For anyone who owns one or has shot one extensively...

I am seriously buying one to go with a CZ 550 A
merican in 9.3X62 for Africa 2007.

Can you please comment on function regarding:
Feeding, ejection, magazine weight distribution, etc.

What mod's or work have you had done or recommend?

Which gunsmiths can you recommend who work on and like the 550 action.

I own all of the CZ 550's from 9.3 up, except the .450 Rigby, which does not interest me because I prefer the the .457 Lapua Tembo on a CZ and a .450 Dakota on a Prechtl Magnum Mauser.

Undoubtedly the .404 Jeffery is the best big bore that CZ makes ... and the .505 Gibbs is the worst ... based on appropriateness of magazine box size to cartridge size.

The box for the .404 Jeffery is a bit too long for the cartridge, but that is no funtional problem. A small spacer at the rear of the box could fix that.

Also I did not mention the reinforcement of the front of the box which I consider a part of the bedding process.

The .404 Jeffery is the only CZ Safari Classic worth grabbing.

quote:

The .404 Jeffery is the only CZ Safari Classic worth grabbing.

The more I study DG cartridges and read accounts of others the more I like the 404 Jeffery. I just wish there was more bullets available for it.

It is unfortunate that all the "American" style stocks have the bottom metal recessed into the stock at the front action screw.

CZ is trying to start a new fashion trend with this statement.

The Lux/Hogback stock was not like this, but had flush fit of wood and bottom metal.

To fix the "American" stock and give it the proper pregnant guppy look of a drop box, will require removing a lot of wood from the forend and then re-checkering the entire forearm.

The slab sides around the box could be reworked into some decorative panels, since I am going to refinish the entire stock, and add a spacer at the butt for LOP with a 1" Decelerator.

Or stick it in a McMillan and have a great .404 Jeffery for actually hunting with.

The CZ factory barrel is a 10" Twist McGowen with integral rear sight base and barrel recoil lug contraption.

The front sight is standard CZ banded, hooded ramp, or specify an NECG Masterpiece if ordering from scratch.

The barrel band sling base is crudely sharp edged.

All minor stuff really.

To get a smoothly feeding .404 Jeffery is easy with the CZ 550 Magnum box. That makes it worthy.

With the McGowen barrel, use my African Sheep Rifle data:

88 grains of H4831SC for 400 grainers at 2200 fps.

81 grains of Varget for 400 grainers at 2425 fps.

83 grains of Varget for 380 grain North Forks at 2550 fps

87.6 grains of Varget for 340 grain North Forks at 2725 fps.

Above are 25" velocities (+/- 5 fps) at 70 degrees F.

I have seen some .404 Jeffery rifles made by "master gunsmiths" on standard Mauser actions, asking price about $7,000 USD.

The CZ .404 Jeffery can be reworked to be better than any of those, for a lot less money.