TargetTalk

I am replenishing my match ammunition supply and am considering trying the Eley Tenex Semi Automatic. How does it compare to Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS? What velocity range seems to be best? What is the general consensus about its performance?

I don't know about Tennex.

I tested EPS and EPS Semi-auto in my daughters gun, couldn't tell any difference.

Rimfires are such individuals you really need to test them in your rifle to tell.

What kind of ammunition is Eley Tenex Semi Automatic?
I don´t see it in the Tenex web.
Bullet velocities in the rank of the 330 m/s are the best for match competition.
Regards

The Eley Semi Automatic is essentially Tenex with a rounded bullet, similar to the old style, while EPS has the newer flat bullet. I have been told the new bullet design was brought about by jamming issues that occured with semi automatic pistols and Rugar 10/22s. I don't know how true this might be but it does make sense.

shooting TENEX in a 10/22 ?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

I thought it was the benchresters who instigated bringing back the round bullet.

Poole
http://arizona.rifleshooting.com/

Bill Poole wrote:shooting TENEX in a 10/22 ?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

I thought it was the benchresters who instigated bringing back the round bullet.

Poole
http://arizona.rifleshooting.com/

Hi

Yep, the Chevy Challenge guys probably.

Mike

Lones Wigger and I have been shooting Eley Semi Auto for a while now in smallbore prone matches in Colorado. We've found it to be excellent in our Anschutz prone rifles. Wig told me it was the rimfire benchresters who talked Eley into bringing it out. And he's an Eley rep in the USA so he ought to know; right?

Accuracy with Semi Auto (SA) is excellent with either Tenex or Match grades. It's shot better than the EPS versions in both our rifles. Tests at 100 yards have shown that groups about 6/10ths inch are more common with it than EPS. At 50 yards/meters it's hard to tell the difference unless your rifle's clamped in a machine rest. I've got my best test groups at 100 yards with SA since I ran out of my Tenex lot made in the late 1980s.

That improved accuracy with the SA s not without a problem. Bullet diameter is a bit larger with SA compared to EPS. The bullets I've mic'd for 5 lots of SA have all been .2245-in. The EPS ones are all .2240. Which means one needs a bit larger chamber at the back end to let the SA bullets go in easy. Anschutz factory barrel chambers as well as most others are tight at the back end and the SA bullets go in hard. Wig just had a special reamer made to accomodate them. The new barrel on my rifle was chambered with a reamer made to Winchester 52D specs which is also larger. Both these chambers let the SA bullets chamber easy.

I think some lots of EPS are hurt accuracy wise by the ding marks on the flat point's edges. Some of 'em are pretty big. These dents or dings from the Eley production lines can't help but change their aerodynamic properties a bit. And a bit is all that's needed to make 'em strike a bit further from group center. I've not seen these flaws on Eley's round nose bullets regardless of ammo grade.

Thank you very much. That is the ype of information I have been seeking. Any feelings on the various velocities offered?
Hap

Unless you already know what muzzle velocity your rifle does best with for Eley ammo of a given type (EPS bullet or other bullet type), you have to try several velocities. I'd get a box or two (50 - 100 rounds) of low, medium and high, then try each in your rifle.

It depends on how your barrel vibrates and whips when fitted to the stock. There may be two velocity ranges that your stocked barrel does very well with.

That is my usual testing proceedure but I have heard some good things about the lower velocities around 1600 fps, as opposed to the faster stuff closer to the speed of sound, and was trying to narrow the field.
Thanks for your input.
Hap

H. Rocketto wrote:I am replenishing my match ammunition supply and am considering trying the Eley Tenex Semi Automatic. How does it compare to Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS? What velocity range seems to be best? What is the general consensus about its performance?

Soon after TENEX EPS was introduced, two problems came to light in the marketplace.

1. The new bullet did not feed reliably in some sport pistols, particularly the Pardini SP. Since private ownership of handguns is banned in the UK, this was not something that would have been discovered in product development.

2. The lube on the new product gummed up Ruger 10/22 magazines.

Both problems were resolved by introducing the Semi Auto product line, which is simply the Enhanced Production System (EPS) with the old style bullet. The same lot to lot variations are present, so, for critical use, batch testing is the way to go.

[
I think some lots of EPS are hurt accuracy wise by the ding marks on the flat point's edges. Some of 'em are pretty big. These dents or dings from the Eley production lines can't help but change their aerodynamic properties a bit. And a bit is all that's needed to make 'em strike a bit further from group center. I've not seen these flaws on Eley's round nose bullets regardless of ammo grade.[/quote]

The comment regarding the ding marks is interesting, I spoke to the Eley man at the last rifle meeting at Bisley. He says testing has shown these have no effect on accuracy, which surprised me.

crossshot wrote: The comment regarding the ding marks is interesting, I spoke to the Eley man at the last rifle meeting at Bisley. He says testing has shown these have no effect on accuracy, which surprised me.

Ah but he would say that wouldn't he ? <g>.

Rob.

crossshot wrote:[
I think some lots of EPS are hurt accuracy wise by the ding marks on the flat point's edges. Some of 'em are pretty big. These dents or dings from the Eley production lines can't help but change their aerodynamic properties a bit. And a bit is all that's needed to make 'em strike a bit further from group center. I've not seen these flaws on Eley's round nose bullets regardless of ammo grade.

The comment regarding the ding marks is interesting, I spoke to the Eley man at the last rifle meeting at Bisley. He says testing has shown these have no effect on accuracy, which surprised me.[/quote]

Classical lore has it that the back of the bullet (where it is driven by the propellant / charge) is far more important than minor 'dings' elsewhere on the projectile.

Spencer C

Yes, I was also told the base was of more importance, however from a confidence point of view it would be nice if the top edge of the bullet was in good condition, we are talking of tenex after all.

Eley are very proud of their quality control, however the simple fact is, the bullets have dinks and I suspect most of us would prefer a clean round, whether its important or not.

IIRC, the Enhanced Production System (EPS) includes 100% inspection of the bullet bases on the TENEX production line.

They don't check the noses because they don't think it's worth the effort.

Spencer C wrote:

crossshot wrote:[
I think some lots of EPS are hurt accuracy wise by the ding marks on the flat point's edges. Some of 'em are pretty big. These dents or dings from the Eley production lines can't help but change their aerodynamic properties a bit. And a bit is all that's needed to make 'em strike a bit further from group center. I've not seen these flaws on Eley's round nose bullets regardless of ammo grade.

The comment regarding the ding marks is interesting, I spoke to the Eley man at the last rifle meeting at Bisley. He says testing has shown these have no effect on accuracy, which surprised me.

Classical lore has it that the back of the bullet (where it is driven by the propellant / charge) is far more important than minor 'dings' elsewhere on the projectile.

Spencer C[/quote]

The fact that the back of the bullet is "far more important" doesn't necessarily mean that dings elsewhere have no importantance.

David Tubb markets a product to uniform the tiny meplats on jacketed hollow points. He believes that he achieves better accuracy with uniform meplats. This lends credence to the statement "These dents or dings from the Eley production lines can't help but change their aerodynamic properties a bit."

Just my $.02

would add the comment that many of the cheaper brands do not seem to have a problem with 'dings' on the projectile, while brands costing (in AUS) 4 to 6 times the cost of cheap brands do show this problem...

sigh
pride in workmanship

Regards,
Spencer C

Looking at the latest Eley brochure, there is a nice pic on the back cover of a bin/bucket/tray of bullets, plenty of opportunity to get dinked,etc. As it says they are tenex it's no surprise they need 100% inspection.