TargetTalk

With current economic problems, gas prices, etc... I decided to switch to cheaper ammo for smallbore training. I just got my fist batch of ELEY Sport, pretty cheap (25 dollars for 500 rounds!), but I have not experience with it yet. I understand it replaced target, but I would like to know if anyone has some experience with it...

The case that we had was so poor that the junior team that I coach begged to pay more for RWS Target rather than have to use any more of the Eley Sport.

Heh, that is pretty bad. Eley is too expensive here in Oz nowadays unless you want to buy expensive ammo for major competitions. Most people here in WA at least are using SK Standard or Match/Rifle Match for training and smaller competitions now. SK Standard seems to shoot alright out of my barrel. Plenty good enough for training and damn cheap.

Emailed Eley about "Sport".

This was my question:

Is the "current/previous" Eley Sport ammo in the purple boxes the same as the "new" Sport ammo with the green box top? Has the purple boxed Eley Sport been discontinued?

Eley's answer:

Thank you for contacting ELEY through our website, please find below information relating to your enquiry:

This year ELEY has re launched its product range, which features a rationalized product choice.

In the new product range the low end product has been branded Target which will feature a yellow label in the US market only, Worldwide this product will be branded as Sport in a green label.

Target is manufactured in England with the high quality production systems ELEY is renowned for.

The ELEY Sport product you mentioned is still available, this is the green/purple label and is made in Mexico. This is a cheaper lower quality product than the yellow Target cartridge.

I hope this email answers you questions, thank you for contacting ELEY.

We have found that the purple boxed Eley Sport from Mexico is OK for rifle and pistol shooting for begineer and intermediate shooters at 50ft. Would not use it for advanced shooters or for longer distances. It is the cheapest stuff that we can find, less than CCI or T-22.

Agree with the last post. You can use just about anything indoors at 50ft. and not be in bad shape but at 50m or any distance outdoors you need something better. I was personally shocked to see that Eley would let its reputation possibly take a hit by allowing Eley branded ammunition to be produced in Mexico. I wonder what else is produced in Mexico with the Eley brand?

From what I read, Eley Sport (Mexico) is identical to Aquila.

I would not shoot Eley Sport if I were you. The junior club in my community buys it in bulk for the new shooters to shoot at 50 feet. Whenever I volunteer at the club I usually end up filling loading blocks with this stuff and I've found that box after box doesn't even have the right number of cartridges in it. I've opened boxes that were missing up to 3 whole entire cartridges so the tolerances on this stuff have got to be terrible. I can't even imagine what it would look like at 50 yards much less 100. I shoot Eley Target Rifle for practice and it does very well for the price. It will hold at least 2 inches at 100 yards. If you still want to shoot Eley sport I suggest buying a cheap digital scale and sorting some of it but that would be a pain in the butt.

BJ

I tried this ammo at the outdoor range, @50 yards on A51 reduced ISSF 50 m targets with my Anschutz 1913, shooting 3 positions. This Eley Sport is very irregular, you can tell by the sound when firing. The groups very erratic also, despite good weather conditions and stable aiming. I would not recommend this ammo for 50 yards or 50 meters training. I am somehow disappointed Eley acknowledges this kind of substandard ammo! You would expect some kind of control quality from Eley...

I have a graduated program for my shooters in terms of the ammo they shoot. If they buy their own, they can shoot whatever they want, but if they use club ammo:
1) They start off firing Wolf Match Target or SK STD+
2) Intermediate shooters can shoot our Eley Target, but many still prefer the ammo in #1
3) The advanced ones use Eley Black EPS
(As a 4-H club, we just cant afford red)

I ordered a case of the Eley sport to see if we could cut costs a bit on #1, but ended up donating it to a summer camp program

Didn't know Eley branded stuff from Mexico. Or is that just for the US market? As long as it's made in the UK from their Birmingham factory, it should be OK.

