Has anyone put their CZ 550 magnum on a diet? I've a 375 H&H in a factory kevlar stock with a Swaro Z6i that weighs in at 11lbs with a montana sling and 5 rounds in the gun. I carried it fairly comfortably in Africa in 2017 for a good distance daily with little issue. I'd like to bring it to Newfoundland this fall for moose, but I'm concerned about the weight over (from what I've seen and heard) more uneven terrain. What could one reasonably expect to reduce the weight of this rifle to with a stock swap? Barrel was cut to 23" already when Wayne at AHR worked on it in 2015ish.

I would sent it to wayne. Have him put his stock. But everything about the cz is oversized overweight and bulky/fat (I love my cz)

I took a Ruger 375 Alaskan for my Alaska moose hunt.

Every non blaser centerfire bolt rifle (Ruger Sako Cz) I own goes to Wayne.

Mike

I've thought hard about jumping on the R8 bandwagon. Hard to argue the practicality of the system. I just wish the cost of entry wasn't so high. That eats into next years hunt funds quite a bit if I make that jump.

That’s interesting I actually had to add weight to my 458 Lott CZ 550 as it was a bit over 8 lbs with 22” bbl and was making all the nice parts wayne put on come off under recoil. Including ripping out the recoil pad from Kevlar stock ( factory CZ)put a lb on and now it seems to be about right. That was minus the scope ( same as yours) but 375 much lighter recoil. I’m sure wayne could do something

quote:

Originally posted by Brandon.Gleason:
I've thought hard about jumping on the R8 bandwagon. Hard to argue the practicality of the system. I just wish the cost of entry wasn't so high. That eats into next years hunt funds quite a bit if I make that jump.

They are expensive for sure but worth it in my opinion. They are also well suited for wet weather hunting.

I look at r8 as a precision tool. Get a synethic and beat it up.

I beat up my cZ and got it completely rebuilt by wayne.

Mike

My limited experience is if you want a lighter rifle, start with a lighter rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
My limited experience is if you want a lighter rifle, start with a lighter rifle.

Well said.

The CZ-USA factory CZ 550 Magnum Kevlar .458 Lott weighed 9 lbs 2 oz, bare/dry/empty, iron sights only, with some integral barrel features, shaped dognuts,
as on all the CZ 550 Magnum rifles.
That is like a No.4 sporter with iron sights
and with the 3-pound, wood, Phat-American stock (with steel F-block embedded) changed out for a CZ Kevlar stock.
That is as light as a .458 barrel should be in contour, 25" length.
Chopping the barrel length does little for weight reduction.

Strangely, a stock purchased directly from B&C was placed on a CZ 550-magnum .458 WIN that had been re-chambered to .458 Lott and it weighed 8 lbs 14 oz,
despite the Uncle Mike's barrel band added with J-B Weld:



Makes me wonder if the factory-fitted CZ-USA "Kevlar" stock had some weight added to it?

Remove the barrel-hardware weight (sights and secondary recoil lug) and go to a .375-caliber No. 3 sporter Pac-Nor of same 25" length: 8 lbs 13 oz
That is also about as light as a barrel should be for the caliber.
That also includes a Lapour safety, and the several ounces of Brockman forend-tip swivel base inlaid beneath the barrel,
so maybe it would be 8 pounds 8 oz with factory safety and no Brockman sling hanger.
That was .375/404 Jeffery Saeed of 2012 Rifle No.2.
.375/404 Jeffery Saeed of 2012 Rifle No.1 was set up the same way except with a Lilja, fluted, No.6 sporter of 26" length, and it weighed only one ounce more, at 8 lbs 14 oz:



So, amazingly, the much fatter, 26"-long, No.6, fluted barrel from Lilja weighed only one ounce more than a Pac-Nor 25", No.3, non-fluted barrel.
That fluting can make for some desirable differences, but very little in weight versus a skinny, non-fluted barrel,
since the fluting requires you start with a much heavier contour.

You will be hard pressed to get a CZ 550 Magnum below 8.5 pounds, bare/dry/empty, and with a 20" barrel.

A lighter stock than the B&C would have to be found.
Shave off another half-pound if a 2-pound stock can be found that can handle the recoil, and if you shorten a slick and skinny barrel to 20 inches? ...

