Anyone else have this problem: I have two CZ550 Safari Magnums, one has a Hogback stock and the other an American stock. I have tried two different scopes (a Kahles and a Zeiss) in Talley QD rings on both and you cannot get the point of impact to center even after having used all the "up" adjustment on the scope. I have put the scopes on other rifles and they zero just fine. So it appears to me that the problem is either with the rings or the rifles (which seems unlikely since the problem is occurring on two different rifles). Anyone else already diagnosed this problem on their rifle?

Maybe the dovetails in the actions aren't machined parallel to the bore?

But on both rifles? It seems more logical that it is a problem with the rings. I have bought some CZ rings and will see how the scope works with them. I have to have to shim the scope.

I had the same problem when using CZ rings on one of my 550 Mags. I tried a set of Warnes and that solved it.

Ordered some of the Warne rings to see if that takes care of the problem. Thanks.

If you haven't ordered them yet Mike, I'll send you a set of CZ rings to try first.

Chris,

Thanks, but I went ahead and picked up some from Cabelas. They (Cabelas) are good about returns and I figured that if the Warne rings did not work I would ship them back. Hold off on the CZ rings and I will let you know how the Warne's work.

Personally, I hate the Warren rings. It is CZ's "normal" situation to have things bored an dmachined off center. Every CZ I have worked on has shot low with the iron sights and when changing sights, you have to use something DRASTICALLY different than what the calculations show you need. Typical CZ QC. But they sell them cheap, so you can usually pay someone to make them right.

I have been a critic of CZ in the past, but these two shoot fantastic with the iron sights. They are dead on with the iron sights both windage and elevation and will put five shots in a ragged hole. It is the scope that I am having a hard time getting to work.

I had the same problem with my CZ 375 and warne mounts. Tried warne low mounts and still ran out of up adjustment. Switched to talleys and finally was able to get sighted in with adjustment left. btw, mine was 30mm swarovski scope. My open sights are also dead on at 100 yds. I contacted CZUSA and they said they had some reports of bore misalignment with the reciever. They asked I send it to them, unfortunatly it would be easier to send it to the moon than send a gun to the US from Canada.

Hi Mike,
I had the same problem with a brand new CZ 550 in 416 Rigby. The problem that I had was with the elevation adjustment. I ended up having the rifle replaced from Cz in Kansas. The rifle that they sent me was almost as bad but i could just make it with the Leupold 1.5-5. It has a large ammount of verticle adjustment. i tried Warne, Talley and Leupold rings nothing worked. I finally had CZ agree to take the rifle back. i had to talk to the head engineer in the Czech Republic to make Kansas agree. I also heard from my gunsmith that CZ was having the barrels put onto the receiver in the USA because of this problem. I cannot verify this. I ended u[p buying a Ruger safari in 416. I had some mods made on it, and I love it! Best of luck.

Tony

I have known CZ USA to offer "Gunsmith Specials" to a local dealer. They sent him a couple of the hogback/Lux rifles in .458WinMag and .416 Rigby, for $350 each rifle. Probably $300 to him and $350 to me, for each parts gun.

They looked new but were said to have some misalignment that would require a gunsmith to sort out.

I assume the gunsmith would have to disassemble the rifle and blueprint the action, including the dovetails for scope mounting, and make sure the barrels with integral sights were not misaligned, off-center, bent, canted, cocked, etc.

The rifles looked fine to the eye, but must have needed some truing-up somewhere.

I assume they were returned by unhappy former owners, and CZ USA was dumping them, as more trouble than they were worth to CZ USA.

Some of us own a dozen or more CZ's with no dramas. MJines seems to have all the luck.

I doubt the rings are the problem, not likely, but possible, so needs to be "sorted out."

CZ used to put a test target in the boxes of the guns that came from Czechoslovakia. They used to be 100 meter targets and I would buy the ones that had 3/4" 3-shot groups in .416 Rigby. About 3/4 MOA.

They seemed to have quit supplying test targets about 2004, and the last one I saw from a 2004 dated test target was at 50 meters for a .416 Rigby, and it was 1" for 3 shots: about 2 MOA.

That was a "CZ 550 Safari Magnum .416 Rigby Barreled Action," serial number J81XX. The label on the box that said that was covered over with another label that said: "CZ 550 American Magnum 416 Rigby Brown laminate Stock," serial number J81XX.

Barreled action was shipped to Kansas, and a laminate stock was applied there to the naked baby.

I have not found a test target dated later than 2004 and none in any other "American Magnum."

Things seem to have deteriorated with time.

I have a CZ 550 in 458 Lott. I have a set of Talley rings that work fine when shooting 350 grain bullets and have another set that I run out of height adjustment when shooting 500 grain bullets.

Maybe it's a ring problem and maybe it's a gun problem. My possible solution to this problem would be to get a Nightforce scope which has quite a bit more vertical adjustment than the Leupold scopes I've been using.

Which rings and mounts should one use for a CZ 550 458 Win Mag and 500 grain bullets out to 200yds?This is for a Leopold 2.5-8X.

What I was saying is that if you measure the rear sight and calculate what the front sight hight should be, I am betting that you will find the actual front sight on there is lower than what your calculations show should be required. This is because the calculated front sight bullet impact would be low, so you need a lower front sight blade to get the bullet impact up to the point of aim.

shootaway:

the cz550 mounts (base) is integral to the cz action.

I have the same problem with a Brno 602 in 375 H&H. It is many inches low when I ran out of adjustment on a Leupold VXIII. Tried other scopes and also other rings. Same problem. If you measure the height of each ring and they are the same the problem is not the rings. Either the barrel threads are not straight in the receiver or else the dovetails are not parallel to the centerline of the receiver. To get the bullet 2" high at 100 and have the scope in the center of it adjustment range requires you raise the back ring .030-.050". Do that and now your rings are too far out of alignment to even lap. My CZ 550 in 416 Rigby does not have this problem.

Hart

Thanks Buliwyf.

Does running out of verticle adjustment have anything to do with the kind of scope and objective diameter? I just ordered a pair of the Talley quick detach/lever rings.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Does running out of verticle adjustment have anything to do with the kind of scope and objective diameter? I just ordered a pair of the Talley quick detach/lever rings.

The only difference a scope will make is if it has more adjustment than average, like in a scope with a 30mm tube. Ideally though a scope should not have to be adjusted that far.

My solution to the problem is to take a set of Brno rings that come with a separate mounting block, take off the rings and adapt a set of Burris signature rings to the blocks. I my case the the front ring would be .050" lower than the back ones. Also I would mount the scope lower than the originals as Brno mounts are usually too high.

Well, this was my interim fix. I took a small section of heavy duty aluminum foil and folded it over several times about 1/4 inch wide and 7/8 inch long, then put it in the bottom of the Talley rear ring. Set the scope in and tightened everything down very tight. Took it to the range and it shot beautifully. Not exactly the most artful fix, but it worked.