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90 tnt wolf.jpg
There is a term widely used for taking cheap ammo and swapping just the projectile with match or hunting grade projectiles - I will avoid using the term as my research of previous threads indicate that is a sore spot for the forum.
So we will call this pull/push reloading....
Starts with the $ 5.xx per box (20 ct.) of Wolf's undersized 100 grain (measured as .262") loaded with a very fine spherical powder in a lacquered steel case with Wolf primer.
Step 1: I pulled all the factory bullets with a collet puller, about half are reloadable if I wanted to use them for other purposes. I measured the powder charge of each on my RCBS 5-0-5 scale.
10 were loaded at 30.4 grains / 4 @ 30.3 grains / 5 @ 30.5 grains / 1 at 30.6 grains. - Not bad in my mind for Russian cheap ammo in terms of powder charges. I didn't bother weighing all the bullets.
Step 2: I could of just replaced the 100 grain FMJ with a Speer 90 grain TNT bullet however for my first test I wanted all the charge weights to be equal so I remeasured and charged 10 cases with 30.5 grains of the Wolf powder.
Step 2a: I figured based on previous reporting that velocity would be low, I studied the reloading manuals for 100 grain and 90 grain loads and extrapolated data and went with what I consider safe upcharges (granted of an unknown powder). I loaded 3 rounds of 31.0 grains / 3 rounds of 31.5 grains / and 3 rounds of 32.0 grains (starting to get near max case fill).
Step 3: I seated each bullet to 2.200" and applied a decent crimp with my Lee FCD
Step 4: Shoot with a chronograph and see if there is any remarkable difference
The day was a cold breezy morning with a 10 - 15 mph headwind, I setup the chronograph 10 yards off the muzzle. The rifle has an 18" mid-length diamondback firearms barrel with a Larue MBT trigger shooting off front and rear bags.
Factory 100 grain wolf at 100 yards:
Factory Wolf - 5 shots at 100 yards.jpg
Average velocity of 2550 FPS - 5 shot group measured approx. 3 MOA - Not impressed nor inclined to hunt beyond 100 yards with this factory loading.
90 grain TNT at 100 yards - 30.5 grains of powder (near factory powder charge weight)
TNT Wolf reload 30.5 grs.jpg
Average velocity of 2594 FPS - 3 shot group approx. 1.5 MOA - So it shoots half the size of Wolf factory ammo BUT the speed is rather anemic, I know other 18" Grendel shooters getting ~ 2800 fps. Accuracy fair.
There is a term widely used for taking cheap ammo and swapping just the projectile with match or hunting grade projectiles - I will avoid using the term as my research of previous threads indicate that is a sore spot for the forum.
So we will call this pull/push reloading....
Starts with the $ 5.xx per box (20 ct.) of Wolf's undersized 100 grain (measured as .262") loaded with a very fine spherical powder in a lacquered steel case with Wolf primer.
Step 1: I pulled all the factory bullets with a collet puller, about half are reloadable if I wanted to use them for other purposes. I measured the powder charge of each on my RCBS 5-0-5 scale.
10 were loaded at 30.4 grains / 4 @ 30.3 grains / 5 @ 30.5 grains / 1 at 30.6 grains. - Not bad in my mind for Russian cheap ammo in terms of powder charges. I didn't bother weighing all the bullets.
Step 2: I could of just replaced the 100 grain FMJ with a Speer 90 grain TNT bullet however for my first test I wanted all the charge weights to be equal so I remeasured and charged 10 cases with 30.5 grains of the Wolf powder.
Step 2a: I figured based on previous reporting that velocity would be low, I studied the reloading manuals for 100 grain and 90 grain loads and extrapolated data and went with what I consider safe upcharges (granted of an unknown powder). I loaded 3 rounds of 31.0 grains / 3 rounds of 31.5 grains / and 3 rounds of 32.0 grains (starting to get near max case fill).
Step 3: I seated each bullet to 2.200" and applied a decent crimp with my Lee FCD
Step 4: Shoot with a chronograph and see if there is any remarkable difference
The day was a cold breezy morning with a 10 - 15 mph headwind, I setup the chronograph 10 yards off the muzzle. The rifle has an 18" mid-length diamondback firearms barrel with a Larue MBT trigger shooting off front and rear bags.
Factory 100 grain wolf at 100 yards:
Factory Wolf - 5 shots at 100 yards.jpg
Average velocity of 2550 FPS - 5 shot group measured approx. 3 MOA - Not impressed nor inclined to hunt beyond 100 yards with this factory loading.
90 grain TNT at 100 yards - 30.5 grains of powder (near factory powder charge weight)
TNT Wolf reload 30.5 grs.jpg
Average velocity of 2594 FPS - 3 shot group approx. 1.5 MOA - So it shoots half the size of Wolf factory ammo BUT the speed is rather anemic, I know other 18" Grendel shooters getting ~ 2800 fps. Accuracy fair.
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