The Rimfire Report: A Closer Look at Wolf Match Target 22LR

There is a certain level of quality that I think we all expect when we see the term “Match” attached to a product. Whether that be a component, the whole gun, or the ammo, the word Match typically implies that the item in question is made with high precision, tighter tolerances, and maximum consistency in mind. On the other side of things, the brand name “Wolf” is typically a name I’ve only associated with one thing - cheap 7.62x39mm steel case. Today I simply wanted to take a closer look at Wolf 40gr Match Target, a rather peculiar ammo, and see what one of the least expensive match ammos currently available on the market gets us in terms of “match grade” performance.

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: Does Remington’s 22 Viper 36gr Have the Fangs? 
• The Rimfire Report: Is CCI’s Uppercut A Knockout 22LR Cartridge? 
• The Rimfire Report: ELEY’s Penultimate 40 gr Match Flat Nose 

The Rimfire Report: A Closer Look at Wolf Match Target 22LR

Product Link: http://www.wolfammo.com/rimfire.aspx

Our .22 Match ammunition was bred with one goal in mind: to win. Over the years it has earned an enviable reputation in national and international competition. It provides consistent X-ring accuracy shot after shot that you can count on whether training or competing for Gold. Open a box and you’ll see the WOLF difference.

Match Grade

Highest Quality Brass

Clean burning Vihtavuori powder

Virtually no case variances

Wolf's steel-case from 2005 to 2009 was almost exclusively produced at the Tula Cartridge Plant, and after that it came from Barnaul and a handful of other Russian producers, right up until the State Department's August 2021 sanctions cut off new ATF import permits for Russian-made ammunition and closed that supply chain for good (or at least until approved Form 6 import permits have expired). Wolf actually doesn't manufacture a single round of Wolf Match 22LR itself - the name is a trademark held by Sporting Supplies International, out of Placentia, California, and SSI's rimfire contract has lived in Europe from day one and has never been manufactured in Russia and has always been outsourced to some high-end European rimfire manufacturer.

That's also the answer to why it's priced where it is ( ~$7.50/box). This isn't a watered-down formula, but rather Eley's mid-tier production run through a stripped-down label rather than Eley's own box, skipping the individual lot-selection and attention that gets you to Tenex or Midas+ money. Same factory floor, same components, just sold as an unbranded workhorse instead of a flagship premium line. Eley offers this budget variant and then their more expensive Match Extra, which is the equivalent of CCI Green Tag but for Wolf Match - it goes through a more stringent selection process, and that QC process cost is passed down to the end user ( ~$8.75/box).

All of this shadow company stuff is purely to benefit (and/or capitalize on) the American market. Nothing in Eley's or SK's own European lineups carries the Wolf name, and the Wolf label we get here exists solely because SSI built it specifically to move this production through U.S. gun shops. What's in this box is still genuinely imported ammunition, just not one you'd ever find sitting on a shelf in Birmingham, let alone the shelves of any gun shops in Russia. The best part about it is that for “mid-tier” match rimfire ammunition, it's pretty inexpensive for match ammo, and hovers around $7.50 per box of 50 rounds, or around 15 cents per round. The real question is, does Wolf Match Target 22LR earn the extra nickel it's asking from you over Bulk Standard Velocity?

Velocity Tests

I’ve tested this ammo before with an older ProChrono Digital many years ago during its run at SK Jagd and saw great results out of a similar rifle setup to what we’re using today (a Ruger Precision Rimfire). However, since the ammunition has changed manufacturers, I figured it was worth revisiting to see what the quality is like, now that it’s being made by the same manufacturer as many of the other types of ammo we’ve been testing over the last year. So what does Eley-made Wolf Match Target get you in terms of velocity consistency?

Pretty “middle of the road” results compared to what we see out of something like Eley Match or Eley Club, where we can see single-digit standard deviations and extreme spreads of less than 20. Here we're seeing something much closer to the behavior of some bulk ammo we’ve tested in the past. Not quite what I was expecting from a product labeled as Match, but I suppose par for the course for something that only costs about $8 per box on the high end.

Accuracy Tests

I used the Angstadt RPR once again to repeat the last test, and this time it’s a bit more fitting to use this rifle since it has a match-grade barrel and a Bentz match chamber to go with it. Coincidentally, this made feeding, seating, and ejection all much smoother than bulk or high-velocity ammo since this is the exact type of ammo the Ruger Precision Rimfire is made for. Accuracy also followed suit with some good results at 50 yards. My two best were well under an inch center-to-center.

While comparatively inexpensive and somewhat inconsistent at the chronograph, I don’t think I can argue that this ammo is any less accurate than more expensive ammunition (at least out of my hands). I’d go as far as to say that if I were to use match ammo instead of CCI Standard Velocity for rimfire PRS competitions, this would be my next best choice, as it does show some improvement in group size and consistency over CCI Standard, but doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as other, more refined match 22LR ammo.

Final Thoughts

I’d suspect that the inconsistency in velocity would inevitably lead to worse downrange accuracy compared to some of the more expensive match ammo. Any budding Rimfire ELR or even PRS shooters should probably keep this in mind with this particular ammo. It’s definitely cheap, but it does require the end user to accept a compromise. I think it's just barely accurate enough to justify its price and also give you an advantage over standard velocity, while simultaneously not being $20-$30 per box.

This is one of the more common match ammunition brands I’ve seen here in the States, but one that I don’t often see talked about as much in the rimfire world compared to its more expensive contemporaries. That makes me wonder what your experience has been with this ammo, if you’ve ever tried it at all. I’d especially be interested to hear if this ammo seemed to be better or worse under the stewardship of SK. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and, as always, thanks for stopping by to read The Rimfire Report. We’ll see you all again next week!