The Biathlon

[lot21]

I was watching some Olympic highlights of the Biathlon yesterday. Anyone ever try this sport? I've never been on skies in my life but I would like to try it someday. Sling on the old 10/22 and head out to the country. Be a good way to shoot and get a little exercise in the winter.

I assume those rifles are .22lr?

 

[highorder]

They are .22lr, though they shot 7.62 NATO until the late 70's.

I love to XC ski, and I love to shoot, but I never tried to fashion a proper harness to sling my rifle.

 

[Grassman]

I've been watching a little of this today. Fascinating stuff, how long are these targets?

 

[PavePusher]

Not a definitive source, but a good start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biathlon


More:
http://biathlon.teamusa.org/


If you're in the Salt Lake City area and want to try it:
http://soldierhollow.com/

I got my father a session there as a Christmas present this year. He is an avid Cross-Country skier and racer, and enjoys target shooting. He had a great time and would think about persuing it as a sport, but has medical issues that keep him from performing well in max effort-dead stop-max effort-dead stop type activities. He does want to do it again next year... with me along. SCORE!!

 

[langloisandy]

Gents,

I used to run Summer Biathlon, running/shooting. Was ALOT of fun, good training and a great time to introduce runners who have never shot to the shooting sports. Addictive!

Winter is tough, longer ranges, small targets. Tough to do.

Check out the actions on the guns, toggle Anshutz' for the most part. FAST!

Andy

 

[average_shooter]

Distance to target is I believe 50 meters, with the prone target being about the size of a silver dollar and the standing target about the size of a grapefruit.

I'm watching it intently right now.

I've always wondered about the rifles and what kind of action they use. It looks like a bolt, but they pull straight back and push their thumb against the back of it.

ETA: Here's the standings for the Men's 10 Km Sprint, today's event: http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympi...results/mens-10-km-sprint_btm010101t4-ma.html

 

[rm23]

I was watching that for a little bit earlier. I was surprised that there wasn't a 'parental guidance suggested' warning when they came back from commercials.

I did a quick search on google and I found that NY NJ and PA have summer biathlons. I'm going to have to try that out this year.

 

[Grassman]

I'm interested to know what kind of quarantine they put on the gun after the events? Do they have to check em in with officials? Not too familiar with Canada gun laws.

 

[Dr.Rob]

That was one of the better televised Biathalons ever.

Once in a while Izmash sells a crate of biathalon rifles to Century or whoever, they are supped to be very good little target rifles.

 

[redneckdan]

Most of the guns are straight pull bolt action. I made a backpack style sling for one of my .22s and have skied with it, works pretty well.

 

[toivo]

They are .22lr, though they shot 7.62 NATO until the late 70's.

I don't have a source for this, but I think that until 1965 they used whatever their country's service-rifle caliber was. They standardized on .22LR in 1978, so I guess between '65 and '78 it was 7.62 NATO.

 

[M67]

If you do the math, the prone target is 3 MOA, off hand target is about 7.6 MOA.

The best have a heart rate of 200 or more while skiing and "slow down" to 180-190 as they reach the firing line.

The fastest shooters use around 20 seconds to shoot the prone stage, from they hit the ground until they are back skiing again. Off hand stage is a bit quicker.

 

[Big_E]

So, in the men's division France got the gold.

This is probably my favorite event to watch. I think that these guys are probably some of the most fit along with cross country skiers. Controlling breathing after workouts like that must be extremely difficult, sometimes after hiking around for a good 1/2 hour while hunting I find it difficult to get a good breathing technique so I don't want to know what its like in their situation. Those rifles are extremely badass too but very expensive.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

Are these the same rifles, with different stocks?

http://www.raacfirearms.com/Biathlon_7-3_7-4.htm

 

[toivo]

Are these the same rifles, with different stocks?

http://www.raacfirearms.com/Biathlon_7-3_7-4.htm

Those are the ones. The difference between those and what you're seeing on TV is the difference between an entry-level off-the-rack rifle and a top-of-the-line rifle customized to a world-class athlete.

