I ref'd summer biathlon for 6 years in the late 90's and early 00's. Almost all used German Anschutz though the Russian Izmash? [spelling] was rumored to be close for a fun shooter. Savage and Mossberg donated rifles and we had them for runners that didn't have their own.
The main difference is trigger and personal fit. The toggle action is a lot of fun to shoot. The regimen is so different in that instead of planting your chest on the ground in prone, you raise it up to get your beating heart off the ground. Federal Match 22 were our sponsor also and they were closely watched, though the practice ammo issued from Federal was nearly as accurate.
Summer Biathlon rifles were almost always wood stocked then as temperature changes were not common.
Met some interesting people doing that. Location was in MT and we had several people on the Winter Olympic team or alternates come and shoot. They put on a technique demonstration afterwards, something I doubt would happen in many other disciplines. In essence, here is how to beat me if your genetics and training could let you come close.
At the first few matches, you were assigned a time penalty for misses. Later you had to run a lap for a miss. Setting was a forest loop and a temporary range, they got permission to level somewhat.
Army and Marines had a couple of shooters that went to every match in the west they could. Several older wealthy individuals who could trace their ancestry through losses in WW II camps and gas chambers were very interested in the running and shooting discipline. The person who had the station next to mine was German and his wife was a Medal winner in two Olympic Games. She loved to CC ski but said she had no interest in running. In Europe, Biathletes are as well known as movie stars and professional athletes are here.
