I am a 6.5 Swede nut and am really interested in this rifle for deer and black bear in the woods of Virginia.

Currently, I own a Ruger M77 Mark II chambered in 7x57 and am real pleased with it.

Is there anything not to like about the 6.5x55 coupled with the CZ 550 American?

As I don't have the time or the funds to hunt really big critters, I don't need anything more powerful than the 6.5 or the 7mm Mauser. I am a big fan of Big Whallop -- Little Recoil!!

Thanks!

My mate has a recent model Tikka in 6.5x55 and I would urge you to consider one of the those too....excellent rifle and very accurate....

Dogger,
I have a Ruger, Remington and Winchester in 6.5x55. I'm looking at buying a Tikka left handed rifle for my wife. So I'm a 6.5 Swade nut also!!!
Of the three I like the winchester featherwieght the best. Mark

[This message has been edited by mark65x55 (edited 01-16-2002).]

I would consider the full-length stock (i.e. Mannlicher-style) on the CZ, as a nice contrast to the Ruger.

Fritz

Dogger
I've taken 10 deer in the last two years with a 6.5. Heres a link to some of the pics I have. I'll post more after the season is over, we can hunt deer in Alabama untill 1-31-02. Mark
http://photos.msn.com/Viewing/AlbumTheme.aspx?Album=HVxMsHhkRs8$

[This message has been edited by mark65x55 (edited 01-16-2002).]

I don't think you'll find a better made rifle for the price..

I bought one this spring in 9.3 x 62 and it's the most accurate hunting rifle in my cabinet.. The single set trigger is a nice feature too...

Dogger,

The same rifle tempted me as well but with a few others on the horizon, the moment passed.

Where in VA do you hunt? I have a young friend who's bent on getting a nice bear.

John

[QUOTE]Originally posted by John Frazer:
Dogger, My son got that exact rifle for Christmas. Out of the bos groups were a little over 2 inches. He glass bedded the action, cleaned up the trigger and floated the barrel. Hasn't had a group over an inch since. I think it's a great buy.

I bought a CZ550 American in 7x57mm Mauser about four months ago and could not be happier with my purchase. As stated by Bob above, the action needs to be glassbedded and the barrel freefloated. I went a step further and took some of the creep out of the VERY adjustable trigger. I use a handload of 48.3 grains of H414 powder, Remington cases, Federal 210 match primers and Hornady 162 grain boattails and get far less than one inch groups (from .41 to .68 inch five shot groups after proper cooling between shots and from sandbags) and I am still playing with the seating depth as the European chambers seem to have an extremely long throat. I seat at the canlures and go up or down from there. Anyway, before glassbedding with this same load it was a 2-inch to 2.5 inch rifle. By the way, that load is chronographed 2,820 fps from the CZ tube, not bad for the little 7. I would go with the CZ, but only in the American 550 model, and I would definately glassbed and freefloat. The CZs feel a bit heavier than the Rugers (I had one of those too in 7x57mm Mauser), but boy, is this one a promising shooter. And the 6.5x55 is supposed to be a much more accurate cartridge than the 7x57mm. By the way, the CZ550 American has a 23.5 inch barrrel and on my rifle, the stock is beautiful with a combination of dark streaks, burl crotch figure and tiger stripe. Hope this helps ... Tom Purdom

Dogger,

I was not aware that the CZ 550 American comes in 6.5x55, too.
I once fondled a CZ 550 American in the CZ store in Prague, and liked it. This model is the only one with a straight stock, really suitable for a scope. All other models either have a stock with too much drop, or the "Lux" humpback stock, ugly.
And the bolt mechanism of the "American" model should be polished and smoothed.

Regards,
Martin

I read about this so often, I have to correct it now. Its not "CZ" or any other rifle having a long throat. It was mentioned that Rugers, too, have a long throat in certain calibers.

The truth is, that EUROPEAN calibers were designed different: the case was meant to hold the powder and this was topped off by the bullet. If you compare a military 7.92 ( 8x57 IS ) round to a .30-06 you will find that both rounds are nearly equal lenght. This means earlier the Europeans designed chamberings, where the bullet would stick out more from the case. Add to this that at that time round nosed bullets were used most ( or exclusively ).

For this reason the 8x57 IS if loaded hot and the bullet seated correctly ( far out ) is nearly the ballistic equivalent of the �06. I don�t want to compare the two cartridges here, just to clarify things.

This European design - farther out seating than with US cartridges - is also true with 6.5x55, 7x57, 7x64.

