wolf primers?

204 AR

Well-known member
Anyone here use Wolf primers? I have a bunch that I bought last winter from Powder Valley, and I'm having strange problems.

Let me start from the beginning. I got 1000 to try in late Feb, and started using them in my 204 loads with great success. Stellar accuracy and reliability. So my next order I got 4000 more.

When I built my latest 204 I of course tried them in it, with much worse results. I'm talking hang fires and even a misfire today. At first I thought the hang fires were because of some old brass with loosening primer pockets. But, I also have the problem with once fired brass now. I have 100 brass that I primed a few months ago, and set aside waiting to be loaded. I've done this a lot over the years, never a problem. I loaded 10 last nite, shot them this morning. 8 were fine, 1 hangfire and 1 misfire. Really good primer dents, it's not gun related at all. And headspace in this chamber is pretty tight.

I took the misfire apart when I got home and the powder was all clumpy, I had to break it up a little to get it to run out. The primer fired, just not enough to completely light the charge. I've never seen anything like it.

Oh, I might add here in western NE we have a pretty dry climate, if these won't work here then there's no hope for them anywhere. I should also add that I tested one a few months back with water, I laid it on the table anvil up and put water on it. The next day I hit it with a hammer and it went off fine, but that's only a sample of 1.

Anyone else with any experience with wolf primers?
 
I have used a lot of Wolf primers and have even come to like them. So far I've only had good results with them though. I wonder if they have some qc issues.

I tried a hundred and got good results so I bought 10,000 and I'm about 70% through those with no problems.

I've been using mine in 223 though.
 
I use their primers and have had great results with them. They are cheap and all of them I've tried have gone off as expected. I've only used the small rifle primers so far in my AR and I'd buy them again.
 
Well, I just talked to Powder Valley. He was helpful and said they have had zero problems with the size I have and I also found out they have a very hard cup, like the cci 41, and need a little extra force to seat. He suggested I might not be getting them seated properly. I'll have to try reseating them I guess, maybe try my old rcbs hand primer. As handy as my newer RCBS universal hand primer is, I don't think it has the force of the older one-at-a-time hand primer.

These are labeled small rifle, 223rem. What sizes are you guys using?
 
I prefer my older RCBS hand primer as well, when they came out with the new universal hand primer I bought one but I find myself going back to the old style one that uses a shell holder...it feels much more positive when seating a primer.
 
I just got back from the range, and shot 10 rounds with the newly seated wolf primers, no problems at all. In fact I did a side by side comparison with cci 400's, ten of each loaded in the same lot of brass with the same powder and bullet. Accuracy was indistinguishable at 200 yards between them. Velocity was also very close in extreme spread and average, with the cci's probably 10 fps faster on average, although I didn't do the math.

Time will tell, I guess, if they continue to work well for me. I was about to use them for targets this morning!
 
Originally Posted By: TURBO6046I prefer my older RCBS hand primer as well, when they came out with the new universal hand primer I bought one but I find myself going back to the old style one that uses a shell holder...it feels much more positive when seating a primer.

I may seat them with the universal first, then go thru with the old style and finish them. That old one definately has a little more power and a more solid feel, but man is it slow to put the primers in there one at a time! And I don't like touching the primers if I don't have to.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 AR

I may seat them with the universal first, then go thru with the old style and finish them. That old one definately has a little more power and a more solid feel, but man is it slow to put the primers in there one at a time! And I don't like touching the primers if I don't have to.

Sounds like your old one is different than mine, both of mine use primer trays it's just that one of them needs a shell holder and the other has 2 spring loaded jaws that hold all different calibers.
 
I'm into my second 1000 Large Rifle Wolf primers without incident. Nearly through the first 1000 Small Rifle size also without problems. I've been getting very good accuracy and consistency with them. I normally use W-W primers but they were in short supply when I went ahead and bought these from Powder Valley. I also bought Magnum Wolfs before I learned they weren't really magnums, just harder cups than the standard line. The loads I've used them on showed no substantial change from the standard primer.
 
I have heard of several High Power Match shooters using the Wolf primers including David Tubbs.... IIRC last years winner at Camp Perry was using Wolf primers. I would not be afraid to buy or use them from what I have heard.
 
like someone said...they need to be seated firmly against the bottom of the primer pocket. I had that exact problem with my new 6x47 this spring. Those lapua cases have really tight primer pockets and it took me awhile but I finally figured it out that I wasn't seating them deep enough.
 
Originally Posted By: nastynatesfishyou guys are gonna make me buy some, the local pawn shop has them for 18 bucks for 1000. ive been avoiding them because of the low price.


I wouldn't avoid them, they've been every bit as good as CCI in my 223 loads so far.
 
Very consistent but mild primer. Not enough flame to ignite some ball powders. The only powder I had trouble with scorched powder was with BLC-2. No trouble with TAC or H335 or any stick powder.
 
So which Wolf primers are yall using in your .223s? I see Wolf 'small rifle primers', '.223 primers', and 'small rifle magnum primers' offered for sale. I figured the '.223 primers' are a harder cup in deference to the floating AR firing pin but am just guessing. TTT
 
Originally Posted By: TnTnTnSo which Wolf primers are yall using in your .223s? I see Wolf 'small rifle primers', '.223 primers', and 'small rifle magnum primers' offered for sale. I figured the '.223 primers' are a harder cup in deference to the floating AR firing pin but am just guessing. TTT


That's what they say now....when I bought them I bought a pile of "small rifle primers" ....no problem with my floating AR pin at all.
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