Ammunition FAQ

Both. Which of the two applies depends on the product. For ELEY’s target range the answer is precise, and it is ELEY’s own wording: each lot is quarantined on its individual performance and sentenced to the brand by RSD. ELEY tenex, match and team are one product off one premium flat-nose platform, held back after manufacture and assigned a name by what the finished lot measures, with ELEY club as the parent of the round-nose range and sport/target derived from it. ELEY’s specialist cartridges do not work that way at all. Biathlon, pistol, ultra, contact, force, the semi-auto benchrest pair and the hollow points are individually engineered for their disciplines, with different bullets, propellant charges, case dimensions or lubricants specified from the outset.

ELEY positions tenex air at the top of its air pellet range. That is ELEY’s own position on its pellet, made about the product rather than against any particular rival, and it rests on what ELEY has engineered and publishes: a 0.177 flat-head pellet weighing 0.531 g / 8.2 grains, offered in 4.49 mm, 4.50 mm and 4.51 mm head diameters, in damage-resistant re-sealable packaging, with a weight control figure ELEY publishes as 30 per cent superior to other brands.

A light strike is a rifle condition, and it is a measurable, fixable one. It has a published specification, a dedicated measuring tool, and a straightforward remedy. ELEY publishes the ideal strike depth for its cartridges as 0.012-0.015 in , measurable with a strike depth gauge , alongside a recommended headspace of 0.040-0.041 in . Ten minutes with a gauge turns a question about a rifle into a number you can act on.

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.

Yes. You can buy direct from ELEY under licence, and if you have used an ELEY test range you can have your ammunition shipped to your local Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD). The third route is the usual one: a stockist, and the full list is at eley.co.uk/retailers .

Yes, with a trade-off worth understanding before you buy. ELEY tenex biathlon is built on the tenex platform and engineered specifically for freezing conditions: a cold-temperature lubricant rated on the box for use to -20°C, a reduced cartridge diameter to aid cycling, and an increased propellant charge. Its maximum Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) is 4.50 mm and its velocity band is 335-354 m/s (1100-1160 ft/s).

You do not need a tuner to get the best from ELEY ammunition, and benchrest competitors do report that fitting one improves their accuracy. Both statements are true, because a tuner works on barrel harmonics, not on the round . It changes how the barrel moves as the bullet passes down it. It does not change the cartridge, and the cartridge is not waiting on it: ELEY tenex is proved to a Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) of 3.75 mm, tuner or no tuner.

Yes. Bedding a barrel in is critical. That is ELEY’s position, and it applies to any new barrel before you draw conclusions from what it puts on the target. A barrel that has not been bedded in is still changing between sessions, and a changing barrel cannot tell you the truth about the ammunition going through it.

No, not if it is stored at room temperature. ELEY ammunition degrades only when it is kept at extreme high or low temperatures. Left in its enhanced packaging at normal indoor temperatures, a cartridge stays the cartridge it was when it was proofed, and in ELEY’s own words it will outlast you.

No. Rim thickness sorting is not necessary with ELEY ammunition. The analytical suite at ELEY’s Sutton Coldfield headquarters, combined with 200-round proof testing of every batch across four different firearm brands , delivers consistent manufacturing quality. ELEY’s answer to rim sorting is that there is nothing left for it to correct.

Residue accumulating at the chamber and throat is a normal consequence of firing any lubricated rimfire cartridge, from any manufacturer. Every .22LR round is lubricated, and every one of them leaves behind a combination of lubricant, propellant fouling and lead. It concentrates at the front of the chamber and in the throat because that is where the gas first slows and cools. This is ordinary maintenance, not a fault in a product.

Every .22LR cartridge made by every manufacturer is lubricated, and lubricant, propellant and lead residue are the normal by-products of firing one. A moderator sits directly in that path, so it collects residue whatever ammunition passes through it. What separates products is not whether residue exists but how deliberately the lubricant is specified and how tightly its application is controlled. That is an area ELEY engineers with real precision.

Yes. Alongside its .22LR rimfire range, ELEY manufactures air pellets, centrefire, ELEY x-shot, blanks and ancillary products . The best known of those beyond rimfire is ELEY tenex air , a 0.177 competition air pellet for air rifle and air pistol, built to the same philosophy as the rimfire range: dimensional consistency and weight control held far tighter than the class norm.

Yes. ELEY tenex air is listed in the ELEY brochure as suitable for both air rifle and air pistol. It is a single 0.177 flat-head pellet weighing 0.531 g / 8.2 grains, offered in three head diameters: 4.49 mm, 4.50 mm and 4.51 mm. There is no separate pistol pellet to look for. The same product covers both 10 m disciplines.

Yes. The definitive source is the Lot Analyser at eleyxshot.com , which publishes trajectory, ballistic coefficient and radial dispersion for every batch , free of charge. Alongside it, ELEY publishes a ballistic coefficient of 0.112 and drag model RA4 for every .22LR cartridge it makes, prints the mean velocity of each individual batch on the box, and carries zeroed trajectory charts for the hunting rounds in the 2026 brochure.

