Blown Wolf SRM primer?

[opngrnd]

I decided to try the same Hornady 55 gr FMJ-BT load with a few different primers. Mixed brass sized on a RCBS small base die, shoulders bumped back slightly, and sent through a Lee Collet Neck Size Die after tumbling. Bullets are seated to 2.20 inches, and I put a mild crimp on them with the Lee FCD. I ran this same load with Wolf Small Rifle Magnum, CCI 450, and Remington 7 1/2 primers, and used PMC bronze as a cheap control. I chronographed 10 shots each in through a 24" Remington 700 223 5R and a 16" S&W AR. All rounds were loaded with 23.1 grains of H322, thrown through a Hornady powder measure, with charge weight set up on a balance beam scale and checked at the beginning, end, and randomly during charging cases. I also visually inspect each tray after charging to make sure each case looks the same inside. This load is the maximum from the current Hornady manual. It claims 3100 FPS, but wasn't remotely close to that...

First the results:

Shown Remington 700/M&P15-

With Wolf SRM:
Average FPS: 2977/Average FPS: 2857
ES: 105 /ES: 125
SD: 40. /SD: 32

With CCI 450:
Average FPS:2970/Average FPS: 2829
ES: 78 /ES: 42
SD: 24 /SD: 17

With Remington 7 1/2:
Average FPS: 3004/Average FPS: 2828
ES: 128 /ES: 96
SD: 40 /SD: 27

PMC Bronze:
Average FPS: 3068/Average FPS: 2916
ES: 131 /ES: 42
SD:48 /SD: 11

While the velocities were a tad disappointing, especially out of a 24" bolt action, they'll do fine for the drills and 3 Gun I'll be attending, though I certainly wouldn't mind better numbers. At least the CCI 450s were consistent.

Right away when I started shooting the Wolf SRM primed loads out of the bolt gun, I was looking at the brass and I saw a funny looking one. Then I looked at the bolt face and decided I might have an issue. When I got home, I took a dental pick and scraped it across the bolt face and you can ever so slightly feel it.

Does this count as a blown primer? And has anyone ever had this happen when using Wolf primers? I'm wondering if it was a one in a million dud or if it the primer is from a bad batch. Note the fuzz, this is the round that etched the bolt face. The Lot Number on the box the primers came from is 13-08. The other case heads looked slightly sooty at times when using the Wolf SRMs. I almost wonder is the rounds weren't hot enough?
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[TomMcC]

Looks more like a primer leak due to a possibly loose primer pocket. Carefully punch the primer out and take a look at the primer cup to see if it's blown away. if not, the pocket might have been too big in that one tiny area.

[opngrnd]

That makes sense... I guess I thought it'd be "sootier".

[Steel head]

Not a blown primer but defiantly a leaky primer pocket.
Loose pocket is my guess or a defective cup.
Beyond that the primers look to be in decent shape.
Pretty good chamfer on that LC case though.

[opngrnd]

That case would have been a range pick up. I picked up about 1000 cases this year, with the bulk of it being Federal. There are plenty of people who don't reload at the shoots I go to. I've noticed that a few of them(brass) have a pretty strong chamfer, and I wonder if it isn't all from the same shooter. I seat by hand to ensure I don't shoot anything that has a loose pocket, so I wonder if the pocket was just defective, or if having a bevel like that contributed. I thought other 99 cases looked fine.
I run all my crimped brass through the Dillon Super Swager. If the pocket isn't tight when I seat primers, I take a sharpie and but a couple big rings around the brass. That lets me know to throw them in the scrap bucket next time.

[markm]

I might be wrong, but I'd bet that between Pappabear and myself, there's nobody here who's shot more Wolf SRMs than us. Shoot... I was shooting them before I knew Pappabear, and would put our usage in the 30k range +/- 5k.

We've never had any issues that we could blame the primer on... with the exception of an occasional mashed cup that couldn't be seated in the brass anyhow.

