Olympic's Biathalon .22 Rifles

[HORNET]

I have seen a couple of the Izmash (sp?) Biathlon rifles around. Seem to be based on a Rooskie version of the T-bolt. Don't know how well they shoot but probably cost enough less than the Anshutz that you could rebarrel for a reasonable total cost.

[gnoahhh]

A close buddy and former co-worker was on the Army Biathlon team back in the late 80's/early 90's. He doesn't shoot anymore, but can still do the heart rate slowing routine. Amazing to watch him do it. He said his old Anshutz favored Tenex, so that is what he fired tens of thousands of in practice. Of course, you and I were paying for it...

[Doc Highwall]

You can tune the rifle to ammo with a barrel turner but then you will be trying other ammo to see what it will do just like cast boolits.

[OutHuntn84]

How would ya like to use one of those for hunt'n tree rats. I think I'll stick with my po'boy 22.

[BruceB]

Pure accuracy is nice to have, and Anschutz and similar-quality rifles are all well and good. The adaptations made to the rifles for the Biathlon game are also ingenious and interesting.

However, the plain truth of the matter is that extreme accuracy is not required. Look at the size of those targets. The "figure of merit" needed to hit those discs is pretty danged large. Tenex and other extreme-cost ammunition is a waste of money for this game, in my experience.

What everyone seems to forget is the need for reliable ammunition, and by that I mean .22 Long Rifles that WILL FIRE in cold weather, and after ignition WILL perform at least reasonably well during the barrel time.

Doing Biathlon in cold weather, and this means 20 below zero Fahrenheit or worse (sometimes MUCH worse), we had extreme difficulty in finding ammo that would perform anywhere NEAR the way it worked in weather that was just barely in the freezing range, say 20 degrees ABOVE zero or so. Even carrying the ammo inside clothing didn't help much, because the rifles were always at ambient temperature when the time came to shoot. This also didn't help the reloading time, of course. Velocities and accuracy were very erratic, and we put the stuff across the chrono screens in deep cold when researching the subject..

There are now loads on the market made specifically for Biathlon, and I imagine these will have some sort of modifications for cold-weather function. I don't know how well they work, because my time in Biathlon was quite a ways back. A .22 Long Rifle cartridge has only a miniscule priming charge and a tiny powder charge, and asking it perform well in a long and deep-frozen barrel is a daunting proposition. In Vancouver right now, cold weather isn't a problem. In more-normal winter weather, it's a real factor.

[gnoahhh]

I beg to differ re: extreme accuracy is not required. With one's heart rate and breathing beyond normal, causing the sights to wobble, and a shot snatched off when the front sight may have swayed a little too close to the edge of the target, a 1/3MOA difference in accuracy could spell the difference between a hit or a miss.

Of course a counter-argument would be that sloppy group size could luck into a hit instead of a miss if the sight wanders off the target as the sear breaks. I'll take my chances with the most accurate ammo possible when in any competitive event, and trust to skill in the first instance and not to luck in the second.

[SCIBUL]

Hello all !
I can't resist to post those pictures of my pre series UNIQUE T22 biathlon :




I have it since 13 years now. I really love it and shoot ot as soon as possible.

[Lawnjockey]

Could you post some pictures showing the detail of how the harness works?

Thanks,

Jocko

[BruceB]

[QUOTE=gnoahhh;815221] "I beg to differ re: extreme accuracy is not required. With one's heart rate and breathing beyond normal, causing the sights to wobble, and a shot snatched off when the front sight may have swayed a little too close to the edge of the target, a 1/3MOA difference in accuracy could spell the difference between a hit or a miss."


I can assure you that we were all COMPETENT riflemen and competition shooters. We were well aware of differences in accuracy among various .22 LR loads, and we tested them rigorously in our individual rifles to select the very best for each of us.