Yes. A match chamber, cut and headspaced to the dimensions ELEY’s ammunition is designed around, gives a match cartridge the most consistent support it can have, and that is why precision disciplines are shot with match-chambered rifles. ELEY publishes the standard to set your rifle to: a recommended headspace of 0.040-0.041 in and an ideal strike depth of 0.012-0.015 in , along with guidelines for recommended headspace and educational videos explaining how to check it.

Expansion is the entire design purpose of the ELEY subsonic hollow bullet. ELEY’s published position on the round is unambiguous: the innovative hollow-nosed profile is designed to deliver unequalled expansion characteristics , giving short penetration with outstanding stopping power , which ELEY describes as essential features for vermin control. The 2.46 g / 38 gr hollow-point projectile is not a round-nose bullet with a dimple in the tip; the nose profile is the feature the cartridge is built around.

No. Sorting ELEY match by weight or by rim thickness is not necessary. The analytical suite at ELEY’s Sutton Coldfield headquarters, together with 200-round proof testing of every batch across four different firearm brands , delivers consistent manufacturing quality, so the variation a sorting process sets out to find has already been controlled at the point it was created.

Value in .22LR is not the price on the box but the price of a point on your card, and that is decided by how consistently a cartridge performs in your barrel. No comparison written by a manufacturer can settle that for you. What ELEY can do is publish exactly what ELEY club is held to, explain the testing that stands behind those figures, and show you how to run a comparison against any standard velocity cartridge that produces an answer you can trust.

Yes. ELEY’s answer is that the upgrade is worth it: ELEY match is far superior to ELEY club on published accuracy , at 4.74 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) against 5.50 mm, and that gap is measured rather than estimated. This is ELEY’s own product ladder, and match is the recommendation for a shooter moving up from club.

ELEY club is the more accurate of the two. club is the parent product in ELEY’s round-nose range, and ELEY sport (sold as ELEY target) is derived from it. That relationship is why club carries the tighter published accuracy standard: 5.50 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) against 7.00 mm for sport/target, and a narrower published velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) against 305-332 m/s (1000-1090 ft/s).

If you shoot a semi-automatic and want a subsonic round built specifically for that platform, ELEY contact was engineered for the job: 2.7 g / 42 gr, 317-332 m/s (1040-1090 ft/s), 7.00 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD), paraffin wax, with a softer report, reduced recoil and faster target re-acquisition. It is extremely popular in dynamic shooting, both steel plate and practical, and is suitable for pistol or rifle. Kurt Grimes, a Grand Master in the United States, has won multiple world championships shooting ELEY contact.

Neither profile is more accurate than the other in the abstract. ELEY’s flat nose and round nose are engineered for different jobs, not ranked against one another. The flat nose is built for stability in flight over a 50 m precision rifle course; the round nose is built for smooth chambering and reliable feeding, which is what semi-automatic rifles, target pistols and high-volume disciplines require.

The clearest rule is this: ELEY force is typically selected over ELEY contact when the firearm needs more power to cycle the action. If a semi-automatic rifle or pistol is short-stroking, failing to lock back or leaving the odd case in the action, force is the answer. If it cycles happily on subsonic ammunition, contact gives you a quieter, softer, faster-shooting round.

Buy ELEY match if you are competing and want the tighter published standard: 4.74 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) against 5.50 mm for ELEY team. ELEY describes match as “second in the world of flat-nose .22LR accuracy and performance, with ELEY tenex being the world number one”. Buy ELEY team if you are stepping into ELEY’s premium range for the first time. It is ELEY’s entry-level premium cartridge and, as part of the tenex family, the intended starting point for competitive shooters.

For practice ammunition the decision should be made in your own rifle, not from a specification sheet, and certainly not from a manufacturer’s opinion about a competitor. No brand shoots best in every barrel. What ELEY can give you is the full published specification for ELEY sport/target, the testing regime that stands behind it, and a method for comparing it against any practice cartridge that will give you an answer you can act on.

The difference is measured performance, and the reason for it is the relationship between the two products: ELEY club is the parent product and ELEY sport is derived from it, which makes club the more accurate of the two. Both are the same 2.59 g / 40 gr round-nose bullet, in the same 25.4 mm case, lubricated with the same paraffin wax. Club, though, is published at 5.50 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) and a 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) velocity band, while sport is published at 7.00 mm RSD and 305-332 m/s (1000-1090 ft/s). sport is ELEY’s absolute entry-level round.

Both are pest control cartridges, and the choice comes down to a single engineering decision. ELEY subsonic hollow is built for quiet and containment: a hunting cartridge with target shooting accuracy and reduced velocity, offering a quieter muzzle report compared with other .22LR hunting rounds, and a hollow-nosed profile that gives short penetration with outstanding stopping power. ELEY high velocity hollow is built for reach and penetration: a low-antimony, soft-lead hollow-point that accelerates to high velocity while retaining the structural characteristics needed for controlled expansion and deep penetration on small game and pest species.

