Best biathlon rifles in 2024

Every winter, millions of people are eagerly awaiting sports programs. Many people are interested in skiing and biathlon. Someone is fond of winter sports not only as a fan. In this article, we'll share the best biathlon rifles for 2024. The article will be useful not only for professionals, but also for ordinary amateurs who want not only to surf the forest on skis, but also to shoot at targets.

How to choose a rifle

Before purchasing the long-awaited sports equipment, you should know that there are a number of problems. They concern not so much a money issue as a legislative one, because such a sports equipment is a rifled weapon. It is prohibited to use and store weapons for sports outside sports facilities. That is why it is most convenient to do biathlon in all kinds of sections. They use junior BI-7-ZA and modern BI-7-5.

Novice biathletes are recommended to purchase pneumatics of the spring-piston type, which include samples such as MP-512 and MP-61. However, some experts argue that using such a technique as biathlon will be difficult at first. You also need to consider the following nuances. First, they are inferior in firing speed to specialized weapons. And, secondly, they will most likely have to be slightly altered to make them look like biathlon ones.

The rules for biathletes are that they must only use small bore weapons and that the cartridges must be rimfire. A gas cylinder tool and a spring-piston tool are well suited for this purpose. Any rifle should be equipped with a wooden stock, which ideally needs to be made taking into account the individual, anatomical features of the athlete. Also, the weapon must have a bolt device, a diopter sight, a barrel, a magazine and a muzzle. A shoulder strap is welcome. Product weight should not exceed 3.5 kilograms.

What do professionals choose

Most of the professionals prefer the foreign company Anschutz, the German company produces excellent sports equipment for biathlon. There is Fortner's bolt, famous for its fast reloading speed. From our products, the products from Izhmash "Biatlon" stand out.

Rating of the best rifles for biathlon for 2024

Bi-7-5

The civilian rifle used in biathlon is the pneumatic sports rifle "Biathlon-7-5". Its characteristics are great for those who are fond of shooting. Caliber: 4.5 mm and weight: 3.5 kilograms. Ideal for competitions and training with a distance of 10 meters.

Bullets for the Bi-7-5 must be chosen carefully, given the fact that they must sit securely in their sockets. Also, when choosing a bullet, you need to pay attention to the fact that its inner shaping surface should be made in the form of a cone. Bullets such as RWS, Match Finale, Bumblebee and Match Kugeln are best suited for the Bi-7-5.

The rifle itself consists of a barrel, a box, a locking mechanism, a sight, a cylinder, magazines and an assembly box. Install and attach the sight to the base on top of the box. Where the base of the front sight is located, ring flies are installed, the sizes of which vary. The sight itself is diopter, can be quickly removed. Thanks to the successful design of the stock, the butt can be adjusted in the vertical and horizontal directions. The back of the stock and the height-adjustable hooks are located on the stock. The magazines are mounted in a cassette on the rifle butt. Overall dimensions: length (1010), height (270) and width (85). Produced by KTC of JSC Concern Kalashnikov.

You can buy on the manufacturer's official website or in specialized stores. Price: 74 283 rub.

• Suitable for beginner biathletes;
• Russian production;
• Spring-loaded "open" damper;
• Factory quality surface treatment;
• Small-bore;
• Easy to use;
• Used by professionals;
• The sight is located close to the axis.

• Cost.

Bi-7-4

Another popular rifle designed for shooting at a distance of 50 meters is the Bi-7-4. For shooting from it, use cartridges of the sports type and with rimfire of 5.6 mm caliber. The production of cartridges can be both domestic and foreign. The bore of the gun barrel is locked by a crank-type mechanism, the axes of rotation are vertical. Thanks to this, the gun reloads quickly. The trigger mechanism is designed in such a way that it is possible to regulate the nature of the trigger and monitor the position of the trigger. The comfortable design of the stock is made so that you can easily adjust the cheek of the stock, regardless of the horizontal or vertical directions.

