I just got a cz 550 in 7x57. The throat seems to be very long. I have no way to measure it except to put a bullet in the chamber, not a cartridge, just a bullet, and then measured from the bullet tip to the end of the barrel. Then I removed the bullet and measured to the bolt face.I don't recall the exact dimension, but it was much too long to seat a bullet anywhere near the lands.Is this common with the 7x57s, and how does it affect accuracy.I haven't shot it , but I'm in the process of reloading some hornady 154 gr. round nose , and 139 gr. spire points. I'm going to use Hornady's specific recommendations for overall cartridge lenght, although they would seem to me to fall way short of the rifling and cause excessive bullet jump into the rifling. Your thoughts and suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks,Steve.

My suggestion is not to worry about it until you shoot the rifle..

Nearly all of the CZs I've heard about have been extremely accurate...

It is NOT uncommon to find 7X57's with long throats!! Long throats are not particularly conducive to extreme accuracy, but neither are they a guarantee of poor shooting qualities. I have owned both a Ruger M77 and a No. 1A with long throats. Both would shoot 1" groups. The M77 would shoot five into an inch, but the No.1A only the first three. I used Nosler Partition 175 and 150-grain bullets in both, seated just deep enough to be straight in the neck.

I just bought a CZ 550 in 9.3X62 last week, and found that it had an extremely long throat as well. It would need to have bullets seated out to WELL OVER magazine length to be anywhere near the lands. I, too, worried about accuracy, but I seated the bullets to magazine length and accuracy was outstanding. So much for my worries about excessive throat length . Our range was too wet for longer range shooting, but at 40 yards it was shooting one hole 3 shot groups with IMR 3031 and Speer 270 grain or Nosler 250 grain Ballistic Tips (the only two bullets I tried). Both bullets were shooting to the same point of impact by the way . I look forward to trying 286 and 300 grain bullets in the near future.

Jim

I think the 7x57 was born to shoot hornady 154gr RN bullets! The accuracy in mine is very satisfactory and they kill like the hammer of Thor.
I think if yoy will limit yourself to the upper end of the bullet choices, (150+) I think you will be well pleased with your rifle.

Steve: I own the CZ 550 American in 7x57mm and it does indeed have a very long throat. There is a way around this maddness, though. First, look at the barrel twist of you rifle and you'll see it is 1x8.66. That twist is made for the heavier .284 bullets, not the light ones. My CZ has a thing for the 160 grain to 162 grain bullets. You can load the 160 grain Nosler Partition bullet to within .01 inch of the lands and still have just enough bullet shank to seat the bullet into the case neck where it will hold okay. It has to be seated way, way out there and it looks funny as hell seated that far out. I get about .215 inch of the shank into the case neck for an overall length of 3.26 inches. Stoked with 48.3 grains of H414 that combo gives me .75 inch five shot groups with a bullet that is going 2,835 fps. With the 162 grain Hornady SST I can stuff the case with between 48.3 and 48.9 grains of H414 and seat the bullet .01 inch from the lands and it too looks funny, especially with the canlure sticking way out of the case. COL is 3.28 inches and the bullets have enough shank in the case neck to make the overall cartridge straight. I get from 2,815 fps to 2,855 fps with these combos and three shot groups ranging from .481 to .216 inches and that isn't too shabby at all. That .216 group, by the way, is going a chronographed 2,855 fps. The CZ 550 American in 7x57mm Mauser with this weight bullet, Remington cases, Federal 210 primers and H414 powder is one deadly combo. If the canlure sticking way out of the case bothers you, I think the new Hornady Intrabond is doing away with the canlures and company officials told me a 162 grain Intrabond will be offered. Of course, that ole partition huming along at 2,835 fps and putting five slugs into a .75 inch circle is just plain hard to beat too! Yeah, it is a long throat on the CZs in the Euro calibers. My little brother owns a CZ 550 Full Stock in 7x57mm and his likes the regular 162 grain Hornady spire point bullet seated down to where the canlures meet the case mouth. That rifle spits the bullet out of its 20.5 inch barrel at 2,765 fps with 48.3 grains) H414 and will put five slugs into a one-inch circle. Go figure. You have a nice rifle. If it were me, I would glassbed the barreled action, free float the barrel, top it with a decent hunk of glass, buy some H414 powder, some Remington cases, Federal Primers and Nosler or Hornady 160 grain and 162 grain bullets and go have fun. Tom Purdom

By the way, to measure your rifle's COL where the bullet ogive is kissing the lands, grab a long .25 inch wooden dowel rod, and with the bolt in the rifle and the firing pin ready to fire, place the dowel down the end of the barrel until the rod end comes in contact with the bolt face. Take a knife and lay the blade flat at the end of the barrel and make a slight slit in the dowel. Take the bolt out of the rifle, put the bullet you intend to use down the barrel chamber and use a cleaning rod to make sure it stays there, then take the same dowel and run it back down the barrel until it comes in contact with the tip of the bullet in the chamber. With the rifle standing up and holding the bullet in with the cleaning rod, lay the knife again flat on the top of the barrel and cut a second slit into the wooden dowel. The distance between the two slits is the cartridge overall length with the bullet just touching the lands. You will need dial calipers for this operation. Set your seating die to this overall cartridge length, then adjust the die to seat the bullet .01 inch deeper into the case neck. The wooden dowel deal isn't as rock solid as the Stoney Point, but it sure beats a good guess any day! Hope this helps. Tom Purdom

Steve: I must have had my head up my butt, again! I read your post and you are measuring the COL to the ogive already. With my CZ I have a substantial amount of room left in the magazine even with the 160 grain and 162 grain bullets seated about .20 inch into the case neck. Like one of the other posters said, the sweet spot isn't always .01 inch off the lands. My brother's 7x57mm Mauser in CZ 550 Full Stock is proof of this. You have the same action, about the same barrel (his is 20.5 inches and the American is 23.6 inches) and yet his likes bullets seated more into the case neck than mine. Have a tolerable day Steve. Tom Purdom

I took the 7x57 out to the range today. So much snow still on the ground,I could only do 50 yds.I had some Hornady's in 139 gr. and some 154 gr. round nose. Both bullets were seated to an col. of 3.000. Both shot 5 shot groups of about 5/8". I know I could seat a lot further out without touching the rifling, but why bother, this is a hunting rifle. Can't wait to shoot it at 100 yds.
Thanks for your input guys.
Steve.