The differences are the lubricant and the bullet profile. ELEY tenex biathlon is built on the tenex platform, and what sets it apart is that it is engineered to operate at much lower temperatures than any other round in the range. It therefore carries a scientifically designed cold-temperature lubricant, rated on the box for use to -20°C, and a bullet profile of its own.

If you shoot a target pistol, yes. The core difference is the bullet profile: ELEY tenex pistol is round-nose to aid feeding, where ELEY tenex is flat-nose. That single decision is what separates the two cartridges, and it is why the pistol load exists.

No manufacturer is universally best. The highest level of rimfire accuracy is achieved through the Triangle of Success: the right ammunition, the right firearm, and the shooter’s ability to consistently execute every shot. Remove any side of the triangle and performance suffers.

Yes. ELEY edge has been discontinued, and it was replaced by ELEY team. If you shot edge, ELEY team is the round that now occupies its place in the range: a flat-nose 2.59 g / 40 gr cartridge with a published accuracy standard of 5.50 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD), a 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) velocity band and beeswax-tallow lubrication, sold in 50-round boxes, 500-round bricks and 5,000-round outer cases.

ELEY’s own answer is that ELEY subsonic hollow is extremely accurate at those distances, with the qualification ELEY applies to every accuracy question: the result comes from the Triangle of Success , the firearm, the ammunition and the shooter working together.

Get the headspace right and you will not have an ignition problem. That is ELEY’s answer, and it is a measurable one. ELEY’s recommended headspace is 0.040-0.041 in and the ideal strike depth for an ELEY cartridge is 0.012-0.015 in . Check a rifle against those two published figures and you have verified, rather than assumed, that it is delivering enough energy to the primer. Headspace first, then strike depth with a gauge. ELEY publishes guidelines on recommended headspace and a set of educational videos that take shooters through it step by step.

Yes. ELEY batch testing is open to anyone, from club champions to Olympic medallists, at five test ranges worldwide. Each year hundreds of target shooters visit these facilities to find the perfect ammunition match for their barrel.

An ELEY batch code is printed in two parts. The upper line identifies the product, the year, the loading machine and the batch; the lower line is the mean velocity recorded across four barrels when that batch was proof tested. A code reading 10 26-04 244 over 1045 means loaded product 10, manufactured in 2026, on loader 04, batch 244 from that loader, with a proof mean velocity of 1045.

The ELEY Lot Analyser is a free online tool at www.eleyxshot.com. Create an account, enter the batch number printed on your box, and it opens the proof data ELEY recorded for that specific production lot. That includes the full 200-shot proof group with X windage and Y elevation coordinates for every single shot.

Yes, and it is simpler than it looks once you understand that the ELEY range is not one ladder but two families. One family is graded: a common platform separated into products by measured performance. The other is purpose-engineered, its cartridges designed from the outset for a specific discipline, so they sit wherever their intended job puts them rather than on a rung above or below anything else.

ELEY’s competition cartridges are specified to stay comfortably subsonic from the muzzle, which is the design decision that governs their behaviour at distance. ELEY tenex, ELEY ultra extreme long range, ELEY match and ELEY team all sit in a published velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s). A round that never goes supersonic never has to make a supersonic-to-subsonic transition in flight. That transition is the event that can destabilise a projectile.

ELEY’s quality is built on published, verifiable data. Every batch is tested to a published accuracy standard before it is graded, the proof data behind every batch is available free online, and any shooter can take their own rifle to an ELEY test range and measure the result for themselves.

Temperature affects every .22LR cartridge made by every manufacturer. Propellant burns less efficiently as temperature falls, which lowers muzzle velocity and shifts the point of impact. Lubricant becomes firmer. Metal contracts, tightening the chamber.

ELEY has been making ammunition since 1828, giving over 198 years of production. The company was founded by William and Charles Eley in England, listed on the UK Stock Exchange in 1874, and has manufactured continuously ever since. Production is today based at Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, where the factory moved from Witton in 2004.

Ten. ELEY’s recommendation after switching from another brand is 10 fouling shots. Fire those ten, then start judging groups. A barrel still carrying the previous product’s condition will tell you about the changeover rather than about the cartridge you have just loaded.

ELEY does not publish a barrel life figure, and ELEY’s advice to shooters worried about round count runs in the opposite direction: every discipline builds in training time, so shoot as much as you can and learn what your firearm is capable of. Rounds through the barrel are how you find that out, not something to be rationed against a number nobody has published.

Lot-to-lot variation matters, and ELEY addresses it openly. ELEY publishes the proof data behind every batch, operates five test ranges where shooters can find the batch that suits their barrel, and builds its entire product grading system around measured batch performance.