The sight is quick-release and dioptric, it is attached to the receiver using conventional clamping nuts. A high-quality sight provides perfectly accurate shooting corrections. A protective cover is located on the sight. To adjust the diopter sight at eye level, you need to move it around the base. All rifle magazines are interchangeable and single-row, made for five rounds. The design provides a shoulder strap with spring elements. The rifle is produced in four versions: BI 7-4 isp.15, BI 7-4 isp.14, BI 7-4 isp.13 and BI 7-4 isp.12.

You can buy for 110,000 rubles.

• Suitable for beginners;
• The barrel bore, front sight are protected by a special cover;
• There is a shoulder strap;
• Interchangeable cartridges;
• Quick release shooting belt;
• Ease of use;
• High-quality functionality.

• High price.

BI 7-7

For biathlon lovers, the Kalashnikov brand offers a small-bore sports rifle for biathlon BI 7-7. Compared to the above option, it has improved ergonomics, which means that there is much more opportunity to fine-tune the gun, adapting it to a specific athlete. The reloading mechanism is equipped with a direct stroke of the bolt handle, which ensures the maximum rate of fire.

Characteristics: rifle caliber - 5.6 mm, barrel length - 550 mm, weight 0 from 3.5 kg. The diopter sight is adjustable and equipped with a protective cover. The muzzle and front sight are also provided with a hinged cover that protects against snow and dirt. To reload quickly, the manufacturer has created a new convenient design for securing magazines. By placing the sight and front sight on a special base, you can adjust the aiming line as you like. The ergonomic stock is made of wood and allows for adjustment of the neck and cheek piece.

You can find out the price by contacting the manager of the official website.

• Improved ergonomics;
• Additional options for fine-tuning weapons;
• The crank arm is firmly locked with a pair of levers;
• There are required protective covers;
• Aiming line adjustment;
• Suitable for beginners and professionals.

• You can buy it only by prior order.

MR-61 isp.09

If you were going to teach biathlon to children, then we advise you to pay attention to the MP-61 spring-piston multi-charge air rifle. This is an excellent example of pneumatics with manual spring cocking. The comfortable adjustable buttstock makes the gun great for training children or for adult shooters looking for training. The characteristics include: caliber - 4.5 mm, barrel length - 450 mm, weight - 2.1 kg. The weapon comes with a fixed barrel. The spring is cocked with a side lever. The MR-61 isp.09 is equipped with a removable diopter sight, a ring front sight and a detachable magazine designed for five bullets like "Diabolo". It is possible to fasten belts, there are cassettes for additional magazines. The material from which the ergonomic bed is made is an impact-resistant polymer. Pleases such a function as the blocking of fire, which turns on when the cocking lever is not locked.

Of the weapons for biathlon, the MP-61 isp.09 is considered budgetary, since its price is about 8500 rubles.

• Easy to use;
• Suitable for teaching children;
• Lightweight;
• Ergonomic bed;
• Budgetary price;
• The butt is adjustable in length;
• There is a blocking of shooting.

• Professionals need something more serious.

BI-7-2 Co.

The most famous Russian rifle is perhaps the BI-7-2. On its basis, a whole series of sporting weapons was created, and still, many athletes do not forget the “progenitor”. The rifle is small-bore and at the same time modernized. Its design is a thick-walled match barrel, orthopedic stock and safety lever. On its muzzle, you can see a funnel-shaped chamfer. This feature provides excellent ballistic performance. With the help of the crank mechanism, you can fire at a high rate. The rate of fire is at a height and is absolutely not inferior to semi-automatic weapons. The ergonomics of the box are amazingly suited to the demands of sports. Sighting range: from 25 to 75 meters. The basic version of BI-7-2 Co assumes a wooden stock with an orthopedic butt, it is convenient that there is a shock-absorbing non-adjustable butt pad. Rifles of this type are very popular not only in our country, but also abroad. Features: caliber 22LR, total length 1000 mm, weight 3.5 kg.

