Colorado Biathlon Club

Biathlon is a sport that combines the endurance of free-technique cross-country skiing with precision small-bore rifle marksmanship. You can find a more detailed description of the two-discipline sport and its history on Wikipedia.

If your interest lies in the summer version of biathlon, simply sign up for a race! Summer races generally include a safety briefing and orientation before the race, and provide a good introduction to the sport. If you'd like to try some winter biathlons, the first thing to do is to attend a safety certification clinic. Until you do this, you can't use a .22 rifle in a USBA event. Membership in the USBA provides racers with extra liability insurance, if they desire it.

Although most competitors will use the skating technique, either classic or skating techniques are allowed. Biathletes use .22 caliber rimfire rifles with peep sights. The rifle magazine may hold no more than five rounds, and ammunition must be standard velocity. Detailed requirements for skis and rifles may be found in the IBU Materials Catalog IBU Materials Catalog, Sections 3.1.1 and 3.1.6.

No, you do not need to own a rifle. CBC owns several loaner rifles which are available for use at all CBC events (races and certification clinics). Depending on the event turnout, you will most likely be sharing a rifle with one or more other competitors. Ammunition is provided by CBC as well. Using a club rifle is a good option if you want to try one or two races before committing to a rifle purchase. Keep in mind that you must have attended a winter safety certification clinic before using one of the club rifles in a race.

Maybe. See the rifle specifications in section 3.1.6 of the IBU Annex A to the Event and Competition Rules. In brief, the rifle must have a manual bolt, must not be of automatic or semi-automatic design, and have a maximum magazine size of 5 rounds. For purposes of our races, single-load rifles are fine (you'll just be slower on the range). If it's not possible to add a rail for a harness, then you can leave the rifle on the range when you're skiing.

Yes, for insurance and liability reasons you will have to take the USBA safety course even if you've already taken a hunter safety course. Check the clinic schedule for dates and times for upcoming safety clinics.

Events range from about 3 km to 20 km. Read the complete listing of categories and events for details.

Unless otherwise stated, novices are welcome at all of our events! Our local races are typically quite flexible in terms of adjusting race courses, whether the rifle is carried, etc., to accommodate various skill levels. Be sure to let the Competition Chief know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your participation in the event.

There is no minimum age. The competitor needs to be strong enough to navigate a course on some sort of Nordic skis (or by foot or mountain bike, in the summer) and to safely handle a rifle. Please see the safety certification clinic page for range supervision requirements for competitors under the age of 18. These requirements are in force any time the range is hot. All of our races at Snow Mountain Ranch include categories for competitors aged 12 and under, 13-16, and 17-21 in addition to the adult (age 22 and older) categories. Competitors aged 17-21 typically race the same courses as the over-21 age groups. CBC provides pellet rifles and ammunition for competitors 12 and under and for those older competitors who have not yet attended a winter safety certification clinic.

Competitors who will be at least 13 years of age by December 31 of the winter competition season may use a CBC .22 club rifle when racing, if they have attended a Safety Certification clinic.

Competitors who will be at least 11 years of age by December 31 of the winter competition season and have their own .22 rifle may use a .22 rifle when racing, if they have attended a Safety Certification clinic.

CBC maintains a range at the YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center near Fraser, CO.

You must attend a USBA safety certification clinic, have a current USBA annual membership, and be a current member of Colorado Biathlon Club to use the range. Be sure to carry your proof of USBA safety certification (Red Book) with you when you use these facilities. A Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center trail pass (in the winter) or a YMCA day pass (in the summer) is required to access the range.

Your rifle must be in a case (unloaded and bolt open) when transporting it on YMCA property. This includes going to/from the range and at the Nordic Center. Store and carry ammunition separately from your rifle. Cased rifles are allowed upstairs at the Nordic Center, and must never be left uattended.

