Hello, I would like to introduce myself with this first posting. I am associated with American Hunting Rifles ( AHR ). I perform the metalwork, assembly, test firing ( the real fun part ), and help with the general brainstorming. Ed ( the owner ) and I are also quite good friends.
I have been following the big bore postings with interest for quite some time, but have been reluctant to participate out of fear of appearing to toot our own horn, so to speak. However, I have a great interest in rifles, big bores in particular, and would like to participate in the forum. I did not want to sneak in the back door and tout our product from that angle.
Having said that, as many of you know, we specialize in customizing the CZ rifle, and particularly, but not exclusively, the big bores. I continue to read on this forum threads ranging from praise to digust for the CZ rifle. Also many questions on who to contact for improvements or replacement items. For the CZ lovers, we have a complete range of upgrades and are always dreaming up new products. I will keep you posted of some neat new stuff.
Now, with that crass bit of commercialism behind, I look forward to talking BIG BORES!

Bitterroot

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the madness!

Welcome! More brain power is always a benefit to us all.

Thank you for joining us. I look forward to reading about some of your techniques in testing the rifles.
What type bench or shooting station are you using for really big stuff?

Frank

Welcome to the forum.

Just send me one of your DG custom CZ stocks and we will be great friends forever!

Hell, we'll probably be freinds even if you don't.

Seriously, do you guys sell stocks seperatey from the rifle?

Hi Bitterroot,
Welcome to the forums. We will look forward to some of your first hand knowledge and sharing of some big bore experience. I love the CZ also and have three at the moment. One 500 A-Square on a 602, one 602 in 470 Mbogo and one CZ550 in 470 Mbogo.
Take good care,
Dave

Bitterroot,

Glad you decided to join us!

Sounds like you have a really fun job at AHR!

Nothing like putting you right on the spot ......but, would you be willing to tell us what you folks do to the cz550 action when tuning/modifying it into one of you big bore rifles?

I would certainly love to hear how it all comes together.

Best Regards,
Dave

Welcome, And I look forward to reading your future post's.

Craven

Welcome aboard. There are several of us with AHR rifles that post here. I really like the 600 O.K. My interest is starting to grow about the 700 AHR. What can you tell us about it?

Bitterroot,

Have you ever installed a deeper magazine floor plate on the CZ actions?

My AHR holds about 3 1/2 450 Dakota ctgs and it would sure be nice to have 4 + 1. (It is installed on a McBros BRNO 602 stock).

I have also wondered about making a wider magazine sleeve which wold allow the ctgs to displace laterally more which would also help pick up a little magazine capacity?

Have you ever soldered or machined a rib into the magazine sleeve to match the ctg shoulder so they do not move ahead during recoil?

Andy

Bitterroot,

welcome to the club. We consider it fortunate that you are here and can share some wisdom on "gilding the lily". Hopefully, most of what you all do to CZ's is not a trade secret...but mostly a mix of brains and common sense and good machine shop tool technology.
Please do post your website address as part of your signature line.

regards,

Rich
DRSS
CZ-boy

Bitterroot,

a question if you don't mind.

Do you offer the Jim Wisner extended floor plate for the CZ's? I was curious as to how much work was involved in fitting them, etc.

Rich
DRSS
CZ fan

Welcome!

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I can only get to the forums in the evenings or early mornings Montana time as I am chained to the lathe the rest of the day. I am only allowed out for bathroom breaks. I'll try to pick off a couple of your questions here.

Frank, my shooting station for the big stuff ( .500 and up ) is very technical. I put a bath towel on top of a cedar fence post and rest the rifle on that. All of the big stuff I shoot standing. A couple have asked about more or improved magazine capacity. What would you think about a detachable box magazine? Any interest?

Bitterroot

GAHUNTER,

We do sell stocks of our own design seperately. They are not drop-ins. Contact Ed through our website www.hunting-rifles.com. His email address and phone number are there. I'll try to post some pictures of some recent restocked rifles as soon as I can figure out how to do so.

Bitterroot

bigdoggy700,

Glad you like the 600. We're going to have some new bullets for you before too long; really wicked stuff. The 700 is on the front burner right next to the 585. That's all I can say for now.


Bitterroot

quote:

Originally posted by Bitterroot:
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I can only get to the forums in the evenings or early mornings Montana time as I am chained to the lathe the rest of the day. I am only allowed out for bathroom breaks. I'll try to pick off a couple of your questions here.

Frank, my shooting station for the big stuff ( .500 and up ) is very technical. I put a bath towel on top of a cedar fence post and rest the rifle on that. All of the big stuff I shoot standing. A couple have asked about more or improved magazine capacity. What would you think about a detachable box magazine? Any interest?

