Which ELEY Ammunition Is Best for Biathlon and Cold-Weather Ignition?
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.
Neither is a standard target round in different packaging. Both are purpose-engineered cartridges in which the bullet diameter, case design, propellant charge and lubricant have all been changed to work in temperatures where ordinary match ammunition is operating outside its design envelope.
Why Cold Weather Needs a Different Cartridge
Cold temperatures affect every aspect of a rimfire cartridge. Lubricant hardens. Propellant burns less efficiently. Chambering tolerances that are comfortable at 20°C become tight when metal contracts. In biathlon, all of this happens while the athlete is arriving at the mat with an elevated heart rate and a rifle that has been carried through a ski loop.
ELEY tenex biathlon was launched in 2012 following comprehensive research and development of the biathlon sport, the athletes and their needs. ELEY tenex was used as the platform on which the cartridge was built.
What ELEY Changed for the Cold
Reduced cartridge diameter. Examination of bullet and chambering characteristics at freezing temperatures led to a reduction in the diameter of the cartridge, to aid cycling in bolt-action and straight-pull biathlon rifles. A cartridge that will not chamber cleanly in the cold costs a competitor more than a fraction of a millimetre of dispersion.
A cold-temperature lubricant. A scientifically designed lubricant was developed to suit cold temperatures, aiding consistency and reducing barrel wear. ELEY tenex biathlon is lubricated for use to -20°C, and that specification is printed on the box.
An increased propellant charge. ELEY tenex biathlon benefits from an increased propellant charge, giving the bullet enhanced terminal energy and the greater knock-down force needed for the biathlon target. This raises mean velocity to 335-354 m/s, or 1100-1160 ft/s, noticeably above the 1040-1085 ft/s of standard ELEY tenex.
ELEY biathlon club applies the same engineering thinking at club level, with a refined bullet and case design for reliable cycling in bolt-action and straight-pull biathlon rifles in extreme winter conditions, a specialised cold-weather lubricant, and an increased propellant charge for improved energy and greater knock-down power.
Biathlon Specifications
| Product | Bullet | Weight | Velocity | Maximum RSD | Lubricant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELEY tenex biathlon | Flat nose | 40 gr | 335-354 m/s · 1100-1160 ft/s | 4.50 mm | Biathlon, to -20°C |
| ELEY biathlon club | Round nose | 40 gr | 323-330 m/s · 1060-1085 ft/s | 5.50 mm | Biathlon |
Reliable Ignition in the Cold
Consistent ignition in freezing conditions begins with consistent priming. ELEY’s advanced air-conditioned priming facility delivers a 75 per cent improvement in the spread of primer weights compared with other manufacturers, and ELEY prime, introduced in 1979, remains the world’s first and only automated dry priming system. It won the Queen’s Award for Technology in 1988.
Ignition also depends on the rifle. The firing pin indent left in the case rim is called the strike depth, and a minimum strike depth is necessary to transmit sufficient energy to the primer to cause ignition. The ideal strike depth for an ELEY cartridge is 0.012-0.015 in, measurable with a strike depth gauge, and the recommended headspace is 0.040-0.041 in.
Biathlon rifles work hard in hostile conditions. Checking strike depth and headspace against ELEY’s published specification at the start of a winter season is a simple, effective step towards reliable first-round ignition, and it costs nothing but a few minutes with a gauge.
Can You Use Biathlon Ammunition for Ordinary Winter Shooting?
Yes, and many shooters do. If you compete or train in genuinely freezing conditions, a cartridge lubricated for use to -20°C removes a variable that standard match ammunition was never designed to handle.
Be aware of the trade-off. The increased propellant charge that gives biathlon ammunition its knock-down energy also raises velocity, and at 1100-1160 ft/s ELEY tenex biathlon sits above the velocity band ELEY uses for its 50 m target cartridges. For static target shooting in mild conditions, the standard flat-nose competition range remains the more suitable choice.
The Bottom Line
For Olympic and international biathlon, ELEY tenex biathlon is the round, engineered from the tenex platform with a reduced cartridge diameter, a cold-temperature lubricant rated to -20°C and an increased propellant charge. For club biathlon, ELEY biathlon club delivers the same engineering approach at a 5.50 mm RSD standard. In both cases, confirming your rifle’s strike depth and headspace is the practical companion to choosing the right cartridge.