russia more as a rival than an enemy.

The USA has a long history of buying both luxuries and necessities from countries that don't really like us, look at all of the oil purchased from OPEC. So, if I am forced to buy foreign petroleum, I see no problem buying ammo from the same category of suppliers.

When the USA decides to use only domestically sourced petroleum, I will purchase only USA made ammo.

I do not own what I would consider a fine Grendel rifle. I bought the lowest priced BCA upper available at the time and have no concern about shooting steel ammo. I also own a Howa 1500 Grendel, but I do not consider Howa to be a top end firearm.

My early results with Wolf ammo is that it will shoot accurate enough for my needs, paper and steel targets, an occasional feral pig.

Hornady makes steel case 7.62x39 ammo with 123 grain SST bullets that I use in my CZ 527 carbine to deer hunt with, it is very accurate in my rifle.

My philosophy is I will not own a gun incapable of performing with steel cased ammo.

I really like PPU ammo, and buy it when available.

I have a decent stock of steel 9mm, .223 and 7.62x39 purchased before the politicians used the Coronavirus to shut us down.

I think this is a good reply and sums up my own thoughts. I really hadn't viewed Russia as the same level of serious potential "enemy", until basically now. One reason Wolf Steel is so cheap, isn't just the materials, but also it's the old-school philosophy of state-run arsenals need to be large, and exercised. So the cost of Wolf Steel is in some ways subsidized in that oversized economy-of-scale facilities for war-time production, that need to be exercised. A concept many Western Arsenals have walked away from, resulting in more expensive less efficient military production, and more expensive civilian ammunition supply. (But then, in the last decade or so, most Western Nations have decided money is just digital symbols and doesn't actually matter anymore - and is infinite in supply.) At the time, I was OK with buying this from Russia, since I viewed Russia as a Eastern European country that had issues to be sure, but one that was on the path of moving farther away from their more evil Soviet days, and financial support can only help that go even better.

Today? Less so; basically they are reforming the Soviet Union right now. Right now, if I had opportunity to buy new Wolf Steel, with funds that will eventually end up in Soviet Union-2022; I would have some pause. I guess I was the naïve one and the Finland guy was the wiser one - I have to admit. (And welcome btw, glad to have you, and your perspectives sir!) In my defense, I was buying it when the US had a President who shepherded the greatest times in US History, and who had a strong relationship with Russia that had stopped invasion activities. It did not occur to me that the VP from the prior administration; who had been the ones Russia saw fit to invade Ukraine and Georgia in the past under, would win the election. Again, I wasn't as wise apparently, as I thought I was.

At this point, any Russian Steel (or any other Russian products you may have), were mostly paid for under the competent Trump/Russia relations and containment. Today, there will be no more Wolf Steel in our lifetimes (just like NORINCO). The advantage of Wolf Steel, singularly, was how dirt cheap it was. So dirt cheap, that its poor accuracy and poor terminal performance was perfectly acceptable. Today, at approaching $1/shot, it's just not there any more. Yes, that's still cheaper than brass ammo at $2/shot. But the entire mission is now lost. The point is to shoot your AR15 for cheap, because that's all the Wolf Steel was good for. Wolf Steel let you shoot your high performance 6.5 Grendel round in an AR15 for cheap, as a plinker. Now that it's $1/shot; forget it - just run a 5.56 upper and run brass .223, for cheap plinking. There's little reason or logic to paying premium price for dirty cheap low accuracy (in most guns), and poor terminal ballistic performance Wolf Steel ammo.

The bummer, is the loss of cheap Wolf Steel, undermines the "one gun for ALL applications", that a 6.5 Grendel was. Because for a time, you could throw away all your other rifles, and just run a basic 6.5 Grendel, as your 3-gun, home defense, plinker, Hunting, Precision, long range, hunting rifle. And pick your ammo accordingly. The 3-gun/plinker roll was where the Wolf Steel made that happen, and now that's permanently gone - which is too bad. The good news, is if you're a reloader, those days will eventually come back. If you are not, then the $500/case of Wolf steel current delivered price (ish), is about the same as a cheap 5.56 upper and 500 rounds of cheap 5.56 ammo. And then gets much cheaper after that. Some liberties with that cost-comparison, but not a lot.