TEXASPROUD
15-12-2004, 06:09 PM
http://eaacorp.com/firearms/rifles/targetrifles/biathlon_basic/images/biathlon_basic.jpg
After being on this website for some time I thought I would make an attempt at reviewing a rimfire rifle that I acquired some time back. Bear with me on this, I will try to keep my Texas colloquiallisms to a minimum, so, Lord willin, an the creek don't rise, I just might pass something on to y'all.
A quote often attributed to Col. Townsend Whelen, an early 20th Century American marksman, is, "Only accurate rifles are interesting." I believe the good Col. would have been interested in the Biathlon Basic, a Russian import from the Izhmash factory and the good people at European American Armory.
Weighing in at 6.1 lbs, with an overal length of 39 inches, the Basic has an unassuming appearance, yet there is something about it that tells you this might be more than just a .22 plinker. The wood is very plain, but there are no obvious machine or tooling marks on the receiver, and the 0.750" untapered 19.5 inch barrel forewarns you that there may be more to this rifle than meets the eye.
As you rotate the rifle in your hands and look at the underside you notice the triggerguard and magazine port appear to be made of a polymer. The safety is built into the triggerguard and is engaged by pushing on the safety from the outside surface of the trigger guard. Once engaged, neither the trigger nor the bolt may be activated. To deactivate the safety, simply push on the safety from inside the trigger guard.
The rifle comes from the factory without any sights, but does have a Weaver type rail attached to the receiver. This may be a proprietary type mount as the Burris Signature Zee Rings I tried to install refused to tighten enough on the rails. I ended up using a set of Weaver mounts and a BSA 6-24x40 that wasn't attached to anything.
The crown of the the barrel has the deepest recess I've ever seen, it reminds you of the flash suppressor on a jungle carbine. It should provide additional protection if you decide you want to use it for hunting small game or vermin control.
What draws your attention to this rifle is the bolt handle on the right side. As you pull back on the bolt, you immediately engage the articulated toggle style action that is unique to Biathlon rifles. It is faster than a standard bolt action, but not as fast as a semiautomatic. I also feel that it is easier to stay on track with your targets using this style of action vs a standard bolt action, at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
As with all new rifles, it is a good idea to pull the bolt and clean the barrel of the preservatives that protect it from the time it leaves the factory till the time it gets to you. If you are a fanatic about accuracy, or even if you're not, it is best to clean the barrel from the breach if possible.
This is one of the only negatives I have about the rifle. The E.A.A. manual does not tell you how to remove the bolt. A call to E.A.A. did not help, as they told me, "We don't encourage you to remove the bolt." A quick trip www.rimfirecentral.com and their forum on "Romanian trainers and others" gave the information needed to properly field strip and clean the Biathlon Basic.
Field disassembly involves removal of the scope, also remove the magazine, pull back on the bolt and insure there is no round in the chamber. With the toggle action half-way open, push on the spring loaded detent at the back of the bolt assembly and pull the pin straight out from the top of the receiver. With the pin removed, you may now pull the bolt assmbly out for cleaning from the breach end of the barrel.
Reassembly was just as simple, and once reassembled it was time to test it out for accuracy. Due to time constraints I grabbed a brick of Aquila 38 gr subsonic .22 long rifle and went to the range. I didn't bother with sorting by weighing rounds or measuring rim thickness, I just loaded, sighted, and shot over sandbags and this was the result.
The best 5 shot group measured .401" at 50 yds, and that's nothing to sneeze at. The question I now have is, "What will it do with Eley, Lapau, and some of the other high quality ammo." Don't get me wrong, Aquila has proven to be an outstanding load in certain rimfire rifles I have and has beat out the big honcho brands. Like any other .22 rimfire, you need to try a variety of loads to find out what shoots best. In this case I am using Mexican ammo that I can buy at $15.95/brick of 500. (Do I hear a groan?)
I did not have a trigger gauge, but the trigger felt light with a certain amount of takeup. The release was crisp and accuracy as I stated was good. This has my curiosity aroused so much I can't help but wonder, "How well does the full blown Olympic Biathlon shoot?"
For those of you that keep up with military rifles, the SV-99 sniper rifle uses this same type action with adjustable trigger, enhanced adjustable stock, bipod, and a slightly shorter threaded barrel with silencer that , overall, measures right at 1 meter in length. The rear stock can be removed and replaced with a pistol grip for shooting from cramped quarters. After shooting the Biathlon Basic, I can see why they adopted it for use in Chechnya.