ELEY’s guidance on scale is this: in some countries, extreme heat changes velocity dramatically, of the order of 30-40 ft/s . That figure describes genuinely extreme heat, not the difference between a mild and a chilly club night, and it is not a per-degree coefficient you can apply to any temperature swing. There is no published ELEY velocity-change-per-degree figure, so be wary of any source that offers you one.

Every firearm is different, so the cleaning routine is yours to establish, and ELEY publishes maintenance educational videos to help you build one. There is no universal round-count interval that covers a benchrest rifle, a biathlon rifle and a semi-automatic used for practice, which is why ELEY’s guidance is to learn your own firearm and settle on a routine that suits it.

Ammunition reviews are useful, but they answer a narrower question than most readers assume. A review that tests one box of one batch in one rifle on one day tells you how that pairing performed. It does not tell you how the product will perform in your rifle.

Judge it on evidence you can check yourself. ELEY publishes a Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) accuracy standard for every product in its range, proof tests 200 rounds from every batch across four different firearm brands, and publishes that proof data free of charge so anyone can inspect the individual lot they are buying. It runs five test ranges open to anyone who wants to measure ammunition through their own barrel. And it has won 140 Olympic medals since 1964, including three gold, four silver and four bronze at Paris 2024.

No. ELEY ammunition is non-corrosive.

No. ELEY formerly owned Eley Hawk, but sold it to a Spanish company. The two businesses remain on the same site, but they have no connection. They are separate companies making different products: ELEY Ammunition makes .22LR rimfire cartridges, air pellets, centrefire, blanks, ancillary products and ELEY x-shot; Eley Hawk makes shotgun cartridges.

ELEY practice has been discontinued. It is not part of the current ELEY range. If you want an ELEY round for high-volume training at sensible cost without giving up consistency, the two cartridges that now cover that role are ELEY sport / target and ELEY club , both available in 50-round boxes, 500-round bricks and 5,000-round outer cases.

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.

ELEY subsonic hollow is designed for standard rifle barrel lengths. That is the direct answer: the round is engineered to deliver its published 305-317 m/s (1000-1040 ft/s) from a standard-length rifle barrel, and in a rifle of that description it does exactly what the box says. ELEY contact, the other cartridge in the subsonic range, is published at 317-332 m/s (1040-1090 ft/s).

Yes. ELEY confirms that ELEY target is the same product as ELEY sport. One cartridge, one published specification, two names on the label. If you have been comparing the two, there is nothing to compare: a box of ELEY target and a box of ELEY sport carry the same round.

For most club shooters, not yet, and ELEY’s own product positioning says so. ELEY tenex is the Olympic-grade cartridge, carrying a maximum Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) of 3.75 mm, the tightest accuracy standard in the range. But the brochure places ELEY team as “ELEY’s entry-level premium cartridge” and “the perfect starting point for competitive shooters who want to step into the world of ELEY’s premium ammunition range”, with ELEY club as “the natural progression for shooters who are ready to advance their performance”. Those are the rounds designed for the stage most club shooters are at.

If you are shooting at extended distance, yes. ELEY’s reasoning is specific. ELEY ultra extreme long range goes through the same production checks as ELEY tenex , which is what makes it a premium round and what justifies its price over a standard match cartridge. Its lead contains more antimony, which gives the bullet a silver colour, and that visibility helps the shooter see the shot when engaging targets at greater distances . That is a functional advantage no accuracy figure conveys on its own.

Yes. Old ELEY tenex is still worth shooting, and stored at room temperature it will outlast you. Every batch met the published standard when it was proofed, a maximum Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) of 3.75 mm measured over 200 rounds fired across four different firearm brands. That is a ceiling the batch proved it could meet, not an estimate, and it does not expire.

Every batch of a given ELEY grade has already met the same published standard before it is allowed to carry that name. A box of ELEY tenex is tenex because that batch proved a Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) inside 3.75 mm on ELEY’s own proof range, across four different firearm brands, over 200 rounds. So there is no hidden tier of tenex above tenex, and no batch of match that failed to be match. The grade on the box is the guarantee.

Yes. ELEY’s rifle and pistol match cartridges differ in bullet profile, velocity band, accuracy standard, lead alloy specification and design intent. ELEY tenex, the rifle cartridge, uses a patented flat-nose bullet at 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) to a 3.75 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) standard. ELEY tenex pistol uses a round-nose bullet at 276-287 m/s (906-942 ft/s) to a 4.40 mm RSD standard, with a projectile made from a high specification lead antimony alloy which reduces surface damage when cycled through the firearm.

If you compete in meaningfully different conditions across the year, the sound approach is not to guess at a “summer batch” and a “winter batch”. It is to test in conditions representative of the competition you are preparing for, and let the result decide. Where conditions are genuinely freezing, ELEY builds a dedicated cold-weather range rather than asking you to adapt a standard batch.

