ABOUT ELEY
THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR NEARLY 200 YEARS
Founded in London by the Eley brothers in 1828, Eley Hawk is a truly iconic British brand with a rich heritage that has been crafted over the years to become synonymous with leading shooting performance.
With almost 200 years of manufacturing the finest clay and game cartridges, no other UK cartridge brand has the depth of history nor component innovations that remain in use today. It is this history and knowledge that continues to inform the processes used in the Birmingham factory, and what ensures that the team continues to develop cutting-edge cartridge technology and batch-to-batch consistency.
From the small beginnings in London to a brand that now spans the world, Eley Hawk delivers ‘the perfect choice’ cartridge for every scenario.
The Eley family has an impressive history of talent and innovation resulting in the continued evolution of the cartridge industry, aiding sportsmen worldwide and the military along the way.
The Eley family name can originally be traced back to their agricultural roots in Derbyshire. However, the Eley family is much better known for their dealings during the mid-18th century as London silversmiths.
Unfortunately, at the age of 47, William Eley inadvertently blew himself up while trying to experiment with a new percussion cap.
Despite this terrible tragedy, the Eley Cartridge Company was eventually led by William Thomas Eley (son of William), and his two brothers Charles and Henry. But it was William who became the driving force of the business, growing it into one of the largest ammunition-producing factories in the world. William was an inventive genius in terms of cartridge improvements, but he also masterminded a revolutionary new way of producing percussion caps.
To this day all Eley Hawk shotgun ammunition is manufactured in England to the exacting qualities demanded by shooters worldwide. Maxam has invested heavily in the Eley Hawk manufacturing processes, moving to a state-of-the-art factory based in Sutton Coldfield.