AIR RIFLES

[DGF]

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?

[MikeBjerum]

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/

[TAB]

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

[BAC]

The 10 ring in 10 meter air rifle is only .5 mm wide!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_metre_air_rifle

[MikeBjerum]

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.

[Sponsor]

[BAC]

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?

[TAB]

TRipple jump.   

[BAC]

TRipple jump.  

That's what I meant.  Do they still have that?

[Timothy]

That's what I meant.  Do they still have that?

Yup!

Men's finals next Thursday and women's on Tuesday.

[BAC]

Rope climbing and tug of war used to be Olympic events.  What does the IOC have against rope?