ELEY’s own answer starts with the thing that decides the outcome: accuracy in hunting is key, and a well-placed shot with any ammunition will do the job. You can use ELEY match for hunting. What you cannot do is let a bullet profile substitute for shot placement. The round that puts its shots where you aim, in your rifle, is the round that works in the field.

No. Leave it on. The lubricant on an ELEY cartridge is a specified, engineered component of the round, not packing grease or a residue of manufacture. Its job is to ease repeated chambering and protect the barrel, and ELEY applies it through a temperature-controlled lubrication system precisely so that it is consistent from round to round. Wiping it off removes a controlled variable from a cartridge that has been built around controlling variables.

Every .22LR cartridge is lubricated, and the lubricant leaves a residue. Understanding what ELEY’s lubricant is for, why different ELEY products use different lubricants, and how to manage residue is the difference between a barrel that shoots consistently all season and one that surprises you halfway through a card.

ELEY trial packs exist to give shooters a cost-effective introduction to the ELEY brand. Rather than committing to a case of one product, you buy a selection, shoot them through your own rifle and see which one you prefer. The ELEY brochure puts it exactly: “Discover your perfect ELEY round.” Try them all, and let the target choose.

Box colour on ELEY packaging is branding: it identifies the product at a glance on a firing point. The one distinction worth knowing is that the red box is ELEY’s premium range , the iconic red packaging every target shooter recognises as ELEY tenex. Beyond that, colour is a label rather than a code: the information that decides how your next card scores is the product name, the published accuracy standard behind it, and the batch code.

The number printed on the end panel of an ELEY box is the mean velocity of that specific batch, measured across four barrels during ELEY’s proofing process. It is not a nominal catalogue figure and it is not a prediction of what your rifle will produce. It is measured data from that batch.

EPS stands for ELEY Priming System. It refers to the priming technology ELEY uses in its cartridges, not to a bullet profile, a case design or a grade of ammunition. If you have seen EPS referenced alongside ELEY ammunition and wondered whether it described the shape of the bullet, it does not: the bullet profile is stated separately as flat nose, round nose or hollow point.

Olympic and World Championship shooters use ELEY tenex. It is the highest-graded cartridge ELEY produces, carrying a maximum Radial Standard Deviation of 3.75 mm, and it has been the ammunition of champions since it was introduced in 1951.

ELEY’s aim for ELEY match is a single-digit extreme spread, alongside its published accuracy standard of 4.74 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD). That is the target ELEY manufactures to, and it is the honest answer to what you should expect.

ELEY does not publish a typical group size for tenex, and there is a deliberate reason for that. tenex is graded on Radial Standard Deviation (RSD), not on group size: every batch of ELEY tenex meets a maximum RSD of 3.75 mm, the tightest published accuracy standard in the ELEY range. Group size is used by ELEY only where statistical precision is not required.

ELEY publishes a recommended headspace of 0.040-0.041 in for its .22LR ammunition. That figure applies across the range: ELEY tenex, ELEY match, ELEY team, ELEY club, ELEY sport and the rest are all built to a common 25.4 mm / 1 inch cartridge length and the same published dimensional standard.

ELEY bullseye pistol x is ELEY’s round for dedicated bullseye competition. That is what it is for and who it is aimed at: the shooter whose discipline is bullseye, shooting the course of fire that discipline sets.

ELEY contact is a purpose-engineered subsonic cartridge for semi-automatic platforms , delivering extreme accuracy with a softer report and reduced recoil. It loads a 2.7 g / 42 gr round-nose bullet at 317-332 m/s (1040-1090 ft/s), below the speed of sound, to a published accuracy standard of 7.00 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD).

ELEY force is a recreational power round: high velocity and maximum knock-down power with precision. A purpose-designed propellant with a distributed pressure curve accelerates a 2.7 g / 42 gr round-nose bullet to a supersonic 344-381 m/s (1130-1250 ft/s), delivering greater energy on impact and the pronounced kickback expected from a power round.

ELEY tenex rapid fire pistol is a dedicated round for ISSF-level shooting, and the thing that sets it apart is a guarantee. In ISSF rapid fire pistol a minimum velocity has to be achieved in competition, and ELEY guarantees this cartridge meets it, so the athlete is not disqualified on a velocity check. No other ELEY product carries a competition-eligibility guarantee of that kind.

ELEY x-shot is a portable, real-time shot detection device and target combination that scores your shooting as you shoot it, with multi-detail scoring and a free companion app for iOS and Android. It lives at www.eleyxshot.com, alongside the free ELEY Lot Analyser.

Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) measures the distance from each shot hole to the group’s centre point, the mean point of impact. The lower the RSD, the closer the group and the more consistent the performance. ELEY uses it as the grading standard for its ammunition: 200 rounds are fired from every batch across four different firearm brands, RSD is calculated from that proof group, and the published maximum RSD for each product is a standard every batch has already met.

