Talking about the new M70 which is back to controlled feed, and the CZ550. I'm sure both work and shoot well, but which would you say have an edge in quality or reliability out of the box?

The new M70.. about equal finish (for blued guns). Better bolt / locking lug fit by far. Far better barrel re accuracy and metal fouling. Better scope base/ mount availability. Better fit and finish for wood stocks. FAR better parts availability and warranty service. New M70 trigger imho is better than CZ 's Rube Goldberg set trigger. Had bad barrel experiences with both. CZ sent gun back saying it was ok (it wasnt).. bunch of chart flippers who do nothing but bullshit customers there. Winchester gave the problem honest consideration and replaced the gun. No bullshit, just, "ok, it isn't right."
Imho CZ isn't much of a company. I'd put my money with Winchester/FN/BACO.
For clarity, the CZ is a 550 American in 9.3x62; the M70 is a Model 70 Alaskan in .300 Win. Mag.

Depends on the caliber you are talking about too and if you want to use straight out of the box or build it up.

If 375 H&H or less and wanting right out of the box, then M70. If you want to build that awesome 416 Rigby you have been dreaming of, then the CZ.

I shoot a CZ550 in 375 H&H for reference. It's somewhere between full custom and factory though.

I was pretty impressed with the last win model 70 I looked at.
I ended up buying a Begara instead [weight and price] but I wouldn't have been disappointed buying the Winchester.

I think Sevens pretty much said it.

For me it depends on the caliber. Bigger bores the CZ is best. I also like the more Mauser like features. But they are kind of rough. They apparently leave out the deburring step in the manufacturing process and need to be messed with to make them function correctly.

Winchesters have better initial quality, are smoother and are often more accurate. I have several m70's so I'm probably biased but since this is the medium bore forum and that's likely what you plan on I'd go for a Winchester.

By AR definitions my CZs are large bores, and my M70s are small, medium and large.

As far as I'm concerned the M70 is so far out in front that it isn't even close.

Bear in mind than not all CRF M70s are created equal. CRF returned in the 90s; but quality improved and bottom metal and trigger were changed in the 2000s with the shift to the FN plant.

The Montana 1999 should not be over looked. I just bought my first one in 300 Win mag, the trigger was excellent out of the box. Accuracy is about 1/2 MOA with various factory loads. Barrel was properly free floated as it came in the box.
Th Montana is a M-70 on steroids.

Great answers and lots of food for thought. Thank you gentlemen

Before the Ruger .204, I had thoughts that a .20 cal center fire would be the berries. Reason for this thought was I also shoot air rifles and I liked things about .177 and things about the .22's and felt the .20 cal (5mm) was the best of both worlds. Then the Ruger .204 came out and I love the weight of the CZ in that caliber. Everybody else seems to make them heavier. But the backwards safety on the CZ has been my drawback for not buying the CZ. I am a big fan of Win model 70's. I'm amongst the minority that likes the push feed better than crf.

I inherited a CZ 550 in 9.3x62 and have another in 7x57. The fit and finish are on par with my early New Haven M70s. The CZ can become a very svelte rifle when worked over properly.

quote:

Originally posted by Sevens:
Depends on the caliber you are talking about too and if you want to use straight out of the box or build it up.

If 375 H&H or less and wanting right out of the box, then M70. If you want to build that awesome 416 Rigby you have been dreaming of, then the CZ.

I shoot a CZ550 in 375 H&H for reference. It's somewhere between full custom and factory though.

Agree 100% for the bigger cartridges (like my baby 500 Jeffery) the CZ is an incredibly solid foundation and incredibly accurate out of the box.

That's the secret to a properly fitting stock and that's classic. 1/2"drop at comb and straight line to heel

I have a American made and assembled Supergrade in 270. The girl is about as perfect as I could ask. She feeds empty cases as if they were loaded. Fit and finish a A to A Plus. Most accurate rifle we own.

The stock is nicer than any in the catalog. I think it is a left over or one that just not made the cut when they did the 270 O’Conor rifle.

When you cycle the bolt to load from the magazine, it feels like you are not picking up a cartridge. But you are every time. It is just that smooth.

Not a fan of the lines of an out of box CZ 550.

what caliber?

Yeah. Caliber choice matters ...

If it's, say, a 30-06, the Mod 70 should be good to go.

If it's a 375H&H or 458WM you want, you might first try finding an old BRNO 602 on the "pre-owned" market, rather than default to a CZ 550. The 602 was more or less the predecessor action to the 550 Magnum action.

BRNO magnum class rifles, although rough in appearance and wearing Euro-style "hog-back" stocks, earned a solid reputation for being reliable "out of the box," more so than the big-bore 550s have.