[oldandslow]

tkp,

Two years ago during the great hoarding I picked up 5,000 Wolf small rifle primers. I used them in my LMT AR loaded with 55gr. FMJ's. I had problems with primer blow-by/leak on every round. I was using anywhere from 20-25 grains of W748 powder. I even dropped the charge down below the recommended loading and still had primer leak with pitting of the bolt face. The same gun had run Winchester and Remington SRP's without problem at the same loads.

Next I tried the same Wolf SRP's in 9mm lugar cases and had a similar story with moderate loads. Finally I loaded them in low-pressure .45acp small primer cases and the primers stopped leaking. Unfortunately only about half of the primers would ignite in the pistol loads due to the lighter striking hammers in the pistols.

I tried sample primers from other boxes of my 5000 primers and had similar results. Finally I took them back to my supplier and he swapped the remainder for Winchester SRP's and I've had no further problems. My lot number was from 2009. The pitting got so bad on my LMT bolt face that I had to order a new bolt.

So it seems that despite most users having no problems with Wolf primers a bad batch does sneak through their QC.

best wishes- oldandslow

[markm]

Wow. Did you notice that the primers were loose when seating? Another thought is that Wolf can be problematic with ball powder. Specifically H335, but I think I've loaded 748 in the past with no troubles.

I've had miserable results with Wolf pistol primers. There were too many failure to fires with those turds, but never any problems with the SRMs... wolf or Tula.

[opngrnd]

I worked up to max today with the same primers and 53 grain VMAX bullets. The hornady manual says 25 grains of H322 is max, and minus one round that didn't go off, I didn't have any issues. The primers looked good.

I pushed out the leaky primer earlier today and the cup looked fine, as did the primer pocket. I'm thinking it was just a very miniscule leak from the primer pocket.

[SeriousStudent]

.....

I've had miserable results with Wolf pistol primers. There were too many failure to fires with those turds, but never any problems with the SRMs... wolf or Tula.

A question about that, if I can take a slight detour. Are Wolf and Tula small rifle primers the same thing in a different box?

A guy at the gun show Saturday had Tula small rifle primers for $21/thousand, if I bought 5000. I'm probably going to snag 10K of the Wolf primers, but hesitated on the Tula's.

[markm]

A question about that, if I can take a slight detour. Are Wolf and Tula small rifle primers the same thing in a different box?

A guy at the gun show Saturday had Tula small rifle primers for $21/thousand, if I bought 5000. I'm probably going to snag 10K of the Wolf primers, but hesitated on the Tula's.

Yes and No. There are different versions of WOLF. They make this .223 primer (I forget the exact designation), and it's not the same as Wolf SRM or Tula. But the primers are reported to all be made at the same plant.

The Tula and Wolf SRM I use most of have that lime green priming compound, the SRMs have a reddish/copper colored compound. The 223s appeared to shoot a C hair better, but cost a lot more in our neck of the woods, so regular TULA and WOLF are what I run.

If you can find the Tulas cheaper, buy them.

[SeriousStudent]

Coolio, I'll see the guy at the next fun show.

[opngrnd]

Since this thread is about the Wolf SRM primer, has anyone tried and found out if the Wolf SRM works with CFE 223? Of all the plinking powders for 223 I see that will work in a powder throw, I feel like I'm seeing this one the most. Just today there were 8 pound jugs of it available locally. If I weren't trying to complete an AR build right now, I might have bought two of them.

[SeriousStudent]

Dayum, 8-pounders of CFE223? That is encouraging. That's also one of the powders I want to try with them, along with some Ramshot TAC.

I have a buddy who is going to load some with with the CFE223. I'll report back after he gets them out to the range.

[opngrnd]

Dayum, 8-pounders of CFE223? That is encouraging. That's also one of the powders I want to try with them, along with some Ramshot TAC.

I have a buddy who is going to load some with with the CFE223. I'll report back after he gets them out to the range.

I appreciate it. There was also an 8 pounder of Benchmark. I feel like we're coming up on a sweet spot sooner than later for powder, local to me anyway. I'd expect things to get a little better before the next election has people hoarding again.

[markm]

I'm 99% sure I ran my WOLF primers with CFE and 748 successfully. It's just been a while since I had any. H335 was a disaster.