Bitterroot

Well I am glad to see that I am on the cutting edge and new wave of shooting big bore rifles.
I may contact you later to see if you are using the new Martha terry-towell or the really extra fluffy Trump Terry with monogram on the edge.

Frank

Andy, we have not installed the deeper floor plate for more magazine capacity. We have not had much call for it. What would you think about a detachable box? We have never machined or soldered a rib into the box. I have installed a spacer at the rear of the box to keep the cartridges from banging around. How much room is there between the bullet tip and the front of the mag well?

Idaho, I have not installed the extended floor plate. We will take a look at it. See my reply to Andy also. Thanks for the welcome.

Hi Bitterroot,
Welcome to AR.COM. Careful about your new addiction, don't waste too much of your valuable time here.

I have a CZ 550 Magnum action (.375 H&H boltface) that has AHR serial # X0001 (marked below the stock wood line) and no CZ markings on the left side of the action, i.e., blank "billboard."

I bought this action at Great Northern Guns in Anchorage, Alaska about late 2000 or early 2001.

Is this the first AHR action imported from CZ? Serial # X0001 begs this question. And why did it end up languishing in a gun shop in Alaska for me to rescue?

The action was trued/blue-printed, locking lugs lapped, and it went into a classic style walnut stock and got barreled to .375 RUM (a barely used Winchester .375 H&H barrel that was too good to throw away, ".375 H&H" was changed to ".375 RUM" by a master engraver then refinished all over with Gun Kote, Winchester markings on the barrel are the only visible markings above stock line -- looks like the mythical rifle ToddE/Axel/ScottS's dad built for him, but this one is real ), had a Dakota follower and spring installed and polishing of the rails and ramp to get it to feed the rebated RUM reliably. Still has the standard CZ safety and trigger.

This rifle is a prime candidate for rebarreling to .395 Tatanka or 398 Lapua Magnum, which I am sure will be flawless feeders in this rifle.

Then a new trigger and safety, bolt handle, and pocket floor plate from AHR? It holds 4 down in .375 RUM, but needs a little more room for the Rigby-sized cases, 4 down. Maybe a fancier stock and some engraving would be indicated for this momentous new-caliber rifle.

I'll be in touch when it all comes together with bullets from GSC and barrels from McGowen in the works. Reamers are on the way from Dave Manson.

That serial number "AHR X0001" has always intrigued me. Any ideas?

Here is the RIP (Non-POS CZ action) .375 RUM, AHR X0001, still in progress, badly in need of a .395 barrel:

Bitterroot,

There is enough room in the magazine that it mashes a soft point flat under recoil and will push a FMJ or monolithic solid back a couple hundreds, or even a tenth of an inch if you dont crimp correctly. So it is a bit of a problem. Ive always thought a shoulder to hold the ctg back would be a good idea. . . . unless it damaged the shoulder!

Regarding the Weisner floor plate, I am surprised no one has asked AHR for 4+1 in a 450 rigby or 450 dakota. I could really have used it when I shot my elephant at 9 paces and missed the brain! (I had to reload after 3 and got it done on the 4th).

I think I would get better more decisive feeding especially with FN solids, with a stronger magazine spring also.

I am not personally interested in a magazine fed conversion as so many of us carry the rifle at the balance point of the floor plate. 1/2 more round is all I need!

I will send Ed a picture of my elephant w his rifle.

Andy

RIP, thanks for the welcome.
That is an interesting rifle. I will talk to Ed about it and find out what I can. It was made long before I came on board. Keep me updated on your progress

Andy, I've been working with stronger ( thicker ) magazine springs for the 600 OK. That's alot of cartridge to lift. I've found that too much upward pressure can cause problems with ejection, but i'm using them on a center fed mag box also. I have thicker springs for the CZ if you want to try. When you email the pictures of jumbo, ask Ed about it, or call.
That crimp is all important. Have you tried the Triple-shocks? They don't get beat up.

Bitterroot,

Welcome to the Forums! There are a lot of guys here with DG/big bore experience that will share their real world feedback.

As for your detachable magazine idea I (for one) do not like them. Give me a secured floor plate mag that houses the requsite rounds (3,4 or 5) and I am a happy camper. If one loses a mag (happened!) he is in either deep crap or in a very unforgiving single shot situation (that is why I have a spare mag). Also can you top off the mag or does one have to remove the mag and then reload the magazine (as in my TRG-S Lapua)?

I want a rifle that is perfecty reliable feeding and shooting my rounds. Yes TSXs can be (and are) beat up by recoil. Feeding is paramount. Give me a rilfe that holds three down (or more!) and feeds the cartridges well. Give me a floorplate that doesn't dump the rounds under recoil. And yes give me this rifle for a reasonable price! Hein says they have this rifle for under $3000, with a synthetic stock. Again yes this is a lot of $$$s but if it delivers it will be a bargain and a success in the marketplace.