 

[Big_E]

Who are all the manufacturers of the biathlon rifle? I know Anschutz and Izmash are. But are there any others?

I am also surprised that the US team doesn't do as well in this event which is surprising because we have so many shooters, I guess Americans just like going fast down hills and doing flips and stuff.

 

[average_shooter]

I am also surprised that the US team doesn't do as well in this event...

I thought I heard the announcer say that this was the first time in the history of the event that an American got into the Top 10 even.

 

[Blackrock]

I was watching that event also and did a search on the rifles. The straight pull fascinated me. Seems to release the bolt after the trigger is pulled and locks up on cocking again, something about a ball bearing lockup. Anschutz custom rifles run over $3500.00 and starter Izmash at $1700.00

 

[tobyjones]

Anyone know of a source for those slings? Would they be comfortable to hike with?

 

[Backpacker33]

Biathlon athletes

I got to work federal security at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake. We didn't get a lot of time off, but we did get free tickets to some events, with no promise of a seat.

I had never seen a biathlon event, so chose that. I was a long trip via public transportation. I had to stand on the ground at one end of the seats and I was freezing. What astounded me was to hear the competitors coming up the hill and passing by, some meters away. They sounded like horses! The energy expended was tremendous. I can't imagine shooting a howitzer after working that hard, never mind a .22 at a target the size of a silver dollar. *I* couldn't even SEE the targets from where I was.
-Backpacker.

 

[Backpacker33]

Quaranteen after events.

I was told that at Salt Lake the biathletes kept their guns with them. Ammo, too. It was a big issue with US teams going to Japan and China because they had to give up their guns and account for every round of ammo, in and out of the country. As I recall, the Japs couldn't understand the concept of "practice" actually using ammo.

I'll bet that in Canada they have to give them up and account for ammo. It's a hassle for US hunters to take rifles into Canada.

I was at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs some years ago. The competitors there said the guns are totally custom made. I don't remember what actions were most popular, but it can't be too hard to find out.

-Backpacker

 

[OcelotZ3]

Some biathlon rifles for sale, ready for use:

http://www.altiusguns.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=37_42&osCsid=b8805cd11912469f0f22e933feea1ee7

Separately, if you just wanted a harness to put on your own rifle, they're $89.

 

[Justin]

I am also surprised that the US team doesn't do as well in this event which is surprising because we have so many shooters, I guess Americans just like going fast down hills and doing flips and stuff.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Most of the top-tier shooters in the US have no interest in the Olympic games, as they're more interested in competitions that are outside the scope of the Olympics.

There's also a bit of bad blood between USA Shooting and some of the top US shooters owing to some idiotic comments that revealed a heavy institutional bias against shooters coming to the Olympics from outside of the traditional ranks.

I was at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs some years ago. The competitors there said the guns are totally custom made. I don't remember what actions were most popular, but it can't be too hard to find out.

There's no doubt that the guns are custom-fitted to each competitor, but so far as I know, the guns used by Olympic shooters are made by various manufacturers such as Anschutz or Morini.

 

[LaEscopeta]

Watching some of the Men’s 10 km Sprint yesterday (first time in decades) and I’m shocked how much the event has changed since I first saw it in the 70’s. The competitors used to slow down approaching the shooting station, to try to get their breathing and muscles under control. They took their time shooting, and I think I remember them using single shot rifles, using reloading time to steady themselves for the next shot. And of course this was before ski equipment light enough to allow skating were developed, so they all skied diangular stride. And generally the top finishers were way out in front, with a dozen or more seconds between them

Yesterday’s event was much more highly charged and competitive. No slowing up approaching the range, and guys slinging and un-slinging the rifle on the move. Guys falling over the finishing, collapsing with exhaustion. A few tenths of a seconds between finishers. The sport has developed a lot.

And on a RKBA note, the sport started in Norway as a way to keep citizens ready to defend the country in case of war.

 

[Kaeto]

Back when I used to cross country ski I had a short pair I used for hunting. They allowed me to kick along without using poles so I could have my rifle (A Remington model 700BDL Left hand Bolt in 30-06) in my hands.