Anyone know anything about biathlon rifles?

[versifier]

My PT is getting into biathlon and is going to need a rifle she can compete with and knowing I'm an "avid shooter" she asked me what I know about them. Nothing, I don't build target rifles. So as not to disappoint a pretty young lady, can anybody here point me in the right direction for info, not on the sport's rules, but on the specific rifles and accessories used at different levels of competition? She said they had German (Anchutz?) and Russian rifles. I know the stocks and slings are special, too.

[j1]

Good morning v. Here is a link to biathelon rifles. I hope that it helps.

http://www.google.com/search?q=biathelon+rifles&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

[j1]

V did you open that link. There are other links which provide info on caliber, weight, trigger pull limits and sights. If you want it, it is there.

[versifier]

Thank you John, I spent an hour wandering through the links. I think I can make her something that fits within the rules if she can't get a used rifle at a reasonable price.

I do not understand why they need fancy globe micrometer sights to hit a target that large at 50 meters. Seems to me any .22 that they make a 5rd mag for can be modified into a biathlon rifle with a new stock, back sling, Williams peep sight, and a decent front post will do the job. NECG makes the perfect front sights with interchangeable front posts that come in sizes to fit just about any outside barrel diameter.

[j1]

V I learned one thing years ago. Competition tries everything to the N th degree. A good bicycle costs a couple hundred bucks but an all out racing bike can cost thousands. Same thing with biatelon rifles I am sure.

As far as the sights go, one miss is the difference between first and second place. After training for years I would want the best sights I could buy on that rifle.

[wiljen]

The other reason for the globe sights may be to help with glare. With both sun from above and reflection off the snow, I can imagine that a slim post is going to disappear very rapidly.

[versifier]

You're right. Even the thick post on my deer rifle gets lost in snow glare and a hood on the front sight makes sense. I have wished for one more than once stepping out of the woods into bright sunlight. But I still think a $50 Williams on the back with several different sized screw-in apertures would be more than adequate at 50m, at least for a beginner. Once the preferred ammo is found, a good quantity of it has been obtained, and the rifle's properly sighted in for it, the rear sight shouldn't need adjustment unless someone else is going to shoot it. OTOH, if she tries it out, really enjoys it, and decides to get really serious about competing I could see putting the money into some really nice sights though.

[j1]

V good luck with your project. Have you done anything yet?

[versifier]

They are not easy to find on the used market as they are such a specialized class of rifle. Lots of rimfire target rifles out there, but none that meet both the 5rd mag and 2stage trigger restrictions. She really likes those straight-pull actions after using a borrowed one last winter, and after falling in love with my centerfire K31 I can understand why. Looks like she's going to bite the bullet and buy a new one, don't know if she'll go for the pricy Anschutz or the cheaper Russian model. Probably will depend on whichever one she can find first. Less work for me if all I have to do is help her figure out what ammo it likes best.

[j1]

Rifles liking certain brands of ammo might sound silly with rimfire but is not.

[versifier]

She ended up buying one of the last of the available Russian biathlon rifles with all the bells and whistles. It is one impressive rifle. I got a chance to try it and the very pricy Anschutz models side by side. The simplicity of their straight pull actions and all the little specialty gizmos on them I founds especially interesting.

I commented that with hunting sights they would make the best squirrel rifles on the planet, but none of them seemed to understand. ;)

I really pissed off the guy that's been selling them all extremely overpriced competition ammo when I pointed out that every rimfire rifle has its own opinion of ammo and that they should try as many different kinds, from el cheapo all the way up to what they'd been buying from their "friend" at twice retail. The only opinion that matters is the rifle's and you can never predict what it will like, you have to try as many kinds as you can find to see for yourself what it will shoot best, from an ancient single shot to a tricked out 10/22 target rifle to the fanciest competition rifles. He got all red in the face and yelled "What do YOU know about rifles and ammo?" My friend pipes up "He builds hunting rifles and loads custom ammo for them, and he makes his own bullets. And he's been doing it since before you were born." He shut up, got in his car and drove off with steam coming out of his ears. I gave the shooters there the names of three local dealers who would happily order any ammo for them including what they'd been using at half what he'd been charging them. I'll trade one instant enemy for a dozen new shooting friends any day. I wish I had gotten interested in this when I was still able to do it myself.

[j1]

Good on you v. You done good and F the stuffed shirt thief.