Dkim
Interesting you should sugjest the X bullet. I typed a long Post sugjesting the same thing and some how I screwed up and nver posted it.( take my word for it it was eloqent)
I like the 100gr tripple shock in My .257 roberts and I will try them in this guy too ! I will try the 140 grain first, just loaded some 160 grain accubonds. They shoot woderfully in my 7mmSTW. I would be ok with a 160 grain bullet but I would prefer a 140 or 150 for hunting deer in Oregon. I may have mentiond before that my STW requires seating way off the lands for magazine function and it is an extreemly accurate rifle ! I am hoping for the same from my CZ I should know this weekend ! ...tj3006

Greetings !
I am tj3006 and this is my first post here.
I just bought a CZ550 FS chamberd for the 7x57 mauser.
For those not familiar with this rifle let me decribe it. It is a modernized mauser 98 with a full manlicher stock and a 20.5 inch barrel. It has a real nice single set trigger , and over all i am quite impressed. I bought this rifle spur of the moment just cause I liked it. I am normally a model 70 guy I have 4 of them and a total of 11 rifles.
I am usualy a buy american guy, butI just had to have this rifle. I have not fired it yet but I have a box of federal 140 grain loads with the sierra bullet. The velocity is rather weak at 2660 but I have a coupe hand loads put together for, I used the 140 grain nosler B-tip over RL-19 and the hornady 139 gain btsp over H-414. The only misgivings I have on this rifle so far are beacuse I can load the bullets as long as i want and they will still chamber, free bore like this is often a negative to accuracy, but not allways. Any of you guys have one of these ? is that much free bore common in the CZs ? love to hear what you think ! ...tj3006

You made an excellent choice. I am the very proud owner of a CZ 550 American in 7x57mm and my brother owns a CZ 550 FS in 7x57mm. He talked his buddy into getting a CZ 550 Full Stock in 7x57mm as well. The CZs have a very, very long throat and a European twist of 1x8.66. This twist stabilizes the heavier bullets, such as the 160 grain bullets. In my rifle, my brother's rifle and his friend's rifle, all three like the bullets seated very close to the lands. This pretty well rules out the 140 grain bullets. They just ain't long enough. Nor are most of the 160 grain bullets and even the 175 grain bullets. Hornady SSTs in 162 grain and Nosler Partition in 160 grain will seat in the case mouth and touch the lands. My rifle and my brother's rifle likes the bullets to be .01 inch off the lands. His buddy's rifle likes the bullets .02 inch off the lands. Go figure! I use Remington cases, 162 grain SSTs, or 160 grain Nosler Partitions. The SSTs have to be seated way, way, way out. Overall cartridge length is like 3.295 inches. My rifle likes 48.9 grains of H414 and my brother's rifle likes 48.3 grains. With the 160 grain partition my brother's rifle chronoed at 2,745 fps and was putting three shots into a nice little .75 inch package at 100 yards. With the 162 grain Hornady bullets my CZ was clocking them at 2,855 fps and putting three into groups ranging from .216 inch to .481 inch from a sandbag rest. My 7x57mm is my go-to rifle for elk, mule deer, oryx, antelope, wild pig and whitetail deer. To be honest with you, I have not tried shooting a bullet of lesser weight than 160 grains in my rifle. My brother said he shot some 140 gr Remingtons in his and was getting around an inch at 100 yards with that combo. My brother did nothing to his rifle except refinish the stock, polish the bolt handle and jewell the bolt and mount a Burris Fullfield in 4x12 on it. I refinished my stock in GB Lindspeed Oil, glassbedded the barreled action, freefloated the barrel, polished the black bolt handle to the nickel finish underneat the black, jewelled the bolt with the small herringbone jewell, put Talley Rings on top and mounted a Leupold VariX-1 scope in 4x12. I think you are really going to enjoy your new rifle. Good luck with it. Tom Purdom

I share your feelings about how nice the CZ's are. I saw a CZ527 7.62X39mm carbine in a store recently, and also had to have it. I would have liked it even better with a Mannlicher style stock, but it's great as it is. It also shoots very well right out of the box, and is a lot of fun.