Range rules:

• You must have a current USBA membership and a current CBC membership, and have a USBA Red Book, to use the range for training.
• Range users under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult with USBA Red Book certification.
• Use only standard velocity, lead round nose, .22LR ammunition.
• Bolt-action rifles only, maximum 5-round magazine or single round load (no semi automatic rifles).
• Do not leave your rifle unattended at the range or anywhere else on SMR property.

Range procedures:

• Bring your own paper targets!
• Get/purchase a trail pass at the Nordic Center (winter) or a day pass at the Program Building (summer).
• Sign in/out on the clipboard at the range hut.
• Put up the red range-in-use flag that is stored in the range hut (look for it immediately to your right as you enter the hut).
• When you're finished shooting, remove paper targets, clean up spent brass, return the reset cord to its storage location, paint metal targets, return your mat/carpet to the storage rack, and replace the red flag in the hut.

Please leave the range area cleaner than it was when you arrived.

On weekends, plan to arrive at the range either on the hour or half-hour to minimize range interruptions for other range users. Please communicate actively with other range users to ensure safety for everyone.

Check this map to the Snow Mountain Ranch registration, range, and race areas. Download as: PDF | JPG

Retail

• Altius Handcrafted Firearms, West Yellowstone, Montana. Marc Sheppard, 406-646-9222, or altiusguns@earthlink.net.
• Champion Shooters Supply, Utica, Ohio.
• Eastern Sierra Armory, Mammoth Lakes, California.
• Marlin

Used

• Colorado Biathlon Club classified ads
• Minnesota Biathlon classified ads

Mail order:

• Eagle River Nordic
• Reliable Racing

In the Denver Metro Area and mail order:

• Boulder Nordic Sport
• REI

• CBC member Fred Pierce has compiled a CBC Marksmanship Handbook with lots of terminology and guidelines.
• The Shooting Cookbook produced by ABall Software Inc. contains a wealth of position, rifle fitting, and shooting drill information.

Even if you're just learning about the sport, there are several general areas in which you can help, depending on your interest and the amount of time you can spend at the event:

• Pre-race setup at the range. This activity usually occurs between 8:30-9:30AM. There will be a designated "chief of range" who will help direct the range preparation. The Chief of Range may also need assistance with zero lane assignment and general supervision during the zero period (usually 9:30AM - 10:15 AM).
• Activities during the race: scoring, resetting targets, and helping time the racers. These volunteers generally need to be at the range by 10:30 AM so they can review the score sheets, etc.
• Post-race cleanup of the range. Depending on the size of the race, this is usually happening around 2 PM.

Contact the Competition Chief for the race dates you're interested in working. If you'd like to take on more of the race responsibilities, the next step is to serve as one of the Chiefs (Competition, Range, Timing, Course). Check out the race management guidelines to get an idea of the various tasks involved.

The procedure for zeroing your rifle is one of the primary differences between the training and racing environments. An established set of procedures can greatly increase the efficiency and success of everyone's zero, and smooth out the race organization in general. Here is a brief review of points to keep in mind while on the range during the pre-race zero period:

• Target assignment: Unless stated otherwise, all zeroing is done on paper, usually one paper initially assigned per person. At CBC events, look for a whiteboard with a grid representing the paper targets, and put your name in one of the grid boxes. (At larger events, targets will be assigned by the Range Chief.) Be sure to shoot on the target you just chose! Typically there will be several lanes allocated to zeroing, with multiple (paper) targets at each point. The targets will be identified as a, b, c, etc. (the targets are labeled from left to right). Note that multiple competitors may be - and usually are - assigned to any one point.

  Often it is necessary to find another open (paper) target to confirm your zero after shooting up your first paper. If the full length of the range at Snow Mountain Ranch is open, that provides more chances to find clean paper. Do not simply shoot on a piece of paper that appears to be unused. Check the target assignment whiteboard for available, unused targets. Some lanes may be unassigned and available for standing/dry firing/paper confirmation.

