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Eley Match - Supersonic

qldreloader

Gday everyone,
After a couple of bricks of SK Rifle Match and Lapua Center X that had ES and SDs in the same class as poor old CCI Standard Velocity I have given up on them. Rifle is a CZ457 MTR with a 20" barrel and while those loads shot sub-MOA (barely) at 50m they fell apart at longer range due to the inconsistency of the velocities (verified with a Magnetospeed).

I recently spent more money than I should have on a brick of Eley Match (black box stuff) and so far I have only been able to test at 50m where they were doing sub-MOA easily for 10 shot groups. I then ran 15 of them over the chrono and found an ES of 41 and an SD of 9 - okay so far. The problem is the average velocity was 1146 fps. That seems pretty excessive for ammo rated at 1040-1085fps and is supersonic. Thinking the chrono may be wrong it was verified with another magnetospeed and also an optical unit - results were all within less than 10fps of each other. I also tried the same ammo in a 16" CZ457 Varmint and the results were pretty much the same. The ammo is fast!

Won't get to shoot them at longer range for another week or so but I'm concerned about the velocity (transonic region) and how it may affect accuracy at longer ranges. The rifle is used in matches out to 250m (273 yards). Good ammo is hard to get and expensive here in Australia and lot testing isn't really an option.

Anyone had this experience with Eley Match before - or any other mid to higher grade target ammo? Did it make the wheels fall off at longer range? I have a week to ponder the outcome but advice from others with experience would be greatly welcomed.
 
The transonic zone is from about 890 fps to 1340 fps. Most .22LR ammo spends the majority of its useful flight within the transonic zone.

Concern about transonic turbulence is with regard to bullets slowing down from higher speeds to enter transonic zone. Most .22LR ammo MV never exceeds the higher end of the transonic zone speeds.

Quality match ammo with higher than usual MV should retain accuracy performance. High velocity .22LR ammo is generally inaccurate because of round-to-round inconsistencies including MV, bullet size and shape (especially the heel), concentricity, seating, and crimping.
 
qldreloader said:
Gday everyone,
After a couple of bricks of SK Rifle Match and Lapua Center X that had ES and SDs in the same class as poor old CCI Standard Velocity I have given up on them. Rifle is a CZ457 MTR with a 20" barrel and while those loads shot sub-MOA (barely) at 50m they fell apart at longer range due to the inconsistency of the velocities (verified with a Magnetospeed).

I recently spent more money than I should have on a brick of Eley Match (black box stuff) and so far I have only been able to test at 50m where they were doing sub-MOA easily for 10 shot groups. I then ran 15 of them over the chrono and found an ES of 41 and an SD of 9 - okay so far. The problem is the average velocity was 1146 fps. That seems pretty excessive for ammo rated at 1040-1085fps and is supersonic. Thinking the chrono may be wrong it was verified with another magnetospeed and also an optical unit - results were all within less than 10fps of each other. I also tried the same ammo in a 16" CZ457 Varmint and the results were pretty much the same. The ammo is fast!

Won't get to shoot them at longer range for another week or so but I'm concerned about the velocity (transonic region) and how it may affect accuracy at longer ranges. The rifle is used in matches out to 250m (273 yards). Good ammo is hard to get and expensive here in Australia and lot testing isn't really an option.

Anyone had this experience with Eley Match before - or any other mid to higher grade target ammo? Did it make the wheels fall off at longer range? I have a week to ponder the outcome but advice from others with experience would be greatly welcomed.
Click to expand...
Majority of the time a lot of ammo which shoots good at the shorter distance (50yds. /50m) will perform reasonably well at longer distances. I have very limited experience past 100yds. but last month while testing some new lots of Lapua just for giggles. I shot at a 300yd steel we have and was hitting pretty consistently.

Lee
 
I shoot a fair amount of rimfire in Smallbore Outdoor Prone competition, at 50 yds., 50M, and 100 yds. I have separate ammunition for both 50 & 100 yards. I test ammunition for both distances, and then separate them into those distances. I have a lot of 50 yard ammunition, and a moderate amount of 100 yard ammunition. I have only rarely found the "magic lot" that does both well.
 
dc.fireman said:
I shoot a fair amount of rimfire in Smallbore Outdoor Prone competition, at 50 yds., 50M, and 100 yds. I have separate ammunition for both 50 & 100 yards. I test ammunition for both distances, and then separate them into those distances. I have a lot of 50 yard ammunition, and a moderate amount of 100 yard ammunition. I have only rarely found the "magic lot" that does both well.
Click to expand...
IMO the type of shooting you are doing which is without a tuner is more challenging. in finding lots that will perform well at both 50-100 but they are out there.

Lee
 
Regarding ammo that's good for 100 yards, it must first be good for 50. With .22LR performance almost always deteriorates with distance, only rarely and unpredictably improving.

On average, from 50 to 100 group sizes will increase by more than 2.5 times. Some lots of the same variety (e.g. Eley Match or Lapua CX) will be better, some worse. Dispersion will be affected by bullet center of gravity differences and by bullet obturation in an individual bore.
 
grauhanen said:
Regarding ammo that's good for 100 yards, it must first be good for 50. With .22LR performance almost always deteriorates with distance, only rarely and unpredictably improving.

