I picked up a clean CZ 550 in 7x64 for a reasonable price. I also found lots of brass and loaded Norma ammo for a very good price, and some brass and a FL die set came with the rifle. The brass is Norma and RWS. Looks to me like a good combo, and cartridge. Even if I shot this rifle exclusively, which isn't likely, I would be set for a very long time of shooting. I'm pretty excited about it.

I'm presuming that this rifle has CIP specs on throating, twist, bore, etc, so heavy bullets should shoot well.

Sometimes things just seem to happen.

KB

Gotta love them steal deals!

quote:

Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
Gotta love them steal deals!

It wasn't quite like that, but more in the catagory of a reasonable price. I haven't found many steal deals on the internet. Usually those turn out to be the classic too good to be true deals.

KB

Pretty much anything that either the 270 Winchester or 280 Remington will do the 7 x 64 will do.

But like the 280 "scores" over any 270 with its ability to take the heavier range and weight of 7mm bullets.

You are lucky with that brass as new it costs about twice as much as 280 Remington!

I have shot and seen shot game animals from Columbian Blacktail Deer to interior Grizzlies with .270Win. and .280Rem rifles here in BC. There is NO difference in performance between these two rounds and the 7xs64 will be exactly the same.

The .270 with a 150 NP and the .280 with a 160 NP give about 2850 in most barrels and penetrate and expand to about the same degree and these are the "best" all-around loads for these cartridges. Heavier bullets, which I have loaded, tend to drop more and thus one loses the flat trajectory with low recoil that make these such useful rounds on a wide variety of game.

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
Pretty much anything that either the 270 Winchester or 280 Remington will do the 7 x 64 will do.

Isn't it funny how cartridges are "invented" that do pretty much anything that an existing cartridge will do? As I understand it, the 7x64 was introduced about 1912, and still as good today as then.

KB

With the european cut throat, they seldom shoot well with bullets lighter than 156grns They are at their best with the 162grn boat tail bullets or 170grn flat base.

They feed well, always extract even when chamber is dirty and the load 'enthusiastic'...great round.

I allways look at the 7x64 as the high speed 7mm for heavy bullets and the 7x57 it's slower brother. The .280 is usually most accurate with 140-150 grn bullets ...and the 7-08 is bsically stuck with them.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
With the european cut throat, they seldom shoot well with bullets lighter than 156grns.

They feed well, always extract even when chamber is dirty and the load 'enthusiastic'...great round.

I always look at the 7x64 as the high speed 7mm for heavy bullets.

That's what I figured too. I think the twist rate is faster than 1 in 9" and the throat is long. There is some extra space in the magazine so perhaps I can seat the bullets out a little longer than normal. It should be good because I have several hundred 175 gr 7mm bullets that need shooting. I tried them in a 280 that I had and didn't get the accuracy that the 160 gr and lighter bullets gave in that rifle.

The Euro CIP specs are part of the reason I wanted the rifle. If I had to have a custom barrel made and chambered specifically for the heavy 7mm bullets, with a twist rate faster than 9", the cost would be 2/3 of what I paid for the complete rifle, which has a three-position safety, and sights, and a satisfactory trigger with the set feature.

KB

I have two of these,first, a Brno ZG47 and then a Ruger RS,both shoot very well. Their cream seems to be 140 to 175 bullets.I have used Remington,Norma and RWS ammo and taken a couple animals with success.
I don't think they have anything over the .270,280 or 7x57,just neat rifles and I don't have to show up in camp with a .30-06...

Last night I figured roughly that the twist rate is about 8.5", by using the cleaning rod method. That's a good thing in my book, and makes this rifle different enough from the 270, 280, 7/08 to be interesting, and perhaps justifiable.

We really should avoid redundency - right? After all, the introduction of the 270, 280, 7/08, 7mmWSM and perhaps the 7mmMag are not ballistic clones or redundant compared to the 7x64 - right?

Over the years I have wanted a 7x64, but figured I would have to have one custom made, and I couldn't easily find a gunsmith with a reamer (but I didn't try too hard either). So, I did like most do in the USA and bypassed the 7x64. But when all that brass, dies and ammo came along, there was no excuse to not buy the factory made rifle, especially since I have learned to trust the CZ 550 as a good shooter. Don't you just love a factory rifle that needs little tweeking, when you can buy it far less than the cost to have one built?

I have several CZ 550s now, but none yet thoroughly tested. The more I mess with them, the more I like them. This 7x64 has the Euro style stock, which takes a little getting used to, but I have no intentions of changing it. The more I bring it to my shoulder the more I like it. Last night I mounted a scope, and the alignment seems acceptable. The American style stock seems better, but it may be familiarity.

The 7x64 CZ 550 has a three-position safety, and of course the single-set trigger, both of which I like. I'll have to figure how to adjust the weight of the std trigger pull, but the set trigger is good and crisp. The floorplate is some kind of plastic or polymer material with a dull black finish, and the follower is made of the same stuff. I understand that CZ USA will replace the plastic with metal for free. I may do that, but so far I don't mind the plastic. The follower is slick, quiet, and feeds well.

I'm going to try to get to the range over the holidays. It's snowing now, with no wind, so that's ok, I can shoot in the snow, but I don't like wind and rain. If one waits for a clear day around here to get out and do some shooting, he may have a long wait, especially since going after work isn't an option. It's almost 10 am now and there's barely enough light for shooting, and it will be too dark by 4 pm.

Happy Holidays to all

KB