• Scopes: Usually there are several club/personal scopes set up at the range. These should always be well back of the firing line, in the coaching area! No personal scopes should be placed at any of the firing points. At bigger events it may be that as many as eight athletes work with one coach who spots shots with the scope. This person suggests sight movement (if he/she knows how sensitive your clicks are), shows a diagram with the shots marked on it, allows the athlete to look at the group themselves, or all of the above. A handy tool is a ping-pong paddle type-thing with a target on it, on which you place pins to mark the shots. This can easily be held up and shown to the athlete.
• All warm-up kits, rifle covers, and ammunition should be away from the firing point. These items should all be stored in the warming hut or at rifle stands. Extraneous equipment left at the firing points just clutters the firing points and holds the position up from being used by another.
• Ammunition should be loaded into magazines away from the firing point. Have your magazines ready to go, so you are ready to zero when your turn comes up.
• Skis should always be on in the range (except range officials) and for zeroing. It's hard at first, but with practice getting up and down with skis on becomes easier - after all, it's part of the sport. This is a good thing to practice in your range drills, so that you can get in and out of the range more quickly.
• Once you're at the firing point, shoot up to one magazine of rounds (or perhaps two, if you need to shoot some fouling shots), then move away from the point to let the next person shoot. Check with the person manning the spotting scope and/or go to the coaching area and look at the group yourself, and make any sight adjustments. Then continue taking your turn at the firing point as necessary, each time shooting your five shots and then moving aside to check your results.
• Ski poles can be left at the rifle stands while you do your zero. It is not necessary to zero with your poles, unless you are skiing into the range to confirm your zero with a pulse. It is often less cumbersome and quicker to do your first two or three five-shot groups without poles, then take your poles to do a short ski to get your pulse up and come into confirm your zero on a paper target. Make sure your coach/group knows this is what you are doing when you disappear for your ski - it need only be 2-5 minutes. Also make sure that you and the rest of the group at your lane know what paper you plan to shoot at when you return from your ski.
• If you don't already have a set pattern for your zeroing, here are some guidelines:
  • Two or three five-shot zeros to get on the paper and make any adjustments. These are shot without poles for speed and simplicity.
  • One or two five-shot zeros, each preceded by a short ski so that you're skiing in to the range with a slightly raised pulse.
  • Optionally, another five shots on paper in offhand position.
    . This results in a range of 15 - 30 shots for your zero. 30 rounds of ammo should be more than enough to get a good zero. Unless something really went wrong - e.g., your sights were loose and moved on their mount - it's really not worth using any more ammo. If you just can't get on and it's not a technical problem with the gun/sights, chances are it's your position you need to concentrate on. Do your best for that race and go back to the drawing board in training - you'll just get yourself wound up before the competition. The competition is not the time to train - it's the time to be composed and just do what you can do on the day.
• Be aware of skiers coming through the range to different firing points. If you have been back at the coaching area and you want to go to the firing point, look first to see if some one is skiing through your path. Anticipate your ability to pass in front of them without cutting them off, and either move forward quickly or wait for them to pass; likewise on returning from the firing point to the coaching area. In many cases you are not allowed to ski backwards through the range. (This may be hard to enforce at the range at SMR, though if rifles are ready at your allotted lane before zeroing, then it's only necessary to go through the range for confirming your zero.)
• Those observing and not coaching or zeroing should leave the range and coaching area as free as possible to allow easiest possible mobility for others who need to be there.

These tips originally appeared in the Summer 1998 Colorado Biathlon Club Newsletter

By supporting CBC with your membership and dues, you help offset the cost of running the club and maintaining the ranges. Although we don't discount entry fees for CBC members, your CBC membership makes the range and race possible.

• Join CBC and/or subscribe to our mailing list.
• Join the USBA and receive their newsletters.

Many have tried to add an extra syllable by sneaking an extra "a" between the the "h" and the "l." There is, in fact, only one "a," and a total of three syllables. Learn to pronounce it here.