The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: DGF on July 30, 2012, 02:12:57 PM
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I was just watching the Olympic Air rifle competition. Big complicated looking rifles that appear to be infinitely adjustable. I googled olympic air rifles and found a place in Germany that sells ( manufactures them). The commentators said the US has never done well in this event and sure enough the US was not represented among the 10 or so shooters competing for gold. I wonder why we don't do well ?
The rifles were a bit surprising to me, first of all the one I looked at cost $2,600. It fired a pellet at only 570fps. My crossman pistol shoots much faster than that. How did this get to be an olympic event?
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Read the rules!
These are Anschutz rifles, and they are identical to the .22lr small bore rifles they manufacture. If you get to see the smallbore competition or watch biathlon in the winter you will see how similar they are.
Think for a minute how controlled you need to be to have a follow through that will keep a pellet on target when it is traveling less than 700 feet per second.
Check out these FWBs
http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/ (http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/)
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The impulse of a air rifle is also forward, not rearward. it also has more then one impulse. which is why if you mount a normal scope on air rifle it won't last
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The 10 ring in 10 meter air rifle is only .5 mm wide!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_metre_air_rifle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_metre_air_rifle)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Air-rifle-target.jpg/603px-Air-rifle-target.jpg)
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In Colorado the shooters are referred to as NRAs - Not Really Athletes.
However, imagine the physical conditioning it takes to cross country ski raising your heart rate to over 150 bpm, stop, drop your pulse to below 50 bpm, and shoot a bullseye on the clock. Watch the summer games rifle and handgun shooters, and you will see totally expressionless faces, body language that shows no reaction, and total concentration on shooting between shots. I have seen these shooters spend an entire match without looking at anything but their sights or actions when they reload. Other than that they have their heads down with their eyes closed.
Unlike dancing, jumping, skipping, diving, etc, this is a sport that is totally objective - You live and die by your actions and your actions alone.
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In Colorado the shooters are referred to as NRAs - Not Really Athletes.
However, imagine the physical conditioning it takes to cross country ski raising your heart rate to over 150 bpm, stop, drop your pulse to below 50 bpm, and shoot a bullseye on the clock. Watch the summer games rifle and handgun shooters, and you will see totally expressionless faces, body language that shows no reaction, and total concentration on shooting between shots. I have seen these shooters spend an entire match without looking at anything but their sights or actions when they reload. Other than that they have their heads down with their eyes closed.
Unlike dancing, jumping, skipping, diving, etc, this is a sport that is totally objective - You live and die by your actions and your actions alone.
Do they still have skipping in the Olympics?
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TRipple jump.
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TRipple jump.
That's what I meant. Do they still have that?
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That's what I meant. Do they still have that?
Yup!
Men's finals next Thursday and women's on Tuesday.
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Rope climbing and tug of war used to be Olympic events. What does the IOC have against rope?
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To answer your question: airguns are considered kids guns in this country. If you can't spit a 500 grains projectile out of a 2 inch barrel at 4000 fps the gun's not worth even looking at. In Europe and Asia they're considered adult guns.
After WW1 the aggressor nations could not produce firearms but could produce airguns. that brought on a culture of airgun shooting that still exists. That lead to the competition we see now.
To put BAC's post about the targets in perspective consider that the 223 bullet is 5.56 mm.
Hope this helps, Pecos
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Yes, .5mm is less than .020".
Seems silly since the projectile is .177" in diameter. One shot and the 10 ring is toast.
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Yes, .5mm is less than .020".
Seems silly since the projectile is .177" in diameter. One shot and the 10 ring is toast.
The y only shoot one shot at each target. They are on rollers and the targets only face for a few seconds before going to the next target.
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The y only shoot one shot at each target. They are on rollers and the targets only face for a few seconds before going to the next target.
Thanks for the clarification J...I wasn't aware of that. Don't let the tree huggers know they waste that much paper!
;)
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My experience with air rifles was putting a .177 pellet through a blue jay or crow at about 75 feet with my Crossman back in the 60's. What these people do with a modern match air gun is astonishing!
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I have never shot a pellet or BB at a bird in my entire life.
