Hello everyone!

Just wanted to share that I picked up an Izhmash Biathlon 7-4 recently, and man is she sweet. I removed the shoulder straps and the sling attachment for now since I am using it mostly as a bench rifle, but I am holding onto them in case I ever decide to get back into Biathlon (I competed in Northern Minnesota for 4 years, but quit to pursue cross country skiing at a collegiate level).

All I know about the rifle is that it has the pinch-lock style action which I LOVE, and that everything else is bone stock down to the 1/8 MOA target peep sights labelled in Cyrillic. That took some getting used to. Aside from that, I am wondering if anyone knows who makes the barrels that go into the Izhmash Biathlon rifles. Is it a russian company? The barrel is very large in diameter, but almost looks to be made partially from a composite material and is VERY lightweight. It also has the most ridiculous target crown I have ever seen on a rifle. I have found a few articles and specs sheets online saying that Anschutz makes the barrels, but nothing concrete. Just curious!

Anyone else have any experience shooting Biathlon rifles? If so I'd love to hear what kind of ammo you are using, what you use it for aside from Biathlon, and if you have added any accessories etc.

I spent a little time shooting today at 25-50 yards with Federal Premium Gold Medal 40gr Target ammo, and I was able to cover up my 5 shot groups with a dime after a few warm up and sight in groups. Ended up burning through about 150 rounds, and I have to say I am more pleased with this rifle than I thought I would be. I'll try to find my targets to throw a picture of some of the groups up for you. If I can't, I guess I just have another excuse to go back to the range!

My favorite feature is DEFINITELY the action. The bolt can be cycled with the flick of a finger, which is really neat and keeps you from having to take your eyes/sights off of your target. This paired with a super crisp 1.5 pound trigger means some seriously fast and accurate shooting!









Let me know what you think! I might try to make a video next trip to the range if anyone is interested. If not, I might just do it anyways!

Thinking I'd like to do something along these lines for now. I love the looks of this setup:

I knew some folks who used these for .22 benchrest matches for a while.
I thought about buying one but never managed to.