The 8 lbs 14 oz .458 Lott pictured above was re-barreled to a .458 WIN LongCOL
with a No.5 "Light Varmint" from Shilen (Shilen refuses to make a .458 barrel any skinnier),
25-inch length, on a CZ 550 Magnum action with B&C "Medalist" stock:



No compromising, it is a .458 Full Nitro Express and then some rifle. Weight, minus the scope and rings but otherwise as shown, was 8 lbs 11 oz.

After adding 4 ounces of J-B-Welded, 8x40-screwed, Double-Seyfried-Schtick 2-Piece Picatinny: 8 lbs 15 oz without scope and rings.



One more, CZ 550 Magnum which with scope and rings removed, bare-naked and empty, is barely under 9 pounds:



That was .375/404 JS of 2012 Rifle No.2, but it got a barrel transplant with a Douglas No.4 sporter of .410-caliber and 26" length.
In addition to the LaPour, Timney and Brockman parts, it also got a Wisner floorplate so easily holds 6 down plus one in the chamber,
in .410/404 Jeffery Rimless Nitro Express:
8 pounds and 15 ounces.
It started life as a CZ-USA .404 Jeffery in a fancy walnut stock that broke off at the wrist, near spontaneously, despite being a perfect feeder.
I have that take-off, factory, dognutted barrel for it too,
but that would push it over 9 pounds.
CZ-USA gave me that "Kevlar" stock at my request as a replacement for the phat & fancy black walnut from Missouri.



Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
My limited experience is if you want a lighter rifle, start with a lighter rifle.

Agree wholeheartedly. You could always buy a lightweight 375 and rebarrel your CZ 550 to 416 or 450 Rigby. You would be glad of the extra weight then. I have a 7 1/2 lb 375 Weatherby (Rem XCR II) It's not CRF but it's accurate, light and weather resistant. My CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery is 12 lbs even with scope and sling unloaded. I wouldn't want it any lighter.

I had R J Renner do his Rigby treatment to my CZ a couple of years ago and it really improved the handling and looks of it. I don't know how much weight it lost in the process.

Thank you all for the comments, and particularly for RIP's detailed build data and weights.

I went to the LGS to look for a lighter rifle, and my thick-headed self ended up not being able to walk away from YET ANOTHER CZ550 (a Safari Mag in 300 Win Mag). I've just seen too few of them to have walked away from it at $650 out the door....

Maybe I'll win the Barrett Fieldcraft 6.5CM at our SCI chapter dinner next weekend and I can say that's my light rifle.....

Hey! I succumbed to a .300 WIN CZ 550 Magnum too.
It had the prettiest, blondest, Euro-Hogback stock I ever saw on a CZ.
It was a good shooter, but I was in the throes of a wildcatting delirium back then.
I still have the stock, waiting for something special.
The barreled action got re-barreled to .300 Lapua, IIRC, had to have the bolt face opened up.

That take-off CZ .300 WIN barrel lies fallow.
If I ever get around to pouring the concrete for a backyard patio,
I could use my take-off barrels for rebar.
Heard of a gunsmith who did that ...

Rip ...

I have a whole passel of big bore CZ 550 Magnums, ranging from a .500, to a .458, a .416 and a 9.3.

I love them all, but all of them have been heavily modified from the factory rifles.

And, per Charles's comment above, they are 550 Magnums, so they started and ended on the heavy side.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
I have a whole passel of big bore CZ 550 Magnums, ranging from a .500, to a .458, a .416 and a 9.3.
I love them all, but all of them have been heavily modified from the factory rifles.
And, per Charles's comment above, they are 550 Magnums, so they started and ended on the heavy side.

This, for sure.

And not only are the 550s, like their predecessor BRNO 602s, true robust magnum-length actions, but they sport what might be termed 'full capacity' magazines holding 4-, 5-, or 6-rds down, depending on the cartridge. But those extra rounds stuffed in the magazine add weight as well, and that's all before a scope, rings, and sling.

Not like the 2- or 3-rd capacities you find on the more 'sveltely' stocked rifles from Winchester, Ruger, and certain custom makers.

The CZ/BRNO magnum rifles are purpose-designed to be durable, hard-use 'working guns' against dangerous game. So that robustness necessarily carries with it some extra amount of discernible weight and bulk.

While you can pay a custom Big-Bore 'smith, like Wayne Jacobs or Lon Paul, to smooth the roughness and trim back on the weight at the margins, at the end of the day it'll never be as light or as nimble as a Sedgley Springfield Sporter or a Jefferey Lee-Metford Sporter.