Strike depth is the indent left by the firing pin on the cartridge rim. That indent is the point at which the primer is activated. ELEY publishes an ideal strike depth for its cartridges of 0.012-0.015 in , and it is measured with a strike depth gauge .

The ballistic coefficient of ELEY .22LR ammunition is 0.112 , using the RA4 drag model . These figures are published for every .22LR cartridge in the ELEY range, alongside a cartridge length of 25.4 mm (1 inch). They are the two inputs a ballistic solver needs from the ammunition manufacturer.

Three things separate ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision from ELEY semi-auto benchrest outlaw: bullet weight, velocity and Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) . Precision is a 2.59 g / 40 gr bullet at 314-326 m/s (1030-1070 ft/s) held to a maximum RSD of 4.90 mm. Outlaw is a 2.69 g / 42 gr bullet at 317-332 m/s (1040-1090 ft/s) held to a maximum RSD of 7.00 mm. Everything else is common to both: a round-nose profile, the same EP2723 lubricant, the same 25.4 mm / 1 inch cartridge and the same manufacturing process, so both feed and cycle through an autoloading action in the same way.

ELEY UK and ELEY America are technically the same business. There is no difference in the ammunition. ELEY .22LR is manufactured in a single place, the factory at Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, England, and the same cartridges, made on the same lines to the same published specifications, are sold in every market. The United States is ELEY’s largest market, so there is a dedicated sales team operating under ELEY America. That is the difference: a sales team, not a separate company, a separate factory or a separate product.

ELEY ultra Gen 1 was released with the wrong Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) and the wrong bullet type. Gen 2 is the correct version , with the correct bullet type and the correct RSD performance. ELEY identified the discrepancy and corrected it, and Gen 2 is the relaunched ELEY ultra extreme long range you buy today: a round-nose 2.59 g / 40 gr cartridge with a published accuracy standard of 4.00 mm RSD, a velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) and EP2723 lubrication.

Store ELEY .22LR at room temperature and, as ELEY puts it, it will outlast you. There is no practical shelf life to plan around: kept at normal indoor temperatures in the enhanced packaging it was supplied in, ELEY ammunition degrades only if it is stored at extreme high or low temperatures. Avoid those two extremes and the cartridge you open in ten years is the cartridge that was proofed at the factory.

ELEY .22LR accuracy comes from controlling every variable that can make one cartridge behave differently from the next: a patented flat-nose bullet profile, inspected heels, cases trimmed flat and crimped to an exacting pull-out force, brass of tightly controlled alloy and uniform length, propellant measured electronically for each individual cartridge, priming in a dedicated air-conditioned facility, temperature-controlled lubrication, Six Sigma methodology and high-speed electronic visual inspection. Every batch is then proof tested on 200 rounds across four different firearm brands.

Enter a ballistic coefficient of 0.112 with drag model RA4 , and for muzzle velocity use the mean velocity printed on your own box rather than a catalogue figure. Those three inputs give you the most accurate starting solution available before you have fired a shot. Then true the solver against your own chronograph and your own confirmed drops, because the last step belongs to your barrel.

ELEY .22LR is sold through firearms retailers and distributors in each market, and the fastest way to find your nearest one is ELEY’s own stockist information.

ELEY ammunition is made in England. Every ELEY .22LR cartridge is manufactured at the company’s factory in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands: ELEY Ltd, Selco Way, off First Avenue, Minworth Industrial Estate, Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BA. That single site is the company’s home, its proof range and its United Kingdom test range, so ELEY ammunition is loaded, inspected, proof tested and graded in one place before it reaches a shooter.

All the top barrel manufacturers shoot ELEY well. That is ELEY’s position, and it is why there is no universal best barrel to name: the barrels serious shooters are choosing between are all capable of excellent results with ELEY ammunition. Every barrel has its own unique characteristics, and each batch of ammunition performs differently, so what performs flawlessly in one barrel may not deliver the same results in another.

Beyond 200 yards, ELEY ultra extreme long range is the purpose-built answer. It is the cartridge ELEY engineers specifically for extended distance: a round-nose 2.59 g / 40 gr projectile with a published accuracy standard of 4.00 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD), a velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s), and EP2723 lubrication. ELEY describes it as “engineered for extreme precision at long range”, and states that “the relaunched ELEY ultra sets a new benchmark in rimfire performance”.

For NRL22 and PRS rimfire, ELEY ultra extreme long range is the round ELEY engineers specifically for the distances these disciplines are shot at. It is a round-nose 2.59 g / 40 gr cartridge with a published accuracy standard of 4.00 mm Radial Standard Deviation (RSD), a velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s), and EP2723 lubrication. ELEY describes it as “engineered for extreme precision at long range”, and states that “the relaunched ELEY ultra sets a new benchmark in rimfire performance”.

