Moose biathlon (
Finnish: ''Hirvenhiihto'') is a
winter sport variation of
biathlon, which combines
cross-country skiing,
range estimation of
paper targets resembling a
moose, and
rifle shooting using
fullbore biathlon rifles. The
Finnish Hunters' Association holds competitions, which were first developed in Finland in the 1970s. Today, competitions are held in Finland and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
with a goal of becoming a
Nordic discipline.
There are over 10,000 competitors in Sweden and Finland, with over 600 competitors participating in the yearly Finnish Championship.
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The skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
event is performed in classic style over a distance of , while competitors carry the rifle. However, competitors under the age of 16 are not required to carry the rifle themselves. Range estimation and shooting take place at designated spots along the ski course. The shooting component consists of ten rounds fired from a standing position at a distance of . The rifle must comply with legal requirements for hunting moose. During the range estimation component, competitors must judge the distance to two moose figures placed somewhere between .
The winner of the Moose Biathlon is determined by a point system, with a maximum of 1200 points available throughout the competition. The shooting component awards up to 600 points, calculated by multiplying the target scores by six. The range estimation component has 300 points available, with two points deducted for each meter of error. The skiing component awards the fastest competitor 300 points, with other competitors receiving points based on how far behind the fastest skier they finish. One point is deducted per 10 seconds. For example, if a competitor finishes 50 seconds behind the fastest skier, they are awarded 295 points from the skiing component of the competition. In most races, the oldest competitors receive full skiing points to avoid life-threatening illnesses.
A relay race version of Moose Biathlon exists, where each team member fires five rounds at a moose target and estimates the range of only one moose figure instead of two. Penalties apply for missed shots or errors in range estimation.
In contrast, Moose Shooting with Running (Finnish: ''Hirvenjuoksu'') is a summer variation of Moose Biathlon where skiing is replaced with a {{Convert, 4-5, km, mi run. Firearms are not carried during the run but are instead placed in a rack near the shooting location.
See also
* Nordic field biathlon, another Nordic biathlon variant using fullbore rifles.
* Nordic shooting with cross-country running, a summer variant of Nordic field biathlon.
* Biathlon orienteering
References
External links
The Finnish Hunting Association - About moose biathlon
Introduction film by Älvsby Shooting Club (Swedish)
Information film by Salmonfox (Swedish)
Hirviurheilu.com - Webpage for match results and upcoming matches for moose biathlon and moose running
Biathlon
Multisports
Cross-country skiing
Racing
Rifle shooting sports
Biathlon in Finland
Moose
Sports originating in Finland