Please remember that some people will pay the price for a good rifle, if it works! Does it really take $7000.00+ for an Echols for a rifle to deliver??

Just my .02

John

Bitterroot,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I would like to try a stronger magazine spring and will call or e mail.

Is there any way to reduce the height of the follower to pick up a little bit more room in the magazine?

PS The 450 grain Tripple Shock and 400, 450 and 500 grain Barnes X I have shot in my 450 Dakota are damaged by recoil. This can adversely effect their ability to expand, while the bonded lead bullets do so every time and over a much greater velocity envelope. I would rather have more expansion from my soft and use a FN solid for a penetrator.

I will post a picture of your Mod 70 style safety and trigger. Everyone who owns a CZ needs one!

Andy

Andy, if you are looking to get 1/2 of a Dakota in your mag, I don't believe there is enough material to remove from the CZ follower to do it. I will have to dig out a 450 Dakota case and take a look.
I guess I should have said that I have never had a TSX damaged by recoil, but obviously you and others have. Not to say that I won't. I seat them out to fill the mag box as much as possible and to get more powder since they are so long. I cut a new crimping groove in them if I have to. Thanks.

Biterroot,

You wrote:

"Andy, if you are looking to get 1/2 of a Dakota in your mag, I don't believe there is enough material to remove from the CZ follower to do it. I will have to dig out a 450 Dakota case and take a look."

That is why I was curious if you had used the Weisner floor plate, in conjunction with a shorter follower?

It may still require a wider magazine box.

Andy

Andy,
I have a floorplate from Jim Wisener coming in the mail. I will let you know what it does for my CZ 416Rigby as far as depth. Jim says one more round down the well, if that is any help.

Rich
DRSS

Rich,

I would rally appriciate that!

And a photograph if you have one.

Did you also order a stronger follower spring?

Many thanks, Andy

Bitterroot- welcome to the forum.Say Hi to Ed for me. I'm the guy who designed the cartridge and did the barrelwork on the first two .600 OK's. Are you a full time gunsmith at Ed's facility? Is he making you shoot the cannon's for him? If so ask for a raise!-Rob

Welcome Bitteroot!Glad to see you join the pack of BB Nuts as I am proud to be one myself!I have 2 of your 600s (Grizzilla & Thor) and I am the blame for the new 700AHR as I told Ed last year,make it and I WILL Buy it!We are looking for the best wood now and then lets get this King Kong started!I love my rifles and I like Ed alot as he seems to put up with me and builds them just like I want!I am also Very Excited about the ALL Copper 600 and 700 expanding bullets in R&D now!Those will really do the trick! Welcome again!

Rob, thanks for the welcome. Yes, I do all of the metalwork, assembly and test firing of the rifles. The 600 is not so bad to shoot as long as the weight is kept up. I wouldn't shoot SAFARIKIDS' Grizzilla though(8 1/2 lbs.). That's asking for it.

Hi Tom, building Grizzilla was a kick in the pants. Everyone who saw it during building just shook their heads. Looking forward to King Kong.

Bitterroot!

Welcome to AR! I agree with JKS that a detachable magazine is a bad idea on a DG rifle unless you never plan to actually use it to hunt DG. If you lose it your SOOL. KISS principal is aplicable here big time!

465H&H

What 465H&H said! He is a nieghbor, and has been to Africa Elephant hunting more than enough trips to know whereof he speaks. I believe Murphy got his start in Africa ghosting DG hunters.

Rich
DRSS

Everyone who has actually shot a .600Ok remarks that it's surprisingly easy to shoot. Now try that same load in a .600NE Heym and you got a tiger by the tail. Weight is a good thing in a .600Ok but as Safarikid knows all too well, you gotta lug it 98%of the time so a little pain isn't too much of a penalty to pay for the light weight. IMHO. At least you won't hae to follow-up a wounded TREX with the .600OK even if you only get one shot(assuming you don't shoot him in the foot)! The game is over. Period!-Rob

465 H&H and Idahosharpshooter, re: the detachable mag. That's why I ask what you guys want. I know you want more down, but how do you want it.You guys are the ones out there shooting the beasties, I am bouncing the ideas off you. The general consensus seems to be a dropped floorplate for one more round. Thanks for the input.

I agree with the consensus!

465H&H

Bitterroot,

as 465H&H has said, and I have echoed, the detachable magazine is just something you can lose. I think that the extended floorplate is THE way to go. Just put four rounds of 416 Rigby in your hand. I would suggest that four of those and one up the spout is the DG boltrifle standard. It will mean five 458L or 375H&H, and three of those rotator cuff specials RGB and the Kid love.

best wishes,

Rich
DRSS
Boltgun Budget