On average, from 50 to 100 group sizes will increase by more than 2.5 times. Some lots of the same variety (e.g. Eley Match or Lapua CX) will be better, some worse. Dispersion will be affected by bullet center of gravity differences and by bullet obturation in an individual bore.
Click to expand...
If it shoots good at a 100
Todays3.jpeg

It will shoot good at 50
Todays2.jpeg
 
grauhanen said:
The transonic zone is from about 890 fps to 1340 fps. Most .22LR ammo spends the majority of its useful flight within the transonic zone.

Concern about transonic turbulence is with regard to bullets slowing down from higher speeds to enter transonic zone. Most .22LR ammo MV never exceeds the higher end of the transonic zone speeds.

Quality match ammo with higher than usual MV should retain accuracy performance. High velocity .22LR ammo is generally inaccurate because of round-to-round inconsistencies including MV, bullet size and shape (especially the heel), concentricity, seating, and crimping.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Very informative.
 
dc.fireman said:
I shoot a fair amount of rimfire in Smallbore Outdoor Prone competition, at 50 yds., 50M, and 100 yds. I have separate ammunition for both 50 & 100 yards. I test ammunition for both distances, and then separate them into those distances. I have a lot of 50 yard ammunition, and a moderate amount of 100 yard ammunition. I have only rarely found the "magic lot" that does both well.
Click to expand...

Hi-NV Shooter said:
IMO the type of shooting you are doing which is without a tuner is more challenging. in finding lots that will perform well at both 50-100 but they are out there.

Lee
Click to expand...
I'm looking into tuners now. Not much available down here.
 
None of my .22rf rifles have tuners, so I can't speak to the difference in accuracy between various ammo at 50 yards and 100 yards with a tuner, but I have 70 years of experience at both distances with non-tuner rifles, and I absolutely agree with dc.fireman; just because an ammo shoots well at 50 yards is no indication that it will shoot well at 100 yards. With each of my rifles I find its favorite at 50 yards, then repeat the testing at 100 yards. None of my 22s likes the same ammo at 100 that it likes best at 50, though a couple have 50 yard favorites that are close enough at 100 yards that I will use them if I'm out of that rifle's favorite 100 yard ammo.

My recommendation: test to know for sure. And if you get a surprise match (not an impossibility), you have lucked out; by all means try the 50 yard favorites at 100 yards, but don't be surprised if they are not the best there.
 
OP, your 20" barrel is likely the culprit for a higher speed than Eley indicates. Their ammo is tested in 26" barrels (when I last inquired), where the bullet had about 10" to slow down from max. speed (about 16"). I have seen numerous 20" and less barrels produce supersonic muzzle velocity, especially if already close to SOS and on a warm day. With short barrels I would try some Eley that has factory stated velocities in the 1040's -1050's.
 
SBS said:
OP, your 20" barrel is likely the culprit for a higher speed than Eley indicates. Their ammo is tested in 26" barrels (when I last inquired), where the bullet had about 10" to slow down from max. speed (about 16"). I have seen numerous 20" and less barrels produce supersonic muzzle velocity, especially if already close to SOS and on a warm day. With short barrels I would try some Eley that has factory stated velocities in the 1040's -1050's.
Click to expand...
That and CZ barrels now are exceptionally tight and in my opinion that Jack's the pressure up I have a 20" Varmint here and right across the cci brand is anywhere between 20 and 50 feet per second quicker than listed and that is an absolute rarity
 
grauhanen said:
CZ barrels are made to CIP specs and are no tighter than barrels made by other manufacturers in CIP member countries.
Click to expand...
Funny thing is my pro shot 22 Cal cleaning Rod fits in my la101 22 barrel and buy old 452 but it does not fit in my 457 without a lot of effort which means the rod will do damage to the top of the lands and I'm not the only one to discover this problem
 
The .22LR Pro Shot Micro Polished one piece stainless steel measures .202" (5.13mm) in diameter. The CIP spec CZ bore size is larger as is shown in the CZ produced chart below. (5.38mm is .212").

The ejector on CZ bolt rimfires often interferes with .22LR cleaning rods.

Of course many shooters prefer to use .20 cleaning rods which avoid the ejector.

 
Outrider27 said:
None of my .22rf rifles have tuners, so I can't speak to the difference in accuracy between various ammo at 50 yards and 100 yards with a tuner, but I have 70 years of experience at both distances with non-tuner rifles, and I absolutely agree with dc.fireman; just because an ammo shoots well at 50 yards is no indication that it will shoot well at 100 yards. With each of my rifles I find its favorite at 50 yards, then repeat the testing at 100 yards. None of my 22s likes the same ammo at 100 that it likes best at 50, though a couple have 50 yard favorites that are close enough at 100 yards that I will use them if I'm out of that rifle's favorite 100 yard ammo.

My recommendation: test to know for sure. And if you get a surprise match (not an impossibility), you have lucked out; by all means try the 50 yard favorites at 100 yards, but don't be surprised if they are not the best there.
Click to expand...
The 100m bullseye is a pretty generous 2" so I'll likely get lucky. The 250m (274 yard) target is going to be the challenge.
 
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