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EAA's Biathlon Basic .22 Accurate Out-of-the-Box
Photos & Story
by Scott Smith
Contributing Editor
When it comes to firearms, those in the caliber of .22 long rifle (LR) are by far the most popular on the market. Every rifle manufacturer seems to offer and inventory at least one model chambered for the ubiquitous .22 LR. For some companies, rifles in this diminutive caliber are the firms' life blood. The funny thing about rifles in the .22 LR family is that their retail prices can far surpass those of center fire rifles from the same manufacturer.
What makes the venerable .22 so popular? This is not an easy question to answer, since the reasons for having at least one .22 LR in the gun vault vary from owner to owner. A true .22 aficionado will have several and be able to tell you the differences in each and every one, even if there are several of the same model.
One thing that I have found is that dedicated .22 owners are like owners of 1911s: they can always make their .22s better. This seems to be something that shooters just have to do. Occasionally, however, you run across a firearm that falls into the category of nearly perfect out-of-the-box, that "requires" little if any "work."
One example of a rifle in this category is the EAA Biathlon Basic. One of the first questions that often comes up concerning EAA firearms is who makes it? The Biathlon Basic is made by one of the world's oldest arsenals, Izhmash.
Made to Last
Like many Russian-made firearms, this one does not come with any high gloss finish, embossing or engraving, but it will shoot and do it under the worst conditions. After all, firearms in Russia have to endure some of the worst climatic conditions in the world.
Ah, but I have digressed; back to the Biathlon Basic. As the name implies, it is an entry level biathlon-style rifle. It has a short stroke straight-pull bolt, recessed target crowned barrel, and what I considered a nice trigger pull. Hey, I am not a .22 Match Rifle shooter, what do I know? Unlike a true biathlon rifle which generally uses a variety of peep and post sights, the Biathlon Basic comes with a Picatinny rail to install your choice of optics.
Overall the EAA Biathlon Basic is a well-made rifle. The fit and finish of the rifle is good, trigger pull is about two to three pounds-crisp, and no creep. This is a solid, well-built rifle-no frills, no bells or whistles; just a good rifle.
To me this was just another rimfire rifle. Meaning that it was fun to shoot, it was fairly accurate, and ammunition was inexpensive to downright cheap. Since I wanted to get an opinion of a rimfire aficionado, I enlisted my bud, Bill Worthington to help with my test.
Old Hand at .22s
Worthington is, to say the least, a devotee of the .22 LR. He has an extensive collection of rifles chambered in this diminutive caliber. No, this is not a set in the vault or in a glass case to be admired collection, but his rifles are used regularly. I figured he would be a good candidate to give a true, unbiased opinion of the EAA Biathlon Basic.
Knowing that it is hard to get Worthington to venture to the range, I called him and mentioned that I was off to shoot and could he be ready in a half hour or so. Upon learning of the new .22, it was a done deal; he'd be ready.
One of the big reasons to get Worthington to shoot with me, is his working knowledge of rimfire rifles, plus he has a wide variety of ammunition that we could shoot through the Biathlon Basic. My inventory of .22 ammo was limited to some Federal and Winchester bulk packs as well as some GI training ammunition. Worthington did not let me down, and when we got to the range he unpacked several offerings from CCI, Eley, Laupa, as well as a number of hunting/target loads from Winchester, Federal and PMC.
This should be enough ammo to give the EAA a thorough test drive.
After Worthington got over laughing at my choice of scopes, my nearly ancient Redfield Widefield, he gave the Biathlon Basic the once over. Nice recessed target crown, good trigger, the classic M1/M14 push-pull safety, attached Picatinny/Weaver rail to mount optics, detachable 10-round magazine and a nicely finished stock were all noteworthy to him. Being the skeptic, his comments were something to the effect "it looks good, has a few nice features, but does it shoot?"
Range Test
Sounds like a fair question. Since I had already shot it and my answers would not suffice, I told him to shoot it. Granted the scope was not set-up for Worthington, but being the trooper he is, he drove on and shot the EAA. He ran several magazines through the little rifle to get a feel for it before getting serious about seeing how well it could really shoot. His test groups at 50 yards all hovered under an inch, not bad for a "plinker."
After a test drive of the Biathlon Basic, Worthington got down to shooting the rifle. He was amazed that this off-the-shelf rifle was easily capable of °-inch groups and this with an old scope that wasn't adjusted for him. His comment to punctuate the rifle's capability was simple: when can I buy it, and how much, so I have the cash. From a guy that breathes the lineage of the .22 LR, these are high words of praise.
Between Worthington and I, several hundred rounds of .22 LR were sent down range through the EAA Biathlon Basic. This rifle simply shot and shot, even the least expensive bulk .22 ammo shot well out of this rifle. Granted with match grade cartridges it shot extremely well, but at $12-15 a box of 50 it should.
The EAA Biathlon Basic would be ideal for use on the local varmint population, chasing empty beer cans down the range, or getting serious about shooting aspirin-sized groups. This is a fine shooting rifle and would be a good addition to any firearms collection, or as a starter for a new shooter in the family. For more information on this and other EAA firearms, contact: European American Armory (EAA), PO Box 1299, Dept. GWK, Sharpes, FL 32959; phone: 321-639-4842; on-line:
www.eaacorp.com.
European American Armory nolonger stocks the rifle, only parts
Rifle Specs
OAL: 39 inches
Barrel Length: 19.5 inches
Weight : 6.1 pounds
1/8 twist
MSRP With rails as tested $369
MSRP With adjust. sights $419