I just ordered a CZ in .458 Lott and I had a few questions before it gets here. Can you really shoot .458 win mag ammo in it? What do I need done to it by a gunsmith to really make it right for dangerous game and finally if I keep the stock it came in can I remove the sling swivel mount from the forend if I add a barrel band without any problems to the stock. This is my first big bore because I do not count my .375 H&H.

Yes .458 Win. Mags. will chamber and fire just like .38 Specials in a .357 Mag.

I'd have the stock properly glass bedded--and cross-bolted, too--as a precaution against stock splitting.

You can remove the fore end swivel stud and have the hole plugged without any problems.

Mine shoots win mag without a hitch. mrlexma is dispensing with good advice when he recomends glass-bedding and cross-bolting. Mine is very accurate, you should be pleased with yours.

Thanks for the information, I have debated and debated between the CZ and the Ruger and my wife made up my mind for me today, thank goodness. Now all I have to do is have the gunsmithing work done to it when it gets here.

Heed the suggestion about bedding the stock on the CZ, preferably steel bedding and even adding another recoil lug out on the barrel. A friend of mine who just got his CZ .458 LOTT split his stock wide open in less than 20 rounds. Makes for a very expensive tooth-pick.

I had my cz lott bedded and two extra cross bolts added for and aft the mag box..............two extra's may have been over kill but it is some extra insurance I suppose.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bore:
Heed the suggestion about bedding the stock on the CZ, preferably steel bedding and even adding another recoil lug out on the barrel. A friend of mine who just got his CZ .458 LOTT split his stock wide open in less than 20 rounds. Makes for a very expensive tooth-pick.

Big Bore- Was his stock the hogback or the American pattern?

American. And it was a very plain stock, not a highly figured one which while they look great tend to be more prone to splitting.

BigBore, Thanks for the info. Why in the world CZ doesn't bed and crossbolt the things at the factory is anybody's guess.

i spent some time on the phone with cz about this... trying to get a broken american style stock.. and COULDN'T as the lott is NOT breaking these like the hog backs.. jason told me that the new stocks had extensive redesign!!

jeffe

At a minimum I would have the rifle bed and cross bolted.

Some additional items you may wish to consider include: 1) Barrel Band Swivel (you may have to have gun reblued) and slow rust blue 2) Have the gun gone over for feeding and have the action smoothed, if needed 3) Add a larger bead (NECG) is what I had put on mine. If you are going to have the gun slow rust blued you can have the gunsmith take off the xxx over the win. mag...If CZ still does that.

I put a Leupold 2.5x M8 compact scope with Talleys QD mounts..works well.

If you reload, you can load the Lott to 458 win mag levels...and adjust ....the Lott can be very flexible...that would be my preference over shooting 458 win mag loads.

Good luck!

300magman:

Forgot to add one other possible thing you may want to consider is have the trigger adjusted...I also had the set trigger feature disabled on mine.

Jeffe:
From first hand experience I can tell you that a CZ American in 458 win mag. did crack...from forend to pistol grip! It was not bed or cross bolted...but since then I learned my lesson!

I also have to say that CZ was very good about handling the issue and I was so pleased with their customer service that I have since obtained two more 550 Safari Mags.

I can't see what CZ as done to the American to make it stronger, I have one laying on the hood of my jeep and if I remember it only has one cross bolt.

I would add another cross bolt and steel bed hell out of it and shoot it like I had good sense.

The angle of the grip cap is about as ugly as the hump was on the hog backs. But a good gun for the money, I have a couple.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bore:
American. And it was a very plain stock, not a highly figured one which while they look great tend to be more prone to splitting.

I have one of these rifles with the deluxe stock and was curious if CZ replaced the stock for the fellows who had them spilt when firing them?

They replaced mine and were very good in dealing with the issue!

jjs ----- Just a note to you, we hunted the IKURIA camp in the Selous and it is located in Block IH1. I talked to our waiter by E-Mail and he provided this information, just thought I would pass it on to you. Good shooting.

phurley:

Thanks for the info.

Going to head back to Tanzania and hunt with Pierre this July...I think in R2...

Hope all is well with you!

Best regards,

jjs

I Talked to a Mike at CZ and he recomended glass bedding and
crossbolt. Another recoil lug is also a good idea. He said there is still some trouable with this. I am going to get one and follow all this advice.

Here's another modification you will definitely want to make:

CZ Safety Problem

Well I just picked up my CZ .458 Lott. Wood was better than I was expecting. Very basic gun. Reminds me alot of a Savage 110 I bought for my wife. However thanks to the replys of all the members i know that I can have this gun made much more funtional and presentable. Now all is left is to shoot it a few times and then surrender it to the gunsmith for a few months.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
i spent some time on the phone with cz about this... trying to get a broken american style stock.. and COULDN'T as the lott is NOT breaking these like the hog backs.. jason told me that the new stocks had extensive redesign!!

jeffe

When I said "more prone to splitting" I was referring to highly figured wood stocks, not the American style stock in particular. For all I know this is the first American style stock to split and also for all I know the stock screws were not properly tightened. There is a lot about the stock's splitting I don't know, but what I do know is that it was the American style stock on a CZ .458 Lott and that it split with fewer than 20 rounds of Hornday 500 gr. factory loads through it.