ELEY’s answer is any of the subsonic range . That means ELEY subsonic hollow at 305-317 m/s (1000-1040 ft/s) and ELEY contact at 317-332 m/s (1040-1090 ft/s). These are the two cartridges ELEY loads deliberately below the speed of sound, and therefore the two that let a moderator do its full job.

The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rifle, so the answer is ELEY’s semi-automatic rifle list: ELEY ultra extreme long range, ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision, ELEY semi-auto benchrest outlaw, ELEY club, ELEY sport, ELEY target, ELEY force, ELEY contact and ELEY biathlon club. Every one of them is round-nose, which is what feeds cleanly from a 10/22 magazine and up the feed ramp.

ELEY manufactures two cartridges engineered specifically for biathlon and freezing conditions. ELEY tenex biathlon is the Olympic-level round, with a maximum Radial Standard Deviation of 4.50 mm. ELEY biathlon club is the club-level equivalent, at 5.50 mm.

For bullseye and precision pistol, ELEY tenex pistol is the most accurate cartridge ELEY produces for a handgun. It carries a maximum Radial Standard Deviation (RSD) of 4.40 mm, runs at 276-287 m/s (906-942 ft/s), and uses a round-nose bullet made from a high specification lead antimony alloy that reduces surface damage when the round is cycled through the firearm. Alongside it, ELEY bullseye pistol x is the round ELEY makes for dedicated bullseye competition , and ELEY tenex rapid fire pistol is the round for ISSF rapid fire events specifically.

ELEY club, ELEY sport and ELEY target are the most cost-effective rounds for early adopters. That is ELEY’s own recommendation for juniors, cadets and club shooters. Start with ELEY sport / target, the absolute entry-level cartridge and, in ELEY’s own words, the ideal introduction to the world of precision shooting, delivering reliable performance at an affordable price and making it the perfect choice for new shooters, clubs and training sessions. sport and target are the same product under two names. When a shooter is consistently grouping well and starting to compete, move up to ELEY club, the parent product of that round-nose range and the natural progression for shooters who are ready to advance their performance. When they are competing seriously, ELEY team is the entry-level premium cartridge and the perfect starting point for competitive shooters stepping into ELEY’s premium range.

For rabbit and squirrel, the two ELEY cartridges built for the job are the hollow-points: ELEY subsonic hollow and ELEY high velocity hollow . Both are loaded with a 2.46 g / 38 gr hollow-point bullet engineered to expand on quarry rather than pass through it. Choose ELEY subsonic hollow when a quiet muzzle report matters: a moderated rifle, farm buildings, woodland roosts, close-range vermin control. Choose ELEY high velocity hollow when you want the faster, harder-hitting option with controlled expansion and deeper penetration.

ELEY’s list of cartridges suitable for semi-automatic rifles is ELEY ultra extreme long range, ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision, ELEY semi-auto benchrest outlaw, ELEY club, ELEY sport, ELEY target, ELEY force, ELEY contact and ELEY biathlon club. Every one of them uses a round-nose bullet, because a round nose is what feeds cleanly from a magazine and up a feed ramp without the shooter guiding it.

For rimfire benchrest and American Rimfire Association (ARA) competition, ELEY tenex is the most accurate ammunition ELEY produces. It carries a maximum Radial Standard Deviation of 3.75 mm, the tightest published accuracy standard in the ELEY range. ELEY’s own discipline guidance recommends tenex for ARA Unlimited, ARA Factory, WRABF, IR 50/50, PSL and UKBR22, with ELEY match as the alternative for ARA Factory competitors.

ELEY’s list of cartridges suitable for semi-automatic pistols is ELEY tenex pistol, ELEY tenex rapid fire pistol, ELEY bullseye pistol x, ELEY club, ELEY sport, ELEY target, ELEY force and ELEY contact. Every one of them uses a round-nose bullet, which is what eases feeding from the magazine into the chamber in a self-loading action.

The ELEY products lubricated with paraffin wax are the ones that handle driest and pick up the least debris. Paraffin is thinner than a beeswax-tallow blend and stays harder at any given temperature because of its higher melting point, giving a drier feel and a surface that is less prone to collecting lint and grit. It also does not clog a semi-automatic mechanism. ELEY contact, ELEY force, ELEY club, ELEY sport and target, ELEY tenex pistol, ELEY bullseye pistol x, ELEY high velocity hollow and ELEY subsonic hollow all use it.

Every firearm is different, so ELEY’s guidance for a CZ 457 is a starting point plus a method: try different lots of ELEY club, ELEY sport and ELEY contact, and let the rifle tell you which it prefers. Those three cover the work most 457s do: club and sport for target shooting and practice, contact where a subsonic round with a softer report and reduced recoil suits the shooting. All three are round-nose cartridges.

ELEY’s recommendation for a Tikka T1x is ELEY club or ELEY sport. Both are round-nose cartridges built for exactly the shooting most T1x owners do: club target work, practice and general range use. ELEY club is the more accurate of the two, and ELEY sport is the entry-level option.

