[Jeff Higgins]

Very cool video. Anschutz is about as good as they get for rimfire and air gun match rifles. I love that straight pull bolt as well.

That said, from a hunter's perspective, these sorts of firearms are just too precisely fitted, a bit too complicated, too fussy and delicate. 50 parts to the trigger mechanism alone? The Model 70's I used to bring to Alaska had two...

It's one thing to use the rifle at 20 below over the course of a few hours on a single day. I bet those things are bone dry, without a trace of any kind of lubricant to be found. That will work for that one day, after which it is carefully stripped and cleaned.

Try taking one to coastal Alaska for two solid weeks of rain trading off with snow, crossing salt water inlets in john boats, and living in a wall tent, never fully drying out. Those are tough conditions for a rifle. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate all that these biathlon rifles represent, but I think they are vastly over selling their "ruggedness". They are anything but, compared to real world hunting (or military) rifles. Very cool sport, though, and I'm glad they are still doing it in this day and age.