That worked just fine....until it got COLD. Then, all our previous testing went out the window. When it comes to Biathlon, a misfire (or even worse, an erratic-ignition load which fails to hit the target) means death to one's chances in that race. The time factor of getting-out a replacement round for a misfire, or worse, a miss caused by wild variation in the performance of a given round, means that the chances of success have just vanished.

That 1/3 MOA is meaningless. At 50 meters, it's 1/6 of an INCH, and at 25 meters it's 1/12 of an inch. Compared to a miss or misfire caused by poor ammo performance in the cold, you HAVE to go with the most-reliable load and forget the fantastic accuracy of the load that doesn't perform in cold conditions.

The impetus for taking-up Biathlon was the inclusion of the sport in the Arctic Winter Games, held every two years with Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories competing. As usual with new endeavors, we learned a great deal very quickly, and the most-important thing we learned in this particular sport was that .22 Long Rifle ammunition needs careful testing for RELIABILITY before accuracy. Those competing entities do have some occasional experience with cold weather, REALLY cold, such as competitions held in thirty-below-zero temperatures. Rifles and ammunition can perform very differently from their warm-weather norms.

[Herb in Pa]

[QUOTE=BruceB;815834]

"
That worked just fine....until it got COLD. Then, all our previous testing went out the window. When it comes to Biathlon, a misfire (or even worse, an erratic-ignition load which fails to hit the target) means death to one's chances in that race. The time factor of getting-out a replacement round for a misfire, or worse, a miss caused by wild variation in the performance of a given round, means that the chances of success have just vanished.

I don't shoot Biathlon, but have done enough cold weather shooting to attest to Bruce's statement about cold weather. It definitely makes a difference in group sizes and I'm talking about using quality ammunition and damn good rifles. That's why I don't send any rimfire downrange until the weather is above 50 and even then it's problematic, 60 degrees and warmer is generally better.

[Doc Highwall]

Herb in Pa, nice collection you have there, I notice the turner on the top rifle and the stock looks like you shoot 50/50 bench rest.

[Herb in Pa]

Herb in Pa, nice collection you have there, I notice the turner on the top rifle and the stock looks like you shoot 50/50 bench rest.

I just play around a bit..............

From the top...........

2013 Annie
64 MPR Annie
Martini Mark III
H&R m12
54 Sporter Annie

[odis]

The greatest biathalon of all time took place back in 1939 between the Finns & soviets, the penalty for a miss was a little different and Simo Haya won a very reddish gold medal.

[gnoahhh]

The Winter War, when the Finn's knocked the Russian Bear back on it's heels.

[odis]

The Winter War, when the Finn's knocked the Russian Bear back on it's heels.

Simo may have been only 5'3" but he proved that Stalin had to stand on his mothers shoulders just to kiss his ass.

[MT Gianni]

I was a range official at summer Biathlon meets for 5 years from 2000-05. US team members ran and put on a clinic after wards. In summer Biathlon the gun is left at the range, you pick it up there and leave it to shoot. Savage and Marlin were sponsors donating rifles for beginning users to shoot. Federal donated Federal Gold 22 lr also. Most of the folks competing were runners first and shooters 2nd. The intro gun for many of these was the Russian Baikal now named something else, it ran $950 in 2000. The gent at the station next to mine lived in Seeley Lake and was a former Pilot for the German AF. His job was to ferry the Biathlon team to their meets, he later married one of the athletes. I knew she was an Olympic shooter but another found out his was was a Biathelete and asked if she was "any good". His reply was classic "no, both Olympics only Bronze." It is/was a fun sport to be involved in and many runners really appreciate any shooting tips. AIRC the target was 2.5" for the prone @ 50 meters and 3.5" standing.
The slings clip to an arm band and functioned similar to a military sling.

[bishopgrandpa]

You were surprised to see a firearm in an event on TV. Will you be surprised to know that the skeet and trap events are held before opening ceremonies and that Kim Rhode an American 17 year old took a Gold Medal some years back? That didn't make your screen. Wonder why?