I'm sure you will enjoy the 7X57mm also, it is one outstnading round!

TJ. Welcome to the world of the 7x57. I have three rifles in that cartridge, and all have long throats to accommodate the 175 gr. bullets. One, a Winchester M70 Featherweight will put three 140 gr. Nosler ballistic Tips into .75", and the 170 gr. Sierra round nose ,unfortunately discontinued, into .375" fairly regularly, when I do my part. The custom Mauser will do .75" with factory Winchester 145 gr. bulleted loads. I'm still playing with loads for the Ruger #1 but it also is showing great potential. I had to send the Ruger back to the factory for repairs as when it was chambered, they gave it a throat way out of specs. (over 2")
I think you'll really enjoy that CZ. I'll most likely chase one down later on. Can't do it right now. Too many irons in the fire as it is.
Paul B.

I hope your CZ shoots as well as mine. The throat doesn't seem long (I have a CZ Varmint 308) and I load just a little off the lands.

Here's a target I shot last week (just a little fuzzy) at 200 yards. I'm very happy with mine.

You were fortunate to find one. They have discontinued the 7 X 57 in the full stock. Did you get it locally or have it ordered?

There's a lot to be said for some of the older metric calibers. I think the European rifles tend to be better in these calibers. I have a few 6.5x55's and a 8x57 and they are real sweethearts. My next one is sure to be a 7x57 and it doubtlessly will be a CZ as well. Those people make some excellent rifles. Just one mans opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Of the m70's I have handled I would take a cz any day, I have 5 and hope to add many more to my collection before I am through. The only metric cz I own is a 9.3x62 lux model.

May I suggest you try Barnes Triple Shock bullets (I did based on comments from people here). I have two 7x57s, both with long throats as you describe. Hornady 154gr and Speer 160 gr bullets are just about out of the case if the bullet is touching the rifling. With a 160 gr Triple shock, when the bullet is touch the rifling, the base of the bullet is at the bottom of the case neck. These are really, really long for their weight.

Good luck,
David

The CZ-550 in my gun safe is a Lux in 9.3 x 62, and it features a fairly long throat--about 0.3" or thereabouts. Since it gets a lot of cast boolit work, the long throat is kind of an asset. It shoots cast boolits WONDERFULLY.

I need to replace a pre-'64 M-70 in 30-06 that I gave to my nephew upon receipt of his Eagle Scout award last month. A CZ-550 American in that chambering will likely get the nod, but the metric calibers (6.5 and 7mm) are intriguing too.

Dputy Al
My late uncles were both Cool guys , but not that cool. But then again I was no eagle scout either !
...tj3006

I think you have the classic rifle of all times in a cal that is a classic too. Don't worry about the long throat, the gun is not meant to be a benchrest gun. It is a hunting gun. If you get 2" at 100 it's all you need. I'm sure it'll do much better. If it ever disapoints you I'll buy it.
David

Stronics.
agree its no bench rest rifle But if it won't shoot better than 2 inches I will either rebarrel it or sell it !
I have chated with lots of guys some of whom think accuracy is te only thing ,others seem to think velocity is all that matters. I go for a happy medium.One guy I chatted with was happy as hell he finaly got his 7mm Mauser to shoot a .50 with 140s even though his velocity was 2400. Making it a short range load that as far as I can tell really does not need to be that accurate. I see the mauser as 350 yd dear rifle And a load that shoots about 1.25 and gives me about 2800 fps would be a good one. ...tj3006

tj3006
First of all did I tell you I love that rifle? That said with a 20.5" barrel and a full manlicher stock your putting some serious restrictions on it for a long range gun. Some guns with a full manlicher stock can be finiky and will change with the seasons on the point of imapct.
David