Can ELEY .22LR Cases Be Reloaded?
They can be reloaded, but not economically. That is ELEY’s position, and it is the practical answer for almost every shooter: the work involved in re-priming and reloading a fired rimfire case is out of all proportion to the cost of a factory round.
The reason sits in the design. In a rimfire cartridge the priming compound is contained in the rim of the case itself, and the firing pin crushes the rim to ignite it. There is no separate, replaceable primer seated in a pocket in the case head, as there is in a centrefire cartridge, so none of the ordinary centrefire reloading economics carry across.
The Design Facts
| Feature | ELEY .22LR |
|---|---|
| Ignition type | Rimfire: priming compound contained in the rim |
| Cartridge length | 25.4 mm / 1 inch |
| Case mouth | Trimmed flat |
| Crimp | Exacting crimping standards for optimum round-to-round pull-out force |
| Strike depth (ideal) | 0.012-0.015 in |
| Recommended headspace | 0.040-0.041 in |
Each of those is a manufactured tolerance, produced in volume under Six Sigma methodologies with high-speed electronic visual inspection and high-tech inspection of the critical heel area. Cases are formed to a uniform length with the mouth trimmed flat, which is what allows the bullet to be seated perfectly every time, and the crimp is then applied to exacting standards to control pull-out force from round to round.
Where the Consistency Really Comes From
ELEY’s published accuracy standards describe complete cartridges as manufactured and as proofed. ELEY tests 200 rounds from every batch across four different firearm brands to calculate the batch’s Radial Standard Deviation (RSD). For ELEY tenex that figure is 3.75 mm, the tightest standard in the range. It belongs to the round as it leaves the factory, with its factory case, crimp, primer charge and lubrication.
If the goal is better performance on target, the lever that moves is not the case. It is matching a production lot to your barrel.
The Bottom Line
ELEY .22LR cases can be reloaded, but not economically. It is a rimfire cartridge with the priming compound in the rim, built to 25.4 mm / 1 inch with a flat-trimmed case mouth and exacting crimping standards, and the accuracy standards ELEY publishes belong to the complete factory round.
To improve results with ELEY ammunition, put the effort into lot selection: book a batch test at eley.co.uk/vip or open the free Lot Analyser at eleyxshot.com. The best ammunition is the production lot that performs best in your rifle.