THIS WEEK THE 22ND OF JUNE, 2023

Good Morning Everyone!!

First, our thanks to Carl Nordgren and John Gould for a good daycamp on Saturday at Mt Itasca, and for the whole crew of adults that suffered through the invasion of mosquitos in the HQ building while going over the Organizing Committee and Rules of Biathlon for the Officials class!! I think it was a really good camp!! More to come in Elk River in June!

We are putting the final touches onto the annual schedule for winter, but I am enclosing what I know at this point. We are double checking with CXC so as to avoid  as many of the JNQ races as possible—but there will be some overlap—simply not enough weekends in the winter!! We will also try to avoid the larger statewide high school events—but likely there will be some conflict with smaller local meets. Most of our winter races are scheduled for Sundays to help avoid conflicts. If you work hard all weekend, be sure you take a good but active recovery day on Mondays!!

Coming up quickly is the  annual 4 day June camp at Mt Itasca to build on the skills you have started to work on! The Invitation and sign up sheets are attached! This is a great chance to get back into the mode of Biathlon training, and to build on the skills you were exposed to at the recent daycamps!! As you will be finished with high school sports by then, this camp will also be more physical and intended to enhance your skills both on rollerskis and on the range!! Please sign up early, if you plan to attend, as we need to know numbers for food planning, coaching staff needs and etc!!

At the recent daycamps, I noted a  few rifles that looked to be less than well maintained!! I am enclosing our standard rifle cleaning instructions, and if you have a MN Biathlon rifle [or your own] you need to be cleaning the rifle basically each time you use it. Forget the stories you heard about people who clean once a month [or year] whether the rifle needs it or not!! There should be no rust anywhere on the rifle, the bore should be clean and shiny, and the bolt free of carbon. The areas in the receiver that accept the extractors on the bolt should be cleaned with a dental pick, and the chamber where the bullet goes to be fired, should be cleaned out!! When you handle the rifle, in the summer particularly, the acid in your sweat will cause the barrel and other parts to lose the protective bluing—wipe all exterior parts down after use with a light layer of good rifle oil containing a preservative—not motor oil!! 

The rifles we are leasing out, and the ones most of you buy used, are definitely not new! But they will all shoot a dime sized or smaller group at 50 meters, if well maintained. But I have seen some where the chamber was so gummed up the bullet would not slide in completely without jamming on the bolt. We are shooting a lot of rounds and if you don’t clean properly, that will happen!! 

For most of our rifles, CCI ammo—for whatever reason—does not chamber easily. It must be slightly larger in diameter than the old Federal 711b that was fine—and made by the same company. The Norma Tac 22 seems good for training ammo—or SK or Lapua.

Enjoy the Journey—we are underway!!
Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

THIS COMING WEEK THE 15TH OF MAY, 2023 – informative documents

Good Morning Everyone!

This coming week is the 2nd week of our 2nd month of training! The volume is down slightly to give a mini recovery week before a really long hard week coming up. Mondays work well as recovery days as we will continue to recommend hard training on both Saturdays and Sundays! Remember, recovery is when you actually improve—rest up and then continue to supercompensate!! 

Considering where we are with training, here are a couple of camps coming up—first, next Saturday will be a daycamp at Mt Itasca. One day only. Please see the attached Invitation and get in touch with John Gould if you would like to come. If you did not make the daycamps at Elk River last weekend—this would be a great opportunity to get onto the biathlon training page!! And in the evening, from 6:00-8:00, MN Biathlon will hold another Officials Clinic leading to a USBA Level One Officials certification. 

The plans continue to move forward for the annual 4-day MN Biathlon Training Camp at Mt Itasca starting on June 14th and running through Saturday, June 17th. The Invitation for that event is also attached! MN Biathlon is still waiting for some to pay for their rifle lease!! Please, let’s get these taken care of!! And some have not paid their membership dues yet! The forms are, once again, attached for your convenience!!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Jack Cashman in Norway

Good Evening!

Jack Cashman is in Norway at the Ski Festival in Norway for Youth ages and below. Attached please find the results of todays sprint. You can scroll down to the “Gutah 16 ar class” and find Jack in 9th with 0,2 shooting!! out of 43 in that class. I think there are 1022 participants total!!https://liatoppenskiskytterfestival.no/uploads/iKjjhea8/230415Offisiellresultatliste-sprint.PDF

Biathlon is not a small sport in Norway!!

– Bill Meyer

MNB Membership information

Our primary round of rifle distribution is now done. Basically if you have a MN Biathlon rifle—your lease fee is due NOW!! Andof course, your MN Biathlon Membership. Please get this in to me as quickly as possible!!! The forms are attached once again!! 

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Elk River Daycamps this coming weekend

Good Afternoon All!!

Coming right up starting on Saturday are the first MN Biathlon Daycamps of the new training year!! We still have two openings [3 on Saturday] if you would still like to sign up with Lynda Bouley lyndabouley@gmail.com

For those needing a rifle fit—please try to arrive early—even by 8:00 would be good!! 

The tentative schedule is attached. We are expecting some rain, but the time and amount forecast keeps changing. In any case, bring a change of clothes! [maybe two?]

Thanks and hope to see you there!!
Bill Meyer, Coach