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Olympics -Biathlon Rifles -.22 -new to me action

gh1950

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The Hen that laid the Golden Legos
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Watching the biathlon on the Tube. For those of you up on your Olympic sports, it's ski, shoot, ski, shoot, ski, shoot, and so, 3 positions.

Proud to say I'm not too old to learn something, and I have learned about the "Fortner" action.

Like nearly all Olympic shooing sports, it's been dumbed down. It started out being cross country, using military caliber rifles at long ranges - it's origin like many Olympic events was in military practice. Not surprisingly the Norwegians, Finns and Russians tend to dominate the sport. (Ask the Russians how good the Finns really are at it).

Anyway, the rifles are really fascinating. By rule they have to be bolt action, but the rules don't say how that bolt has to work.

Something like 97% use this rifle (no clue what the other 3% use) Anschutz 1827F
fullrifle-hero.jpg


The shooter (assuming he is right handed) never moves his right hand, he operates the bolt by flicking the bolt with his trigger finger, he does not "turn" or rotate the bolt.

It uses a "Fortner" action, of which I have never heard. You can look up the details. Good read here. https://www.range365.com/biathlon-rifles-very-specialized-firearm#page-5

Here is a video of it in action.

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Yep - it is cool. I am still surprised they showed actual firearms in a positive way on broadcast tv.

Yeah, when the Olympics were in Atlanta whatever network had the rights made a statement that it wasn't going to show any of the shooting events. They kind of stepped on their own member as the first American gold medal at that Olympics went to very personable young lady, and the TV missed a wonderful marketing opportunity.
 
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