For those that read posts here often, you may recall that a while back I had a negative experience with a CZ550 in .404 Jeffery. Well in an effort to demonstrate my willingness to try and appear open minded, I wanted to write something nice about CZ.

I recently got a CZ550 Safari Magnum in .458. I was amazed when I started to stuff rounds in the magazine. That rifle will hold five rounds in magazine and one up the spout. Six rounds in a big bore without a perch belly magazine. I was impressed to say the least. Best news is that it feeds like a hungry teenager, eating and burping rounds with a ravenous appetite.

Gee I am starting to feel sort of like a Democrat, sensitive to all sides of the issue, not wanting to offend anyone, willing to take all sides on an issue, . . .

I had couple of 602s with 5+1 capacity, but honestly I never had to empty that mag. I now perfer my rifles "slim und trim".
Look, those DR boys are happy with just two rounds. Let's face it, that between fingers juggling act is good for staged pics only.

I hope it keeps feeding that well. Experience plus anecdotal evidence has shown me that the CZ550 in 458WM will give you some burps and farts along the way in feeding. My new CZ 416Rigby holds 4+1 (602 in 300WinMag holds 5+1) and ejection has already done a "burp" ... but it may have been my fault. I'll only declare it "reliable" after 200 rounds have been put down range.
Cheers...
Con

The CZ's are a bargain. Can get 5 down in the Lott too. You never know when you might need them!

Both my ZKK 602 458 Win and CZ 550 458 Lott will accept 6 rounds into the mag well, but when you chamber one then you have 5+1. There's a way around this from some old German military training phamplet that demonstrated a way to add one more cartridge to your overall capicity. This is also good for attempting to try to refire a cartridge that just misfired by recocking. This procedure is for controlled round feeding or the claw type extracter such as with a Mauser '98. Fill the mag well to maximum capacity and slide another into the chamber, use your thumb and depress the cartridges in the mag well enough to get the bolt to clear the top shell and move up to the chamber, at this point use your left thumb and squeeze the extractor into the bolt enough to make the grabbing edge of the extractor clear the rim of the cartridge, {to keep from breaking it} once the edge of the extractor clears the rim lock the bolt and you have one more round. Haven't tried it with my CZ's and don't see why it wouldn't, but it works with my Mauser rifles. R.

Rodney

I usually just load one, chamber it, flip it over and fill the magazine. This is simpler for me. Your method will work too on any rifle with a Mauser type claw.

In the Defensive Handgun circles, you would call that "clearing a malfuncion." It would be faster and much safer to just rack the bolt and eject the offending round and be up to snuff. Just think about how much time it takes to do that complicated excercise in futility when something is coming for you. What you advocate calls for bringing the rifle down off your shoulder and take your eyes off the offending critter.

I have a Brno ZKK602, purchased from our own Billinthewild, originally a 458Win, now a Lott, holds a handful, never miss feeds.

My CZ 550 .458 also holds 5+1. One thing to check though. Mine does something funky with the third round. Once in a while it miss feeds, only the third round though. Kind of weird.
Doug

When I got tired of stacking them into the mag at the bench I used to push feed single rounds in those 602s. When there were signs of throat erosion past 1K rounds I sold them.

jstevens-sometimes simplicity is not so obvious to me your idea is better. 475Guy-I agree this method is strictly for the range. I only suggested this idea for adding capicity, but it does work for re-cocking without extracting. R.

Mike,

I think the problem with your earlier CZ was the US Custom Shop part of it.

Rich
DRSS

I think I agree. That said, it is CZ that chooses to use that "Custom Shop".

quote:

Originally posted by jstevens:
Rodney

I usually just load one, chamber it, flip it over and fill the magazine. This is simpler for me. Your method will work too on any rifle with a Mauser type claw.

As long as the last round put in ends up on the bolt handle side of the magazine.

Jstevens,
After reading your loading technique I had to grab mine and try it out. Loading this way makes my .375 H&H CZ 550 an honest-to-gosh factory 7-shooter. The mag box was 5 1/2 down before, loading from the top. Whether having 7 shots is an advantage or not I don't know, but what possible harm can it do? Someday my Wisner drop box will arrive and I will have 7 loading conventionally as well.

I can get in 4 with one in the barrel in my CZ 550. It will hold more but using the bolt to extract them binds. So 4 is the max for me.

Paolo9,5x73,
How severe was the throat erosion at 1K? My .375 H&H CZ550 had .120" washed out of the throat at 1700 rounds. It still shoots but I'm chasing the lands now to maintain accuracy. Since I've reached the end of the magazine its days are numbered. I'm wondering how typical that is, since it works out to .0014" per box of cartridges. Seems excessive, perhaps the barrel is soft? Rebarrelling doen't bother me, but it may just be easier to replace the rifle and keep this one for range abuse.