Is ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision Genuinely Different from ELEY match?
Yes. ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision and ELEY match are different cartridges in every respect that affects how they perform: a different bullet profile, a different lubricant, a different velocity band, a different published accuracy standard and a different intended firearm. Precision is a round-nose cartridge on EP2723 lubricant, engineered for semi-automatic actions and held to a maximum Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) of 4.90 mm. ELEY match is a flat-nose cartridge on beeswax-tallow, engineered for precision bolt-action target rifles and held to 4.74 mm.
Both are built to ELEY’s manufacturing standards. They are simply built for two different jobs.
Side by Side
| ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision | ELEY match | |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet profile | Round nose | Flat nose (patented) |
| Weight | 2.59 g / 40 gr | 2.59 g / 40 gr |
| Velocity | 314-326 m/s (1030-1070 ft/s) | 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) |
| Maximum RSD | 4.90 mm | 4.74 mm |
| Lubricant | EP2723 | Beeswax-tallow |
| Case | Not specified | Cut mouth case |
| Engineered for | Semi-automatic benchrest competition | Precision bolt-action target rifles |
| ELEY discipline guidance | Semi-automatic rifles | ARA Factory, ISSF and Olympic smallbore, 50 m prone and three-position (as alternative to tenex) |
Different Bullet Profile
ELEY’s flat-nose bullet, developed in 2003, is patented. As the projectile cuts through the air, the design pulls the centre of pressure forwards, aerodynamically stabilising the bullet and increasing accuracy at the target. It is the profile behind ELEY tenex, match and team, and behind ELEY’s record in 50 m target shooting.
ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision uses a round nose instead, and that is a deliberate engineering decision rather than a downgrade. A semi-automatic action strips the cartridge from a magazine and drives it forward into the chamber under spring pressure, at speed, with no input from the shooter. A round-nose profile presents a smooth, curved leading surface to the feed ramp and chamber mouth, which enhances smooth chambering and consistent ballistics through an autoloading action. ELEY’s own guidance for semi-automatic rifles is to use round-nose products.
Different Lubricant
The purpose of lubricant on a .22LR cartridge is to ease repeated chambering; the idea that lubricant sends the bullet down the barrel is a common misconception.
ELEY match uses beeswax-tallow, which is softer, thicker and stickier, and is formulated to minimise the effects of chambering in a rifle where each round is placed by hand.
ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision uses EP2723, the same lubricant specification ELEY applies to its rapid fire pistol and long-range cartridges. A soft, sticky wax is not what you want cycling through a mechanism hundreds of times in a session. This is the same reasoning that leads ELEY to lubricate its other semi-automatic cartridges with paraffin wax, which is thinner and harder at any given temperature, drier in feel, less prone to picking up debris, and does not clog the mechanism.
Different Velocity Band and Different Standard
Precision is loaded at 314-326 m/s (1030-1070 ft/s), a 12 m/s (40 ft/s) window. ELEY match sits slightly higher at 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s).
On accuracy, match is held to a maximum RSD of 4.74 mm and precision to 4.90 mm. Both figures come from the same test: ELEY fires 200 rounds from every batch across four different firearm brands to calculate RSD. Radial Standard Deviation measures the distance from each shot hole to the group’s centre point, the mean point of impact. Unlike extreme spread, which considers only the two furthest shots, RSD evaluates every shot fired.
The 0.16 mm between them is not the meaningful difference. The meaningful difference is that the 4.90 mm standard is achieved in a cartridge specifically engineered to run through a semi-automatic action, which is why precision outperforms ELEY team’s 5.50 mm standard and sits at the top of ELEY’s round-nose competition offering.
Shared Engineering
What the two cartridges do share is ELEY’s process. Both are loaded with a propellant charge measured electronically for every individual cartridge. Both use cases with mouths trimmed flat so the bullet is always seated perfectly, and exacting crimping standards for optimum round-to-round pull-out force. Both pass high-tech inspection of the critical heel area and high-speed electronic visual inspection under Six Sigma methodologies. Both are primed in ELEY’s air-conditioned facility, which delivers a 75 per cent improvement in the spread of primer weights compared with other manufacturers. Both carry the universal .22LR specification: 25.4 mm / 1 inch cartridge length, ballistic coefficient 0.112, drag model RA4.
ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision was developed using the same engineering expertise that drives ELEY tenex. ELEY match adds a cut mouth case, part of the flat-nose target platform.
The Bottom Line
They are genuinely different cartridges. If you shoot a precision bolt-action target rifle at 50 m, ELEY match is your round. If you shoot a semi-automatic, ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision is your round: round-nose for reliable feeding, EP2723 lubricated for a clean-running mechanism, and held to a 4.90 mm RSD standard.
Whichever applies, the last step is identical. Every barrel has its own unique dimensions and harmonic characteristics, and every production lot performs differently. Book batch testing through your own rifle at eley.co.uk/vip, or explore the full 200-shot proof data behind all lots of ELEY tenex, tenex pistol, tenex biathlon, tenex rapid fire pistol, match, semi-auto .22LR benchrest precision, ultra and club with the free Lot Analyser at eleyxshot.com.