My review of Wolf Gold. Edit: Post 83 batch testing pics
I've sworn by Wolf Gold for almost 5 years. It's been the exclusive round for SBRs at Swamp De Eurodriver for NV, long range, plinking, training, etc.
Recently, I got a new batch. I mix my ammo up so I cant tell lots without taking the actual boxes apart, but it coincided with a new BCM 16". I thought the rifle was broken, the groups were about 15" at 100 yards. It was terrible. But then I loaded a new mag (with a different box) and it shot acceptably. About 3" at 100 yards.
I made this thread a few weeks ago.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...-one-of-these)
https://i.imgur.com/YSyrAWX.jpg
In it I posted a 5 round group, and a video of me shooting steel at 200 & 300 yards.
Here it is again for post-whoring effect:
https://youtu.be/7YatbNN2ru8
As you can see, it shot pretty well. Afterward, I took it out to 600y and my buddy and I were shooting a full size steel silhouette with almost 100% reliability. Again, wolf gold.
Then, last weekend I brought that same rifle out with more wolf gold to do velocity testing with my Magnetospeed (will get the data up tonight. It's on the memory card still)
I decided to shoot at 300y, and out of 10 rounds could not hit the steel once. I wasn't barely missing. I was 2 feet off. It was bad. So I dragged my shit over to 100 and shot these groups. The pic is kind of hard to follow, as not all of those rounds are one shooter (I had 2 other known shooters give it a shot) and some of the rounds at target 6 actually were in the top right of the paper. Still, you can tell it isn't very pretty.
https://i.imgur.com/ZqgwYRC.jpg
I thought there was something wrong with the gun or optic. Then I thought back to this thread:
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...-Colt-M4/page2
So I went back to the range today with my Precision Rifle Handloads and shot 2 five round groups (it was pouring and the RSOs were rushing me to get done so they could close the range for lightning. I have no doubt these groups would shrink (they are 1.3 & 1.25 respectively) if I didn't shoot all 10 rounds in less than 30 seconds in a howling storm. Even still, 1.25" at 100 yards is a marked improvement from the 8"-10" nonsense I was getting with Wolf Gold. For what its worth, I am not comparing handloads to wolf gold. I just wanted to shoot a proven load to verify that there was nothing wrong with the rifle.
https://i.imgur.com/gmloGZp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5HpWosk.jpg
My conclusion is as follows: Wolf Gold is shit. I will never buy it again, and the ammo I have on hand will be used solely for close range drills and plinking. Obviously there are batches out there that are well made, but if I can't trust it I won't use it. It makes no sense to have a $6,000 firearm and shoot ammo through it that may or may not fail you.
I am very curious if anyone else has experienced similar situations. I will from now on only be buying IMI or LC stamped 55gr ammo.