Now the important part is: there are rounds ( cartridges ) sold which are loaded so. Because there is lots of room in the case, the ballistics are quite good. there is nothing wrong with that, the cartridges were loaded this way since ? 1893? for 7x57. So the guns makers have to adjust for this and the European chamberings have a long throat regardless who chambers them. So please don�t talk about "my Ruger or CZ has a long throat". Its rather "my 7x57 ... ".

It would be interesting to talk about the pro�s and con�s of both cartridge designs. I think that the US design, with bullet more in the case is slightly preferrable because of accuracy reasons. Its also easier for reloaders IF THE NECK is long enough. In factory cartridges this is irrelevant, as the bullets are strongly crimped and or glued in place.

As a curiosum, Rem�s 7400 in .30-06 has such a long throat that its impossible to seat to the lands. I think this is a) to keep pressures down b) to prevent a pulled bullet c) more room for the bullet at loading sequence, as it happens quicker than in a bolt. I always loaded my .30-06 ammo so, it will chamber safely in all my �06s. My Win 70 has the same throat dimensions as my Norwegian 98, and both are so tight, I sometimes had to stay under the recommended loading lenght of some manuals.

Good shooting! Hermann

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MartinF and Dogger: I just scanned my CZ handbook and it says the CZ550 American does, in fact, come in 6.5x55. I would say for your intended purposes, the 6.5 would be ideal. I use my little 7 for elk hunting, as well as hunting antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, coyotes and even javalina and wild pig down Texas way. When I recommend the CZ, I am doing so from experience with the rifle, and I have none with the Tikka, although I understand it is a very fine out-of-the-box shooter. To the poster who talked about the throats of 7s and 6.5, thanks, that was interesting. Tom Purdom

6.5x55 for what you want absolutely can't be beat.

Does CZ=BRNO if so very few are dissapointed in the UK. Having said that I would think a Tikka would be more accurate out the box.

I just wanted to note that I did nothing to my CZ-550 other than some rountine load development and it is printing 1/2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards......That's right out of the box with no free floating, bedding or trigger work...

Perhaps I just got lucky ??........

To Pygmy: I'm glad to see that your's was a good shooter right out of the box. Mine wasn't, but it is now. I don't know if the rifle I got was typical, or your's is typical, or what. But, what I do know is that on mine, I had to do the glassbedding. You could actually feel the action move in the stock when you pushed the barrel to one side or the other. Even with that, the thing printed 2-inch to 2.5-inch groups with a handload that was not proven in the rifle. Every group fired, however, had two shots that were a neat figure eight, so that told me the thing wanted to shoot. I do like putzing around with rifles. It didn't disapoint me one bit to get a new rifle out of the box like this. The way I figure it, the more I become acquainted with a rifle, the more proficient I can become with it. Now, if I had done the work and it still was a 2-2.5-inch rifle, then I'd be concerned. As it is, I give the CZ550 American a way above average rating, but regardless, I still recommend glassbedding the action and freefloating the barrel. The barrels are supposed to be freefloated anyway, but mine out of the box was not. Tom Purdom

Interesting feedback and experiences. Many thanks.

What are your favorite loads? Do you prefer the 140 grain bullets, Hornady's 129 grainer, or perhaps the 125 grain Noslers for deer and black bear?

Geez -- I wonder if this purchase will generate a caliber war in my household, what with me already having a Ruger chambered in 7x57...? Perhaps the 6.5x55 and 7 Mauser are too close in performance?

Maybe I should acquire the CZ-550 in ... 30-06?

Dogger, I read posted somewhere, "just because a man has the perfect rifle is no excuse for not buying another."

Well!! I will just keep my eyes open for a good used 6.5x55!!!

I am impressed that no one took the bait I threw out -- the comment about just going with a 30-06!!

Dogger -
Why not one of each?!?!?!
R-WEST

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"it is up to God to judge these terrorists; it is up to us to arrange their meeting" Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

An �06?? Anybody and his/her brother has that. Too boring to write about that. But get one just in case ...

The poster about that " not too much guns ..." has his heart on the right spot!

Have fun! Hermann

I have two of the 550 Americans, one rechambered to 9.3x64 and the other to 7x64. These rifles are a great value for the money. My only disappointment is the plastic follower, easily changed. Cobalt

Cobalt: I'm not too happy with the plastic follower in my 7x57 CZ550 American either, but where can I get one that isn't plastic? Thanks ... Tom Purdom