• There are no superfluous mechanical sights;
• Graceful stock;
• Miniature plastic magazine for five rounds;
• Wherever needed, there is protection;
• Shooting results are as accurate as possible;
• The descent is of medium length and functions perfectly;
• Convenient shutter operation.

• Modest appearance.

IZH-38

A budget rifle for amateurs is the domestic IZH-38 rifle. It belongs to the spring-piston action and has decent performance characteristics. The bullet is ejected from the compressed air stream. The device of the weapon allows you to easily adjust the sight, regardless of the vertical or horizontal position. The device has a locking mechanism that enhances the safety of the weapon. Characteristics: caliber - 4.5 mm, size - 1050 mm, weight - 2.8 kg. This pneumatic variation will be perfect for initial shooting training and will also appeal to professional shooters. If you want to improve the performance, you can always replace the stock spring with a more powerful option. In general, a spring acts as a source of energy for the IZH-38, therefore it can not be used at all temperature indicators, this moment must be taken into account. It is important to control the rifling in the weapon. There should be no dark spots on the inside, and the wooden elements should be free of cracks and chips.

Cost: about 5000 rubles.

• Budgetary;
• Easy to use;
• Suitable for beginner biathletes;
• Available to most consumers;
• Easy tuning will improve performance;
• Small size and compactness.

• Single-charge instrument;
• The axle bolt may come loose;
• Not used for all temperatures.

Anschutz

One of the best foreign companies for the production of precision small-bore rifles is Anschutz. There are different variations of this weapon, just like the Kalashnikov. For modern shooting skiers, the company offers the Anschütz 1827F model. A variety of professional biathletes perform with such a rifle. Its highlight is a special bolt that does not require turning the handle to reload. Judging by the statistics, this sample of weapons has collected the most awards at the Olympic competitions.

The only "but" because of which not all biathletes can afford the Anschütz 1827F model is the defiantly expensive cost. The price of the weapon starts at $ 3,500, so the company decided to create a simplified version of the rifle for novice athletes. It replaced the Fortner shutter with the classic shutter from the 64th model. The result of an interesting layout is the affordable Anschütz 64 Biathlon Sprint. Its advantage is that it will cost one and a half times cheaper than its predecessor. In terms of weight, effort and trigger, the rifle ideally matches the conditions of the International Biathlon Union. The match barrel of the tool is made in the form of a cylindrical shape and covered with a nitrided coating, which ensures reliability and longevity. The stock is made of excellent walnut wood, lightweight and equipped with the necessary adjustments to allow you to change the position of the butt pad and cheek piece.

Specifications Anschütz 64 Biathlon Sprint: caliber - 5.6 mm, barrel length - 535 mm, magazine capacity for five rounds.

• Famous brand;
• Quality weapons;
• Will last for many years;
• All the nuances of modern sports are taken into account;
• Ranked among the best weapons;
• Easy to use;
• There are types for beginner biathletes and for professionals.

• Difficult to find on sale.

Is there a danger from biathlon rifles?

It must be remembered that weapons are always a source of danger and require careful, correct handling. If everything is done correctly, strictly follow the instructions, then the occurrence of dangerous situations is reduced to a minimum. It is best to contact a shooting specialist for basic safety rules.

Do not forget that any weapon must be transported unloaded; it is also useful to know that pointing weapons at people is strongly discouraged.

Please note that the manufacturer develops biathlon weapons taking into account the possibility of falling and breaking, thereby trying to prevent accidents for the athlete. But all the same it is impossible to predict everything, therefore the weapon must not only be well mastered in practice, but also perfectly know the whole theory.

In terms of their cost, weapons are varied, their characteristics differ from this, each rifle will need to find its own approach, to make it perfectly suited to your shooting style.

A well-chosen rifle will bring you great pleasure from biathlon, but in addition to the weapon itself, you must definitely have excellent physical fitness.