The 1966 Biathlon World Championships were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in then West Germany. This is the first inclusion of the men's relay event in the World Championships, and the West German team used rifles manufactured by Heckler & Koch. The rifle was chambered in 7.62 x 51 and was single shot, though capable of semi-automatic fire. Before .22 caliber at a distance of 50 meters became the standard in 1978, large caliber centerfire cartridges were the norm at distances of 100 to 250 meters, with a single 150 meter range used in 1966.
I am told that fewer than ten of the rifles were produced by HK, and that only two are known to have survived. Please contact me if you have additional info or documentation related to these rifles.