TargetTalk

While watching the Olympics, I cringed every time a saw a competitor grab the barrel of the rifle and swing it around in to position. Knowing that that is done hundreds of time in its life time during matches and practice and the fact that the rifles get wet often, it makes me wonder if it is a good idea.

From interviews I have seen, I get the feeling that the biathletes are skiers first, shooters second and maybe gun people 3rd. Those of you that do this for fun, what do you think?

As a old, fat, out of shape gun guy I have become infatuated with the speed of the Fortner action and I don't know if I should just buy new or look for a used one.

What is the issue? If the rifle/stock interface can handle the shock loading of recoil, I cannot imagine that the low forces of swinging a rifle off your shoulder would make ANY difference, let alone a great enough difference that you could tell in shooting.

Besides, the Anshutz stocks come with spring washers under the action screws, so you tighten them to a torque, and if gives predictable friction between the stock and the action.

Thanks Art, I did'tn not know that about the rifle.

I guess my concern comes from a couple of uneducated assumptions and thoughts:
1. I've never grabbed a rifle by the barrel and spun it so I don't know what the effect would be.
2. Out of the hundreds (thousands) of times that rifle is swung in to positions, it may have been driven into the ground or slipped out of the shooters had a couple of times.
3. The rifle spending a lot of time in wet conditions
4. Can water (meted snow) run down into the action when it is on the skiers back?
5. Do skiers ever get caught up with each other, fall and bang the rifles around?
6. Do typical Biathletes take the rifles a part and clean them (dry them) after each match or practice?
7. Do the race officials spread salt on the parking lots adding another corrosive element to the mix?

OK, now I'm just looking for reasons to buy new, sorry for the ramble.

#2 was really the reason for the question.
Jim

You make good points - I've never dropped mine, but then I only ever ran summer biathlons. It only ever got wet twice when I ran in a snowstorm, and indeed got a tiny bit of surface rust when I boxed it up after the US Nationals and had a 12 hour drive home before I could strip it and clean it.

I bought mine used from a US Biathlon Team member, and as far as I can tell, everything was fine. To my recollection, I paid $1600 for it, but that was about 20 years ago. I shudder to think what a 1927F costs today.

There are also other ways to damage the rifle that you have not listed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71e_TxmCaxk

Biathlon rifles are not treated with kidd gloves the way other rifles are. Yes, they get dropped, skiers crash and break the rifles stocks. They are used in the rain on a regular basis. The athletes carve up the stocks as well. That said, the rifles are pretty robust, think of them more as a tractor than a sports car. Most of the rifles I've seen have a nice patina of rust somewhere on the rifle, but a lot of the newer rifles have stainless barrels. In biathlon, the rifle is only one part of the game.

there was a story during the Biathlon TV segments on one of the US Team women using a rifle her aunt used in the olympics a LONG time ago. It would appear that age and abuse in service might not be that bad. ALSO its not like they are asking them to shoot sub minute targets........ I believe they are 3.1 MOA prone and 7.9 MOA standing