We had some Sport at our club (UK) in the green boxes, and it seemed OK, although this is presumably what you guys get as "Target" in the Yellow.

jhmartin wrote:I have a graduated program for my shooters in terms of the ammo they shoot. If they buy their own, they can shoot whatever they want, but if they use club ammo:
1) They start off firing Wolf Match Target or SK STD+
2) Intermediate shooters can shoot our Eley Target, but many still prefer the ammo in #1
3) The advanced ones use Eley Black EPS
(As a 4-H club, we just cant afford red)

By Eley Black do you mean Eley "Match", and then by "Red", Eley "Tenex"?

They've brought out a new brand with this re-branding. It's called "Team". Comes in a blue box. Dunno if it's available stateside though. It has the EPS head but is cheaper than "Match". Slots in between "Match" and "Club".
In an outdoor competition, I'd stick with Match as I know and trust it, but for indoor training, "Team" is absolutely fine. If you can get some, it could be a cheaper but perfectly adequate alternative to the Black.

As for the red, it's not just you. A mate bought 10,000 rounds a couple of years ago and just ran out. He went up to Birmingham to batch test, expecting to spend about £800. He got a shock (it's about £140/1000 now).

By Eley Black do you mean Eley "Match", and then by "Red", Eley "Tenex"?

yes .... "Black" is Match EPS Black
"Red" is Tenex Ultimate EPS Red
I don't order the RN

RE: Sticker shock ....for our youth program, you can see why we go black over the red..... and again for 50ft ... the SK STD+ (or Wolf MT) does very well for almost all of my shooters ... it's just so hard to tell if it's a mental thing with my most experienced wanting to use the black.....

I guess I could try a "blind" test, but they would call me on it after one look at the bullet....... "HEY .... This isn't Eley!!!"

I actually emailed Eley about this new Sport ammo, and this was the answer
"The Eley Sport that is made in Mexico is not really made for competition. Aguila has a licensing agreement with Eley to put their name on that particular ammo. This is price point ammo, it is good for teaching mechanics and plinking. This ammo does have the Eley prime system, but is not actually part of the Eley line up from the U.K. "

After trying this one, I think it is better for advanced/improver shooters not to use it. I am thinking I might switch to TEAM. If you have more input about its performance in outdoors conditions, would appreciate. Otherwise, will go to Match.

jhmartin wrote:I guess I could try a "blind" test, but they would call me on it after one look at the bullet....... "HEY .... This isn't Eley!!!"

The Eley Team (Blue) look just like Match EPS Black. Has a silvey bullet with the EPS nipple, not the black round-nose of "Club" grade and lower.

guidolastra wrote:I am thinking I might switch to TEAM. If you have more input about its performance in outdoors conditions, would appreciate. Otherwise, will go to Match.

Afraid I have no information about it outdoors.
I suspect it is just Match that has not quite passed the quality control for Match, so they are not happy badging it in Black.
That said it is made in Birmingham, which means even their bad stuff is pretty good.
A friend shot it for the last winter season (it came out in about November I think, so he was the first to take the plunge), and indoors it was absolutely fine. He then used Tenex for the outdoor season. If I have a chance next summer I shall have to see if I can do some groupings with Team.

I have various boxes of 22 ammo I try at times. A lot of it is Eley "Practice" (white), "Target" (yellow), some orange label Remington with Eley primers, Aguilla Match 50 with Eley primers, some RWS red box, etc. I pick it up at gun shows and dealers when I see it.

I recently happened to pick up a bulk box of Federal Pistol Target (labeled 40gr, 1200 fps) at Wally World that out shot them all in a 50 ft bench test tonight.

Fluke? Maybe. I was certainly surprised.

I purchased a case of Team Eley and after 1500 rounds I find it to be very stable at 50 and 100 yards. It performs slightly better in my rifle than SK Match but I think it could be only because of the EPS bullet shape. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in local matches. At the time I think it was just over $700.00 for the case.