I am new to this board, while reviewing past posts I noticed the CZ rifles are mentioned alot. I still have a space in my gun safe for a .458 bore rifle. I have been keeping my eye out for a Ruger 77 or or a Win. 70, maybe a 460 Wby. but they just dont show up often on the used shelves in Pa. gunshops. It seems as though the CZ might be what I am looking for after reading some of the past posts. Would someone please fill me in on some of the details of the CZ rifles, fit and finish, floorplate (aluminum or steel), Safety(70 style) selling price? I checked out their web site, limited info. This .458 will never go to Africa, unless I hit the lottery. It might be taken into the woods of Pa. to shoot a deer if I get the itch. I mostly just need a .458 to fill an empty space, Im sure you guys understand. Thanks in advance.

Welcome, Tony,
A CZ will cost you ~635 from gunbroker.com. The model 70 safety will cost about $140, and a smith could install and blue it for you for about $50. Where it mine, I would restock it, but some folks love the hogback.
While it's at the smith, you might think about having it rechambered to 458 lott. You can still shoot factory 458 pills from it, but then you can easily go 300 fps faster with the lott.

Without scope, you are looking at about 1k.

jeffe

Tony,

I feel the CZ 550 is a supurb rifle and you would do well to get one. I have `1 in .416 and another on layaway in .375 I debated over M70's etc. But the all steel (no pot metal), double square bridges magnum mauser action, express sights that need a little finishing are the absolute ducks nuts

Try the stock before canning it, but get it bedded and relieved around the tang first. I am jelous I want one in .458 as well...

Jeffesso here talked me out of an M70 and I am bloody pleased he did

I am cz convert through & through !!!!!!

& lastly welcome !!

Regards PC.

Hi Tony,

Welcome! What Jeffe said regarding the CZ's. I have 4 Model 70's and 3 CZ's. The hogbacked European style buttstock was a killer in my 416 Rigby so I imagine that unless it fits you just right that it would need to be restocked. The safety is similar to the Enfields and works well. They have steel floorplates and the fit and finish on most of them is good. It would be nice if CZ would start putting the same stock on the Safari Magnums that they put on the CZ 550 American rifles. Anyway, they are probably a better value currently than the Model 70's are and they are less expensive by quite a bit than the Model 77 Rugers.

Good Hunting,

Quality wise it is not just good but it is one of the best out there as far as production rifle is concerned. It is made of steel all the way. I don't have a problem with the factory walnut stock. In fact, I think it is great. My 416 Rigby CZ came with a really nice grain walnut stock. The only think I don't like about it would be the receiver mounted safety. It would have been nicer if it were on the bolt like the K98 regardless of whether it is a two position or three position. For around $650, there is no better big bore rifle available compared to the CZ 550 Safari. Good luck!

I agonized over this same decision for months and bought the CZ. I am impressed by the fit and finish every time I take it out of my gunsafe. IMHO it's a better gun, and value, than the M70.

I have its predecessor, the Brno ZKK and I agree with most of what's said above. However, the big CZ is wasted on something so small as a .458 Winnie. If all you want is a little short big bore, then go Ruger. A Lott will fit nicely into a M70 but where the CZ shines is when you want to go HUGE. That cavernous action will take anything up to a .505 Gibbs and it handles the big Rigby based cases handily. Seriously consider a safety change, though, the modern CZ does not block the striker and I demand that, anymore.

I am pretty sure I couldn't handle a 458 lott in the CZ550 with the factory stock. I also have a suspicion that the factory stock might not hold up under the recoil. Aside from that the CZ is a bargain, even with a new stock and safety.

Good point! When I built the Rigby up on a basic Brno .458 Win my gunsmith insisted that I have it steelglass bedded. Additionally, I added twin mercury recoil buffers and the fattest KickEze pad on the market. Now it weights 10.5 lbs. empty and I think that that's a minimum for Class III DGR's. I've got over 200 rounds through it and the stock shows no sight of splitting. Thank-you Brownell! I originally sanded down the comb to get rid of the hog-back, but I still want to get it restocked. Maybe that could be this summer's project.

Getting tired of people ragging on CZ stocks.

Big Bore rifles don't sell quickly. The result is, overtime, the wood shrinks back, giving the action room to move, and just enough room to get moving, and slam into the stock, splitting it.

First thing you should do when buying a big bore is either check it yourself, or have a good smith custom bed, or check it.

I don't think all this stuff is CZ's fault, they just sell more big bore rifles then most...
s

Depending on what you want to do the Cz550's represent a tremendous bargain for the money. Your basically buying a modernized Magnum Mauser action for $650. It is undoubtably the cheapest way into a reliable 458 Lott/450 Ackley Mag or even bigger that exists. However as others have said there are flaws. The CZ stock is weak ( although it can be reinforced) your best bet is a Mcmillan express stock. Precise Metalsmithing sells a three position safety and the trigger should also be changed. Get rid of the CZ second recoil lug and install a proper one and with decent glassbedding/steelbedding you will have no concerns about a stock splitting internally. If you are considering a rechamber, the 458 Lott/450 Ackley are easily done and the magazine box/rails need only minor massaging if at all.-Rob

I fired a few shots with scope on on my .375 on christmas day & boxing day with the Euro stock and it was alright, it felt great for off had shooting and came to the shoulder nicely and the scope picture was "right there" when I pointed it. The more I muck around with my CZ's the more I appreciate what fine rifles they are.

I need more CZ's..

HI,

I agree with PC, I just pick up my cz in a 416 and it is really a well made rifle for the money. I will replace the stock with mcmillan and replace barrel with a stailess steel Pac-Nor, not that it is needed at all but for the area I will relocate to, way to wet for wood.Anyway I really like what ROBGUNBUILDER mention maybe he could answer these questions.What would you or what do you use for sights on a rifle like a 416 rigby?. And how much weight will I save by going to a fiberglass stock over the factory wood stock?.Thanks,Kev

HI,

Just got some information on the the sights NECG and saw there web site nice sights. And on sooner than I got of the computer the UPS man drop off my Mcmillan stock, black and grey marble very nice.Thanks,Kev

Kev,

on my .416 Rigby I have a custom fibreglass composite in a black finish with a pachymeyer deaccelerator on it. I did have a 2-7 leupold on it but it just is not the right scope for a .416 and I will only be shooting the 410 gr woodeligh's in it so I am going to mount a 2.5 compact leupold on it in Talley QD's when they arrive (these are very rugged scopes).

Kev on my .416 I have had the action screws with the slot replaced with hex head types. My stock builder cut the heads off and resouldered hex heads on they work heaps better !! I have never heard of this resouldering before but it works as I have mine bloody tight.

Kev if you are interested in off loading the sights from your current .416 barrel I would be interested in purchasing them.

Kev these rifles are awsome, I have ordered one in 9.3x62 (not sure if it will make to Oz yet) and after that I will buy another in .458 win mag to ream to a lott.

HI,

PC, not sure of what direction I am going with the sight thing yet. I will see what I am going to do and let you know,I sure like the cz factory sights if I get new ones out of necessity, if they will not go on new barrel, I will let you know. Thanks,Kev

Thanks Kev, much appreciated.