ELEY’s recommendation for a Vudoo is ELEY tenex or ELEY ultra extreme long range. A Vudoo is a precision bolt-action .22LR, so it gets the two rounds built for precision bolt-action work at opposite ends of the distance question: tenex for the highest accuracy standard ELEY publishes, ultra where the discipline stretches out to extended range. Because the action is manually operated and the shooter guides each round into the chamber, the patented flat-nose profile of tenex is entirely at home in it, with ELEY match the close alternative.

ELEY’s answer for an Anschutz is ELEY tenex. It is the recommendation for the disciplines these rifles are built for (ISSF and Olympic smallbore rifle, 50 m prone and three-position), with ELEY match as the alternative. For national and club target rifle, ELEY recommends ELEY club, with ELEY team and ELEY sport / target as the alternatives. That guidance is set by discipline as well as by rifle, which is the right way to choose: it tells you the accuracy grade the competition demands.

For ISSF and Olympic smallbore rifle, covering both 50 m prone and 50 m three-position, ELEY recommends ELEY tenex, with ELEY match as the alternative. For national and club target rifle shooting, ELEY club is the recommended round, with ELEY team and ELEY sport as alternatives.

ELEY’s answer is to try them first: every firearm is different, so buy all three and test them in your own airgun. ELEY tenex air is offered in 4.49 mm, 4.50 mm and 4.51 mm head diameters precisely because airgun barrels differ from one another, and the correct head size is the one that suits your barrel’s bore, which is not something that can be recommended in the abstract. It is the same logic ELEY applies to batch testing in .22LR, where the best ammunition is always the production lot that performs best in your rifle.

ELEY is owned by a private individual. It is a privately owned English ammunition manufacturer, founded in 1828 by William and Charles Eley, and it has manufactured ammunition in England continuously ever since, for over 198 years. Today the company operates from Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, where its factory, proof range and United Kingdom test range share one site.

Almost always because of the product, not the batch. Lot Analyser coverage works product by product, and all lots are now published for eight products : ELEY tenex, tenex pistol, tenex biathlon, tenex rapid fire pistol, match, semi-auto .22LR benchrest precision, ultra and club. If the box in your hand is one of those, every lot of it is on the system. If it is a product outside that list, it will not appear, which is a coverage boundary rather than a fault with the ammunition or with your code.

Small batch quantities are ELEY’s USP. ELEY manufactures in small lots deliberately, because it gives greater control over the manufacturing process, and because small lots let ELEY offer shooters a greater selection of lots to suit the wide variety of firearms in use . No two firearms perform the same, so the more distinct lots there are in circulation, the better the chance that one of them is the lot your barrel shoots best.

Because of what is done to every single cartridge before it leaves the factory, and what is done to every batch afterwards. An ELEY match-grade round is not a commodity .22LR sorted at the end of the line. It is manufactured under Six Sigma methodologies with the propellant charge measured electronically for each individual cartridge, primed in an air-conditioned facility, lubricated under temperature control, inspected electronically at high speed, and then proof tested with 200 rounds fired across four different firearm brands before it is allowed to carry a name. That cost is not in the materials. It is in the control.

ELEY match is specified to a published velocity band of 317-330 m/s (1040-1085 ft/s) , which places the competition range comfortably subsonic by design. If your chronograph is returning figures at or above the top of that band, the explanation is almost always the same one: the number printed on your box is a mean across four barrels, and your barrel produces its own figure. A fast barrel, a warm day, or both, will read higher than the box.

A moderated rimfire rifle makes noise from three separate sources, and a moderator only addresses one of them. It captures and slows the muzzle report: the blast of propellant gas leaving the barrel. It has no effect on the sound the action makes as it cycles, and none on the noise the bullet makes in flight downrange. When a subsonic round still sounds louder than expected, what you are hearing is almost always one of the two the moderator was never built to touch. Once you know which of the three you are listening to, it becomes straightforward to manage.

Start with headspace. Chambering is a dimensional relationship between the cartridge and the chamber, and both sides of that relationship have published specifications you can check. ELEY’s recommended headspace is 0.040-0.041 in , the ideal strike depth is 0.012-0.015 in , and every ELEY .22LR cartridge is built to a 25.4 mm / 1 inch cartridge length. Comparing a rifle against those figures is the fastest route to smooth, repeatable chambering, whatever the make or model of rifle: a bolt-action sporter, a CZ 457 MTR, an Anschütz or a custom benchrest action alike.

ELEY tenex and ELEY match are flat-nose cartridges engineered for precision bolt-action target rifles shooting at 50 m. For semi-automatic rifles, ELEY recommends round-nose products, and manufactures a dedicated semi-automatic range built specifically for autoloading actions: ELEY force, ELEY contact, ELEY semi-auto benchrest precision and ELEY semi-auto benchrest outlaw.