Bolt-Guns Beat Semi-Autos in Norwegian Rapid-Fire Match
In Norway, the annual Landsskytterstevnet (Rifle Country Fair) is Norway’s largest shooting tournament. One of the most popular Landsskytterstevnet events is a rapid-fire competition. The objective is to achieve the most hits on multiple targets in the alloted time period (typically 25 seconds or less). In some stages, all targets are at the same distance, while in other stages the shooters engage targets at 3 or 4 different distances.
You would think that a semi-automatic rifle would dominate the rapid-fire matches, but that isn’t the case. In the video linked below, civilian shooters with mag-fed Sauer 200 STR bolt-action target rifles outpace Norwegian army personnel using HK select-fire rifles in semi-auto mode. You’ll be amazed to see how fast the civilians can shoot their target rifles. It’s a great video… be patient and let it load from the Norwegian server.
CLICK HERE to load MATCH VIDEO (May take 30 seconds or more to load page).
Crowds Cheer Shooters
Equally amazing is the size of the crowd and the spectators’ enthusiasm. We’ve never seen anything like this in the USA. Over 1000 Norwegian fans are clapping, cheering, and singing during the match. You’d think this was a Big Ten Football game! Obviously the Norwegians love their shooting sports. Electronic scoring and big display screens allow the crowd to follow the fast-paced action.
Thanks to Gary Eliseo for finding this video. Gary says: “Check out how the boltgunners manipulate the bolt and operate the trigger, also how the gas gunners struggle to keep up! Looks like great fun, were going to try to put on a ‘Stangshoot’ like this at BRRC (Burbank Rifle & Revolver Club) next year.”
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Tags: Action, Match, Military Rifle, Norway, Sauer
The semi gets off more rounds, he just misses more.
The link to Norwegian shooting doesn’t work. Yes I waited.
The link is OK, but if you have a slow connection it may stall. You may first see a page with horizontal bars, then the Norwegian TV page should start to load and eventually (could take a while), the video will load.
On our computers with a cable internet connection the page loaded in about 20 seconds.
Sorry there was no way to directly embed this video in our Bulletin.
On the usnr rifle tean we use to say that boltgun shooters could work thier bolt as fast as they wanted and us gas gun guys had to wait for the damm thing to cycle
Very enjoyable viewing
Note the use of 2-point slings.
Also note the bolt cycle and trigger technique – the bolt guys used the “signalling” finger to fire whilst reserving the thumb and “pointing” finger to work bolt.
German Salazar sent me the link, interesting how the Norge rapid fire technique evolved so differently from ours
Great video. It’s wonderful to see the crowd enjoying the match.
Does anyone know how the Sauer 200 TR compares to one of our typical match rifles, such as an Eliseo-stocked tube gun?
Does anyone know the calibers these guys shoot? Just curious,probably dont want alot of recoil in a match like that. It was awesome to watch, and i only wish the public of Canada and US would warm up to firearms like those folks:)
The Sauer’s are 6.5×55 and the HK’s are 308.
in this tread on thefiringline.com i have posted some youtube videos from Norway: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=358917
HK G3s – more like 7.62×51, same difference
Not really – check the scoreboard (those are registered hits)
In short, it’s a SIG-Sauer SSG 3000 with a different stock. Barrels and stocks are interchangeable.
The rifle is an Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) and the caliber is 6,5×55 SCAN. This is actually the same rifle as Sig Sauer SSG 3000. Just a different barrel, and stock.
By the way. This article is no discussed back in Norway in a weapon forum (www.kammeret.no).
Best regards
lars
Bolt guns vs semi autos is not exactly a correct characterization.
The semi auto guys have “as issued” looking HK’s and use no slings and have typical basic military attire and the bolt gunners have rifles that are all “tricked out” and accurized and they have aperture sights, use slings, shooting coats, etc.
I bet if a shooter took one of our 6mmAR spaceguns with an AR-15 lower with a Geissele match trigger and was able to use all the attire and extras the match rifle shooters use, that shooter would “clean house”.
At 7:27 Nils Tormod Maelen explains that he had no gun oil, for lubricating the bolt, so he used butter instead.
(It doesn’t really matter but the “semi-autos” are actually select fire rifles.)
The civilian shooters don’t quite use the sling the normal way… the hand isn’t at the handstop, and the there’s no tension on the sling swivel. Instead, there’s a loop on the sling that the left hand goes into. I also thought I saw something similar on the military shooters’ hands, but I’m less sure.
I’m left handed. In my younger days I shot a Model 70 bolt gun (right handed) in high power matches and always had plenty of time in the rapid fire stages. The scores were competitive enough to get me from expert to master. I know Gary Anderson shot the same way only much better.
I doubt the AR-anything would be much of an advantage considering how fast the bolt guys are getting hits. Anything faster would be bordering on spray and pray.
Has anyone been able to somehow make the video downloadable? I have tried on 3 different computers and I can’t get the video to play.
The Brits used this technique with the SMLE. I don’t know who used it first.
Anyone??
>> Over 1000 Norwegian fans are clapping, cheering, and singing during the match
But shooting isn’t “spectator friendly.”
Wrong!
The REAL reason shooting sports aren’t more popular is that the organizations that allegedly promote marksmanship have failed to draw significant interest. Over eighty million people own guns in America, but so few participate in, or are even aware of, any form of organized shooting.
Don’t blame Sarah Brady on this issue because Wayne LaPierre is at fault here!
Fast X,
John Buol
http://firearmusernetwork.com/
>> only wish the public of Canada and US would warm up to firearms like those folks
Problem in the US is that plenty of people have “warmed up” to *owning* firearms (about 80 million or so) but very few people have warmed up to USING them in any organized fashion.
Random plinkers and box-a-year deer hunters [call] themselves “shooters” and believe that military and/or police firearms training is some pinnacle of marksmanship skill.
HA!
Shooter skill likely has more to do with it than any of the gear.
We do a timed rapid fire shoot at the Battle River Fish & game shoots here near Forestburg, Alberta, Canada. And yes, the bolts out shoot the semis both in accuracy and round count each and every time. The competitors really like this type of competition. We do both paper and reaction targets (balloons, plastic spoons and steel silhouettes of gophers, buffalo, coyote, crow, etc) at ranges from 25 to 100 yards for rimfire. Longer ranges for center fire but the rimfire is sure fun to watch. And we are all rank amateurs according to your definition of “marksman.” Yes we have excellent turn-outs and great groups of wonderful supportative spectators for the full day shoots.
The method used by the bolt-gunners is the direct copy of that used by the British infantry of the early part of the last century in the so-called ‘Mad-Minute’ shoot. The way that the bolt is manipulated by the thumb and forefinger, using the second digit to trip the trigger as soon as the bolt it home was what led the attacking Germans in the early part of WW1 to believe that they were facing massed machine guns rather than manually-operated rifles. The British infantryman of those days could get off around 30 or even more aimed shots in a minute – but then the SMLE had a ten-round magazine – THAT helps!
tac