The Biathlon Basic was acquired for less than $300 at one of the local Dallas Gun Shops, well below the MSRP. It may not be the prettiest rifle out there, but for better than average accuracy, medium weight, and a rifle good for hunting, vermin control, and maybe even CMP sporting rifle, this rifle has a lot to offer. :D
After being on this website for some time I thought I would make an attempt at reviewing a rimfire rifle that I acquired some time back. Bear with me on this, I will try to keep my Texas colloquiallisms to a minimum, so, Lord willin, an the creek don't rise, I just might pass something on to y'all.
A quote often attributed to Col. Townsend Whelen, an early 20th Century American marksman, is, "Only accurate rifles are interesting." I believe the good Col. would have been interested in the Biathlon Basic, a Russian import from the Izhmash factory and the good people at European American Armory.
Weighing in at 6.1 lbs, with an overal length of 39 inches, the Basic has an unassuming appearance, yet there is something about it that tells you this might be more than just a .22 plinker. The wood is very plain, but there are no obvious machine or tooling marks on the receiver, and the 0.750" untapered 19.5 inch barrel forewarns you that there may be more to this rifle than meets the eye.
As you rotate the rifle in your hands and look at the underside you notice the triggerguard and magazine port appear to be made of a polymer. The safety is built into the triggerguard and is engaged by pushing on the safety from the outside surface of the trigger guard. Once engaged, neither the trigger nor the bolt may be activated. To deactivate the safety, simply push on the safety from inside the trigger guard.
The rifle comes from the factory without any sights, but does have a Weaver type rail attached to the receiver. This may be a proprietary type mount as the Burris Signature Zee Rings I tried to install refused to tighten enough on the rails. I ended up using a set of Weaver mounts and a BSA 6-24x40 that wasn't attached to anything.
The crown of the the barrel has the deepest recess I've ever seen, it reminds you of the flash suppressor on a jungle carbine. It should provide additional protection if you decide you want to use it for hunting small game or vermin control.
What draws your attention to this rifle is the bolt handle on the right side. As you pull back on the bolt, you immediately engage the articulated toggle style action that is unique to Biathlon rifles. It is faster than a standard bolt action, but not as fast as a semiautomatic. I also feel that it is easier to stay on track with your targets using this style of action vs a standard bolt action, at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
As with all new rifles, it is a good idea to pull the bolt and clean the barrel of the preservatives that protect it from the time it leaves the factory till the time it gets to you. If you are a fanatic about accuracy, or even if you're not, it is best to clean the barrel from the breach if possible.
This is one of the only negatives I have about the rifle. The E.A.A. manual does not tell you how to remove the bolt. A call to E.A.A. did not help, as they told me, "We don't encourage you to remove the bolt." A quick trip www.rimfirecentral.com and their forum on "Romanian trainers and others" gave the information needed to properly field strip and clean the Biathlon Basic.
Field disassembly involves removal of the scope, also remove the magazine, pull back on the bolt and insure there is no round in the chamber. With the toggle action half-way open, push on the spring loaded detent at the back of the bolt assembly and pull the pin straight out from the top of the receiver. With the pin removed, you may now pull the bolt assmbly out for cleaning from the breach end of the barrel.
Reassembly was just as simple, and once reassembled it was time to test it out for accuracy. Due to time constraints I grabbed a brick of Aquila 38 gr subsonic .22 long rifle and went to the range. I didn't bother with sorting by weighing rounds or measuring rim thickness, I just loaded, sighted, and shot over sandbags and this was the result.
The best 5 shot group measured .401" at 50 yds, and that's nothing to sneeze at. The question I now have is, "What will it do with Eley, Lapau, and some of the other high quality ammo." Don't get me wrong, Aquila has proven to be an outstanding load in certain rimfire rifles I have and has beat out the big honcho brands. Like any other .22 rimfire, you need to try a variety of loads to find out what shoots best. In this case I am using Mexican ammo that I can buy at $15.95/brick of 500. (Do I hear a groan?)
I did not have a trigger gauge, but the trigger felt light with a certain amount of takeup. The release was crisp and accuracy as I stated was good. This has my curiosity aroused so much I can't help but wonder, "How well does the full blown Olympic Biathlon shoot?"
For those of you that keep up with military rifles, the SV-99 sniper rifle uses this same type action with adjustable trigger, enhanced adjustable stock, bipod, and a slightly shorter threaded barrel with silencer that , overall, measures right at 1 meter in length. The rear stock can be removed and replaced with a pistol grip for shooting from cramped quarters. After shooting the Biathlon Basic, I can see why they adopted it for use in Chechnya.
The Biathlon Basic was acquired for less than $300 at one of the local Dallas Gun Shops, well below the MSRP. It may not be the prettiest rifle out there, but for better than average accuracy, medium weight, and a rifle good for hunting, vermin control, and maybe even CMP sporting rifle, this rifle has a lot to offer. :D