Cleared out every single frog in about 200 yards of the brook beside my Grandmothers house one summer though. ;D
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Whether it is a .177 air powered pellet gun, a .223, a .308 or a .50 caliber, it is all discipline, fitness and marksmanship!
What these shooters do at 10 meters translate out to 1,000 meters. Remember, it was the combined with these skills and the skills Kim Rhode showcased that gave us Sgt. Alvin York!
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Whether it is a .177 air powered pellet gun, a .223, a .308 or a .50 caliber, it is all discipline, fitness and marksmanship!
What these shooters do at 10 meters translate out to 1,000 meters. Remember, it was the combined with these skills and the skills Kim Rhode showcased that gave us Sgt. Alvin York!
Without a calculator...
That's why I'll always be a cook rather than a rifleman!
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There are more moving parts in a air rifle, then a firearm. they are actually very hard to make.
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I've seen really good air gun shooters (no where near olympic level) go out and shoot expert 'across the course' in service rifle with a little coaching.
They didn't quite get the sight adjustments when clouds came and went.
They did surprisingly well on sitting and prone rapid fire, the get all 'zen' with that
They were surprised there was no kneeling but didn't miss it!
They were intimidated by 600 yard slowfire but shot 190+ right out of the gate ...
The liked the grip and sights on the AR15's much better than M1A's - it seemed very simliar to their air rifles.
I don't this these folks switched to service rifle, the straight jacket in the blazing sun and the standing in the target pits may have queered the deal
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Fellas dont pick on the old air rifle, it played a very major part of your countries history.
It was the first repeating firearm to be used in your country well before any Lever actions made by Winchester.
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One of the times I was down at the Olympic Center in Colorado Springs I shot alongside the 10-meter air rifle athletes. I shot what for me was a pretty good group...of course, the guys standing next to me put all those little pellets into that teeny tiny "X." Jeeeez...
Having spent a lot of time with the U.S.A. Shooting team, I simply stand in awe of the commitment they bring to the table. They are nothing short of amazing, and I am honored to have shot alongside them at various events.
I am less sanguine about the huge bureaucracy that surrounds any and all things having to do with those five rings, but while the athletes are on the line in London is not the time to discuss it.
On air rifles in general, interestingly enough they're among the fastest-growing segment of guns and the modern rifles are pretty cool. I have an absolute monster of a .25 caliber Benjamin that will whack a coyote,plus a .177 Air Force that is one of the coolest guns I've been experimenting with. My go-to kill the ground squirrel quick is Crossman .177 break-open.
I think we're going to do a gun segment on SG 2013 on adult air rifles.
Michael B
PS: A couple of friends of mine who didn't shoot a lot turned themselves into awesome riflemen with air rifle practice. I'm hopeful I can do the same!
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I am less sanguine about the huge bureaucracy that surrounds any and all things having to do with those five rings, but while the athletes are on the line in London is not the time to discuss it.
Yes, the IOC is beginning to resemble the UN these days!
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One of the times I was down at the Olympic Center in Colorado Springs I shot alongside the 10-meter air rifle athletes. I shot what for me was a pretty good group...of course, the guys standing next to me put all those little pellets into that teeny tiny "X." Jeeeez...
Having spent a lot of time with the U.S.A. Shooting team, I simply stand in awe of the commitment they bring to the table. They are nothing short of amazing, and I am honored to have shot alongside them at various events.
I am less sanguine about the huge bureaucracy that surrounds any and all things having to do with those five rings, but while the athletes are on the line in London is not the time to discuss it.
On air rifles in general, interestingly enough they're among the fastest-growing segment of guns and the modern rifles are pretty cool. I have an absolute monster of a .25 caliber Benjamin that will whack a coyote,plus a .177 Air Force that is one of the coolest guns I've been experimenting with. My go-to kill the ground squirrel quick is Crossman .177 break-open.
I think we're going to do a gun segment on SG 2013 on adult air rifles.
Michael B
PS: A couple of friends of mine who didn't shoot a lot turned themselves into awesome riflemen with air rifle practice. I'm hopeful I can do the same!
(http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp244/bchiaravalle/NRA%20Annual%20Meetings%20and%20Exhibits%202011/DSCN0178.jpg)
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I wil second the USOC being a big joke. I know 4 people competing in london, the shit they have to put up with from the USOC and international governing bodys is just sad.